Is an HVAC Maintenance Plan Worth It? Top Benefits of Having One

A home’s HVAC system plays an essential role in keeping its residents comfortable year-round. No one wants to be stuck without air conditioning on the hottest day of summer or have the heater go out in the middle of a cold winter night. That’s why it’s important to do everything you can to keep the home’s HVAC system up and running.

Signing up for an HVAC maintenance plan makes it easy to stay on top of furnace and air conditioning maintenance, yet surprisingly few homeowners invest in this valuable service. Many people assume that it’s not worth the money or prefer to schedule routine inspections and preventative maintenance appointments themselves with whatever HVAC company offers the best rates that year.

If you fall into either of these categories, it’s worth checking out the top benefits of having an HVAC maintenance plan listed below. Chances are good that they will change your mind. When you’re ready to sign up for an HVAC maintenance or service plan, we’ll be here to help.

What Does Professional HVAC Maintenance Entail?

Before moving on to discuss some of the unique benefits of signing up for an HVAC maintenance plan, let’s take a moment to clarify a common misconception. Many people believe that professional HVAC maintenance consists of no more than an inspection, plus some basic tasks that could be accomplished just as easily at home. In fact, that’s simply not the case.

A professional HVAC maintenance visit involves a full system tune-up that goes well beyond the average homeowner’s capabilities. During this kind of appointment, you can expect the contractor to:

  • Tighten electrical connections
  • Inspect condensate drains
  • Lubricate all of the moving parts
  • Clean and adjust the system’s blower
  • Check the refrigerant levels of AC units
  • Check the fuel lines of heating units
  • And more

All of these tasks require specialized tools and industry-specific knowledge, and they can be dangerous if performed at home by a well-meaning but untrained homeowner. Allowing crucial maintenance tasks like the ones described above to go unaddressed can be just as dangerous, though. The best solution is to schedule routine inspections and HVAC maintenance visits and stick to performing only more basic tasks at home.

The Benefits of Having an HVAC Maintenance Plan

Experts recommend having HVAC systems serviced twice a year. The first visit should happen in the spring and should be focused primarily on getting the air conditioning unit ready for summer. The second should occur in the fall before the home heating season begins in earnest.

Some homeowners prefer to schedule just one HVAC maintenance appointment per year, either in the spring or the fall. This approach is acceptable, at least in terms of maintaining manufacturers’ warranties, but it’s not ideal. Be sure to discuss the timing of maintenance visits with your HVAC contractor. Air conditioners, furnaces, and ductwork can collect dirt, dust, and debris year-round, even when they’re not in use.

Before and after these annual or twice-annual check-ups, most homeowners give their HVAC systems little to no thought unless they start acting up. While it’s fine to keep things that are out of sight out of mind, for the most part, neglecting key maintenance tasks can have serious negative consequences. Read on to find out how signing up for an HVAC maintenance plan can help.

Eliminate the Need for Setting Reminders

If your HVAC system seems to be running as intended, it can be difficult to remember to call to schedule routine professional maintenance. Unfortunately, forgetting to schedule a professional inspection and preventative maintenance appointment just once can have lasting consequences. It may void your furnace or air conditioner’s manufacturer’s warranty and can have a surprisingly strong impact on how both of these essential units function throughout the year.

Homeowners who don’t have maintenance plans have to set reminders or risk forgetting to call their HVAC contractors. With a maintenance plan in place, there’s no need to worry about either of these scenarios. Instead, one of our friendly and dedicated customer service representatives will call at just the right time given the system’s service history to schedule routine tune-ups at your convenience.

Prevent Unexpected Breakdowns

Having an HVAC maintenance plan in place can dramatically reduce the chances of a system breaking down unexpectedly at the worst possible time. These system failures can be not just uncomfortable but also dangerous to the health and safety of a home and its inhabitants, and they often result in costly emergency repairs. While there’s no way to prevent every possible problem, making sure routine maintenance visits don’t get skipped can be extremely beneficial.

If you have an HVAC maintenance plan, it means the system will be inspected at least once a year by a qualified technician. Our technicians will never cut corners when it comes to the quality and thoroughness of their inspections. You can expect us to identify even the most minor issues and recommend appropriate fixes before they cause poorly timed catastrophic breakdowns.

Keep Your System Operating Efficiently

You may not realize this, but scheduling routine maintenance can help you save money in the long run. Identifying and repairing minor issues, cleaning the system, tightening connections, and lubricating moving parts will help both air conditioners and furnaces operate more efficiently, which translates to less energy draw and lower monthly bills.

It may not seem like much of a difference at first when the system is still new, but older HVAC units tend to lose efficiency over time, and providing them with routine maintenance makes a larger difference every year. Over time, the cost of these monthly savings will equip that of signing up for an affordable maintenance plan.

Extend HVAC Units’ Expected Lifespans

The average homeowner replaces an HVAC system around every 15 years, but most systems can be kept in good running condition for longer with adequate maintenance. Forgetting about annual HVAC tune-ups means forcing the system to work harder to maintain comfortable temperatures, placing an extra strain on the furnace and air conditioner that can shorten both of these units’ lifespans.

The problem isn’t just that both older and poorly maintained units tend to lose efficiency. Even something as simple as dirt and dust built up in the blower motor can cause an HVAC system undue strain. Investing in a maintenance plan means always having a clean, optimally functioning HVAC system.

Maintain Warranty Coverage

Newer air conditioners and furnaces are usually covered for a certain period under manufacturers’ warranties. Most homeowners check the warranty coverage of their appliances, then give them no further thought until it’s time to file a claim. Unfortunately, even widely popular and respected manufacturers make it easy to accidentally void the warranties.

If you forget to schedule professional HVAC maintenance, that alone can void HVAC equipment’s manufacturer’s warranty. As a result, you could wind up on the hook for expensive repairs that would otherwise have been covered. Given how easy and affordable it is to sign up for an HVAC maintenance plan, there’s no reason to leave yourself open to this problem.

What About At-Home Maintenance?

No amount of at-home AC and furnace maintenance will replace the need for scheduling annual inspections and preventative maintenance visits, there are still some tasks that you should be performing more regularly at home. They include:

  • Changing air filters every one to three months
  • Washing electrostatic filters
  • Keeping outside units free from debris
  • Spraying down outside units if they get dirty
  • Making sure the air registers remain unblocked

It’s best to restrict at-home cleaning to changing filters and maintaining the outsides of units. Unfortunately, improper cleaning can cause more problems than it solves, especially when it comes to air conditioner drain pipes. Getting this essential task wrong can lead to water leaks, leaving you facing additional damage.

HVAC Service Plans Aren’t Just for Maintenance

A good HVAC service plan will always focus on preventative maintenance, but it’s usually as part of a more comprehensive package deal. In our case, we offer the Partner Club membership. When you sign up, you won’t just get twice-annual maintenance reminders but also:

  • 5% off of new system installations
  • A 15% discount on repairs
  • $50 per year towards a new AC or furnace
  • Priority service
  • Free diagnostic services when your system needs repairs
  • A 24-month guarantee on heating and air conditioning repairs

Given that you can become a member for just $12.95 per month, it’s well worth the money. Just ask our many satisfied Partner Club members.

Join the AC TEX Partner Club Today

Joining the AC TEX Partner Club is an easy way to make sure you’ll never forget another HVAC inspection and preventative maintenance visit. When you sign up for a maintenance plan, we’ll call you twice a year with reminders, then schedule the appointment at a time that works well for you. All it takes is a few minutes to reach out to one of our friendly and professional representatives. Fill out a contact form online or call (817) 756-1366 today.

Is an HVAC Maintenance Plan Worth It? Top Benefits of Having One
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