Why Is HVAC Maintenance Important?

HVAC systems can be costly and necessary investments for many homeowners. Just like how you wouldn’t drive a car without ever changing its oil, you also shouldn’t operate your HVAC system without ever practicing proper HVAC maintenance.

When you practice proper HVAC maintenance, you’ll extend the life of your HVAC system, save yourself from having to pay for costly repairs, and make sure that your system is operating at optimal levels.

If you’re interested in learning more, then keep on reading and we’ll walk you through the top reasons why you should be practicing regular HVAC maintenance.

1. Reduction of Energy Consumption

When you hire a trusted technician to service your HVAC system, they will maintain your system’s efficiency. The steps that are included in preventative maintenance will thoroughly test, inspect and clean the various parts of your HVAC system. Doing this will make sure that the system is running as efficiently as it can.

When your HVAC system is running as efficiently as possible, it won’t need to work as hard to keep you and your family comfortable. This means that you’ll be consuming less energy and saving money on your electricity bill.

When you fail to maintain your HVAC system, it will need to work harder and harder as time goes on in order to produce the same amount of output. For example, if you don’t clean and replace your filters, they will become clogged with dirt and dust. This is going to greatly restrict the amount of airflow and force your AC and heater to work overtime in order to cool or heat your home. It can also cause parts to wear out sooner than they normally would.

2. Prevention of Costly Repairs

You’ll be able to avoid emergency AC repairs when you practice preventative maintenance. A professional HVAC technician will be able to spot problematic areas during a preventive maintenance service call. This will allow you to fix any issues before they turn into serious problems.

Normal wear and tear and various malfunctions can be fixed when they’re detected early. And they can be corrected more cheaply and with less stress. HVAC systems are maintained in the fall and the spring when the weather is temperate, which means any sort of repair won’t be as disruptive as it will be in the middle of summer or winter.

If you don’t regularly get your HVAC system serviced, then small issues can quickly become much bigger and more serious. When the weather is extreme, the demand for HVAC service calls are also usually high which means you may have to wait in line.

When you experience an HVAC emergency, you’ll be left at the mercy of the winter cold or summer heat while the replacement or repair is being performed. When you practice proper maintenance, you’ll greatly reduce the number of emergencies you’re likely to face.

3. Fulfillment of Warranty Requirements

If your HVAC parts are still under warranty, then you should know that many manufacturers require evidence of yearly maintenance in order to pay out a claim. When you invest in regular HVAC maintenance, you’re essentially giving yourself an insurance policy.

If something goes wrong and it’s covered under your warranty, then your HVAC technician will be able to file a claim with more ease and confidence if you have evidence of maintenance.  If you stick with the same HVAC company, they may keep all of these records of maintenance and equipment warranties on file to make things easier for customers.

When you go to sell your home, an HVAC annual maintenance record can increase your resell ability. If you have the choice to pick the home whose HVAC system has been meticulously maintained versus one that has not, which do you choose? We choose the home where the HVAC system has been regularly maintained. There’s extra points for having all the records.

4. Improvement of the Air Quality in Your Home

An HVAC system that’s running at optimal efficiency will ensure that you have better air quality in your home or office. Part of the purpose of your HVAC system is to filter pollutants out of the air that you and your family or coworkers breathe.

Americans spend around ninety percent of their time indoors. Believe it or not, the concentration of many pollutants are two to five times higher indoors than average outdoor concentrations, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

If you don’t maintain your HVAC system, then you won’t be filtering out many of these harmful pollutants that can lead to lung irritation, headaches, and asthma.

Bacteria and mold can thrive in a moist and humid environment in your indoor evaporator coil if it is not addressed with cleaning or a UV light. This means more allergy issues for anyone in your home or office.

A clean filter is going to do a better job of trapping air particles and making sure that your air doesn’t become contaminated. (It’s also really easy to change an indoor air filter  yourself!) A clean AC coil or heat pump is also going to provide you with a healthier home. A whole home air purification system or in-duct purification system can keep your system clean and actively filter the air to an even higher standard.

5. Health and Safety with HVAC Maintenance

You can keep your home and your family safer by practicing regular HVAC maintenance. This is because your HVAC technician will be able to test for any carbon monoxide leaks, which can be fatal to anyone inside the home. Electrical fires are another risk that HVAC maintenance can identify in advance.

Also, all gas-burning furnaces put off some amount of carbon monoxide, no matter how efficient they are. Carbon monoxide is poisonous and has no odor. If the gas isn’t properly vented out through the roof of your home, then it can invade your living space.

Around 50,000 people in the United States visit the emergency room every year because of carbon monoxide poisoning. And more than 400 people die from it.  This is why we always install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when we install new HVAC systems.

6. System Longevity

When you get a regular tune-up for your HVAC system, you’ll be able to significantly increase its lifespan. That means that you can push paying for a new HVAC system well into the future. If you can expect it to last between 12 and 20 years, wouldn’t you like to put off a large expense if your system is working well and in good repair?

Because a new system can cost thousands of dollars, you shouldn’t have to pay any sooner than you need to with preventative maintenance.

The Importance of HVAC Maintenance

Hopefully, after reading the above article, you now have a better understanding of why HVAC maintenance is so important. By practicing proper HVAC maintenance, you’ll be able to save money, breathe safer and healthier air, and be comfortable indoors.

It’s also important that you hire a skilled and experienced HVAC technician in order to truly make sure that your HVAC is getting the tune-up you expect.