In today’s day and age, HVAC units are an indispensable part of our daily lives. They keep us comfortable throughout all seasons. In fact, the heating and cooling units produced today are designed to withstand severe weather conditions while delivering quiet and comfort to our homes. As technology advances, so do the inner workings of our HVAC units, which are comprised of circuits, motors, complex electronics and software, all working together to make our lives easier.
However, if left unchecked, air conditioning and heating units can be inefficient, which results in lower performance levels and efficiency as well as the possibility of running into malfunctions. In today’s post, Air Comfort Inc, a top HVAC contractor, shares why it’s important to conduct regular HVAC maintenance and what you can expect from a maintenance plan.
Why Do You Need HVAC Maintenance?
Our HVAC units keep indoor temperatures and humidity levels in check, especially during the hot summer season. This is the time of year that we ramp our cooling levels to an all-time-high just to keep ourselves comfortable, especially now that we’re mainly indoors. After all, the last thing you need is fot your HVAC system to break down in the middle of the summer. This just goes to show how important conducting regular HVAC maintenance is to ensuring that your heating and cooling systems are in order.
What Does It Include?
Before your maintenance plan beginss, keep in mind that inclusions vary from contractor to contractor. In our case, we’ll give you a customized maintenance schedule that’s convenient for you, then remind you when you’re due for an HVAC maintenance session to ensure that you won’t miss everything. In case you need air conditioning repair service, you’ll be prioritized so you can be sure that your heating and cooling units will be taken care of as soon as possible without further worries.
After every session, we log your equipment into our system to track its performance and expected lifespan. Also included in the logs are the model make, name, age and number of repairs we’ve performed on the unit. This gives us a more accurate breakdown of your unit’s status and helps us diagnose and resolve any issues as efficiently as possible should they arise. We’ll also analyze your fuel and power consumption to give you an estimate of how much it costs to run your heating and cooling units.
To live up to our mission of providing outstanding service and treating our customers like family, we give recommendations on how to maximize your HVAC unit’s efficiency to minimize repairs, maintenance and any other additions that we may deem unnecessary.
The Benefits of HVAC Maintenance
Better energy efficiency. It’s been proven that regular heating and air conditioning service increases your home’s airflow and efficiency levels. In addition to better energy efficiency, it keeps the air you breathe in cleaner and free of odor. To further improve your HVAC system’s efficiency, you can replace your air filters every 30 to 60 days and regularly clean your outdoor unit, leaving at least two feet of clearance.
Fewer repairs, fewer headaches. An HVAC unit that isn’t maintained and lubricated regularly can cause moving parts such as the belts or motors to wear down prematurely. Leaving your refrigerant at minimum levels and the coils dirty could put your cooling unit at risk of forming ice particles, which can cause major damage to the rest of the unit. Always remember that preventive maintenance is key to preventing costly repairs down the line.
Improved indoor comfort and air quality. Conducting regular HVAC maintenance and addressing air conditioning repair issues immediately prolongs your unit’s lifespan. Along with keeping your home comfortable, it keeps your family and pets safe from respiratory complications such as allergies and asthma. During every maintenance session, we’ll do our best to keep your HVAC system and ductwork spotless while we lubricate, clean and inspect other components so that you can breathe in confidently knowing that the air in your home is healthy and free of pollutants.
HVAC Maintenance Checklist
Clients who set up an annual maintenance agreement can expect the following services from our certified contractors:
Air Conditioning Services:
• Complete refrigerant charge test
• Compressor function test
• Evaporator coil cleaning
• Filter replacement
• Cleaning of condensate lines and drain pans
• Lubrication of all motors and moving parts
Heating Services:
• Burner testing and adjustment for efficient combustion
• Filter cleaning and replacement
• Vent pipe inspection and confirmation of the exhaust pathway
• Blower testing and adjustment
• Inspecting the heat exchanger for cracks and infiltration
• Measuring the gas pressure to the unit
What Happens If I Skip Out On HVAC Maintenance?
If a homeowner neglects heating and air conditioning service maintenance, they can expect these following issues to arise sooner or later:
• A surge in energy costs due to dirty, unlubricated moving components.
• Dirt and dust build-up causing frozen evaporator coils which will reduce the unit’s airflow and efficiency.
• Increased safety concerns due to carbon monoxide leaks, short circuits and gas leaks.
• Poor indoor air quality that can induce respiratory complications such as asthma and allergies.
• A shortened HVAC system lifespan due to poor maintenance and sustained wear and tear on internal components.
Why You Should Do Pre-Season Maintenance
Having an annual HVAC maintenance agreement during the preseason can be one of the smartest investments a homeowner can make for the following reasons:
• Comfort. During the preseason, you won’t be using your HVAC system as much, so it’s the perfect time to make sure your unit is in good shape. We’ll make all the necessary repairs and adjustments before the summer or winter season arrives so that you can be comfortable once the cheat or old starts moving in.
• Lower repair costs.While HVAC repairs can be costly, they’ll even more so if you’re looking to have repairs done during the peak season when temperatures are severe and contractors have projects scheduked left and right. Having your unit serviced early saves you the headache of repairing malfunctioning parts when it matters most.
• Extended lifespan. A properly-maintained HVAC unit consumes less energy than one that’s left to itself because it will heat up or cool a space more effectively, which cuts down the time the homeowner uses the unit. This in turn also gives your HVAC unit a break, which will extend its lifespan for years to come
If you require the assistance of the best HVAC contractor in the area, call on Air Comfort Inc! We’ve been in business since 1954, specializing in the design, service and installation of heating, cooling, ventilation and refrigeration units. You can trust our employees, as they ‘re the friendliest, most capable, hardest-working professionals in the region. Call us at (409) 833-5665 or (713) 869-2155 if you belong in Houston. Don’t forget to fill out our contact form for a free quote!