Prevent your HVAC from breaking down at the worse time. Understanding why your HVAC unit needs regular preventive maintenance will help you avoid costly repairs and replacements.

elearning-training.com gathered information about 7 reasons why you should keep a maintenance agreement and schedule your professional HVAC technician for frequent preventive maintenance visits.

Is HVAC preventative maintenance worth it?

Yes. When it comes to your HVAC system, prevention is the best thing you can do for it. Having a professional look at and listen to your system can help detect small problems before they turn into outrageously expensive ones. Regular cleaning and filter changes can also help you maintain a cleaner and healthier environment. Here are 7 reasons to keep your HVAC preventive maintenance agreement up-to-date:

1. Extend Your HVAC’s Lifespan

Regular HVAC maintenance will extend the lifespan of your system, reducing or eliminating the likelihood that you’ll need to prematurely pay for an HVAC replacement any time soon.

2. Reduce Power Bills

Preventive maintenance helps your HVAC system run as close to peak efficiency as possible. This can translate to upwards of a 30% savings on your power bill.

3. Preserve Warranty Coverage

Most HVAC manufacturers will require proof of annual preventive maintenance when a repair claim is submitted while under warranty. Investing in annual maintenance to keep the unit’s most expensive components covered under its warranty can save a lot of money if something goes wrong.

4. Protect Your Business or Home

HVAC systems are designed to safely operate, and they rarely cause significant or severe damage to a business or home. However, keep in mind that these units are powered by electricity, natural gas, and other fuels that can turn dangerous if not maintained and used correctly. Preventive maintenance prevents minor issues from evolving into big problems.

5. Improve Air Quality

HVAC systems are designed to help maintain a healthy and comfortable indoor atmosphere. Keeping your HVAC system cleaned and serviced regularly enhances its ability to meet that objective.

6. Prevent Costly Malfunctions

When an HVAC system or component fails, replacement and/or repair costs can significantly surpass the costs of preventive maintenance. Most HVAC problems can be avoided with regular professional maintenance.

7. Reduce Your Structure’s Environmental Footprint

When your HVAC system operates at its peak efficiency, it naturally uses less fuel, and that’s a “win” for the environment. As new and more advanced technologies come to market, your HVAC technician can recommend upgrades, replacements, and other ways to further minimize your environmental footprint.

What Does Preventive Maintenance Include?

In a typical preventive maintenance visit, a professional HVAC technician will perform several checks and takes actions, including:

• Checking refrigerant levels
• Inspecting the system for leaks
• Inspecting electrical connections (tightening as needed)
• Checking natural gas connections for leaks or malfunctions and making minor repairs when needed
• Inspecting, cleaning, and straightening condenser coils to encourage proper airflow
• Checking and lubricating moving parts
• Testing the thermostat to ensure it’s functioning properly
• Cycling the system on and off
• Checking, cleaning, and replacing air filters as needed

While preventative maintenance visits are comprehensive, they don’t take very long to complete, and unless there is a catastrophic system malfunction, they are not disruptive or intrusive to business operations or home life.

How Often Is HVAC Maintenance Required?

There is no “cookie-cutter” definition to determine the right frequency for preventative maintenance visits on your HVAC system. This is defined by factors like:

• The size of the heating and air conditioning units
• How often the equipment is in operation
• Long periods of severe high or low temperatures
• The detection of irregularities in the unit’s operation
• Manufacturer’s warranty requirements

As a general rule, you should have a professionally trained HVAC technician assess and comprehensively service your system at least once a year. For systems in high-demand environments, biannual or quarterly maintenance may be required.

Another reason for contracting multiple technician visits per year is to have your air conditioning system serviced in late spring, before the hot summer months, and then have your furnace serviced ahead of cool autumn weather and winter’s frigid cold.

HVAC Preventive Maintenance

In this article, you discovered why preventive maintenance is crucial to your unit’s peak operation and ability to regulate the structure’s internal climate.

Keeping up with your HVAC’s preventive maintenance will help your unit clean the air, keep your home or business safe, and surpass its lifespan.

Putting off or canceling your HVAC’s preventive maintenance schedule can void your unit’s warranties and result in costly malfunctions, repairs, complete unit replacements, or severe damage to your home or business.

Sources:
energy.gov/energysaver/maintaining-your-air-conditioner
energystar.gov/campaign/heating_cooling/maintenance_checklist
florida-academy.edu/hvac-preventive-maintenance-tips-for-fall/
cleanenergyresourceteams.org/sites/default/files/FSELP_PreventativeMaintenance.pdf