You may have read or even heard people telling you that a HVAC maintenance agreement is beneficial. Sometimes, the HVAC technicians who visit your home may suggest you to consider looking into entering a maintenance agreement with the company. If so, you are probably wondering what the advantages of a maintenance agreement are. Should I spend the money needed for annual maintenance, or should I worry about repairs only when the air conditioning or heating system actually breaks down?
The Need For Regular Maintenance
Air conditioning and heating units are electro-mechanical devices. In other words, they consist of motors, pumps, and parts that are constantly moving – just like your car’s engine. As your HVAC equipment functions, it draws in air from the outside, heats or cools it, and then pumps the air into your home. Sounds simple enough, but of course it’s actually a lot more complicated than that.
But most importantly, as the HVAC unit runs, wear and tear happens. Ball bearings get worn. Motors become weak, and pumps don’t pump enough. To this general wear and tear, add all the dirt that settles in every nook and corner of the HVAC system. As time passes, the regular use of your HVAC unit makes it less efficient and increases the possibility of breakdowns.
What HVAC Maintenance Does
With regular HVAC maintenance, your unit gets treated with kids gloves with two objectives – one; to identify any potential issues and catch them early, and two; to extend the life of the unit. Here is what a trained HVAC technician will do during maintenance.
Run Diagnostics
Every trained HVAC technician has extensive knowledge on the cooling or heating unit and knows what problems to look for. In spite of this, he is trained to run routine diagnostic programs that will test every part of HVAC system. In addition to testing the health of the unit, the diagnosis will also verify the efficiency of the unit. These tests will tell the technicians potential problems with the HVAC unit that may not be visible to the eye. He now has a set of points on which to execute any potential repair or replacement.
Maintenance Cleaning & Lubrication
This is one of the most important tasks a technician will execute during the maintenance calls. He will clean the HVAC unit thoroughly. With professional equipment including blowers, washers, and vacuum pumps, all debris will be removed. Motors and pumps will be cleaned and oiled. Coils, filters, blower wheels, and the ducting system will be inspected and cleaned. Replacements of small parts such as gaskets, connectors, and fasteners will be done automatically. If electrical wires are frayed or open, they will be replaced or insulated. Motor and pumps parts that are burnt will be replaced.
Coolant Levels
It is important that the HVAC unit has enough coolant to function optimally. Depletion of coolant will reduce cooling, and also make the system work for a longer time to achieve the same cooling. This will only increase the wear and tear on your system.
All these steps are designed to reduce breakdowns and enhance the efficiency and life of your HVAC system. Check with us on our HVAC maintenance plans. In the long run, maintenance with our trained technicians will keep you more comfortable, reduce wear and tear, and ensure your HVAC unit runs for the factory stipulated number of years.