The HVAC industry recommends that you have a technician perform maintenance twice a year. Homeowners should schedule a tune-up in spring before needing cooling. You should schedule again in fall before needing heating. Let’s explore why this routine maintenance is necessary and will more than pay for itself over the life of your equipment.
Ensure Safe Operation
Safety is a concern if you have fuel-burning HVAC equipment. Examples include furnaces and boilers that burn natural gas, heating oil or propane. These systems are potentially dangerous because carbon monoxide (CO) is a byproduct. Each year, a technician should inspect the exhaust and clean and test the pilot light and burner. With modern boilers, explosions are uncommon, but ruptures still occur. Maintenance helps to avoid this by ensuring pressure and temperature are in the optimal ranges.
Reduced Carbon Footprint
Maintenance helps to ensure that your HVAC system is running efficiently. Efficient HVAC equipment uses as little energy as possible while dirty and malfunctioning systems use a lot more. This is notable for air conditioners and heat pumps. AC is the main contributor to household carbon footprints in the U.S. and a leading global cause of greenhouse gases.
Lower Month-to-Month Costs
Less energy consumption means lower operating costs as well. In fact, the Department of Energy recommends seasonal HVAC maintenance for the savings. The DOE estimates it can reduce cooling costs by as much as 15%. It can reduce heating costs by as much as 8%.
Improved Home Comfort
A more efficient HVAC system also results in a more comfortable home. The blower will provide the cubic feet per minute (CFM) your home needs. That means no warm or cold spots in rooms or temperature differences between floors. Air will flow forcefully from your vents, and you’ll experience a consistent temperature and relative humidity (RH) throughout the entire home.
Better Indoor Air Quality
HVAC equipment has an integral role in indoor air quality (IAQ) as well. Forced-air systems often get a bad rap on this front, but they don’t actually cause bad IAQ. What they do is exacerbate conditions that are already in place. During a tune-up, your technician will clean all your equipment, which will cause fewer airborne allergens. You should schedule a duct inspection too. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends an annual inspection. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends cleaning your ducts as needed.
HVAC Warranties
Most HVAC warranties protect you against part malfunction for around 10 years. If something goes wrong, the manufacturer will at least cover the cost of the part replacement, which can be significant. What many homeowners don’t realize is that there are often conditions. Most warranties require annual maintenance. After completing that service, your technician will give you an invoice that documents the work completed. If you ever need to make a claim, the manufacturer may ask for copies of those receipts. If you can’t provide them, it can deny your claim.
Fewer Repairs
A big headache as a homeowner is dealing with a failed HVAC system in the middle of winter or summer. Routine maintenance helps you avoid those problems. A recent study revealed that only 30% of Americans schedule preventative maintenance. The occurrence of repairs among that group was significantly less than the other.
Proactive Repairs
Some repairs are unavoidable. Parts malfunction and fail through wear and tear. At least through maintenance, you can identify those issues ahead of time. A preventative repair is a lot less expensive and much less of a hassle.
Lower Total Cost of Ownership
Regular maintenance can extend HVAC equipment lifespan by as much as 50%. Even a 10% increase significantly reduces your long-term equipment costs. Those are savings in addition to your savings on repairs and lower month-to-month heating and cooling costs.
Do You Need an HVAC Tune-Up?
RW Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electrical is a locally owned and operated business that’s provided AC maintenance services in Nesbit and beyond for over 25 years. Our HVAC technicians not only maintain but install and repair all manner of heating and cooling systems. We have electricians that perform inspections, maintenance, repairs, upgrades and installations. Our company also has plumbers. They clean drains, fix leaks, hook up appliances, install tank and tankless water heaters and much more. If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call us today, or reach out to us online.
