Regular preventive maintenance will extend the life of an HVAC system and postpone expensive replacements. An average heating and cooling system is expected to last 15-20 years. A regular preventive maintenance plan can add years to that investment. When you regularly tune up your air conditioning system, you can considerably increase its life useful.
This means that you may delay paying for a new air conditioning system in the future. If you can expect it to last 12 to 20 years, wouldn't you like to postpone a big expense if your system works well and is in good shape? Ultimately, the decision to inspect the unit or how often is up to the owner. Experts say that even small adjustments to an air conditioner can increase efficiency by 10 to 15 percent. Skipping an inspection can mean higher utility bills.
And on the heating side, a checkup could save your life. Clark says, “The most important aspect of checking an oven is to check if there are any carbon monoxide leaks in the house. There are many valid reasons to avoid the “if it's not broken, don't fix it” mentality when it comes to the maintenance of an air conditioning system. We hope that, after reading the previous article, you now have a better understanding of why HVAC maintenance is so important.
When a building owner knows the costs of maintaining the HVAC system properly, they can plan for them in the annual budget. As president of a company that repairs and replaces HVAC systems, I can tell you that regularly scheduled preventive maintenance is the key to avoiding an unexpected breakdown of an HVAC system at a later date. It's also important that you hire a qualified and experienced HVAC technician to really make sure that your air conditioning system receives the necessary adjustments you wait. HVAC professionals, including Tim Cropp, general manager of CroppmetCalfe Services, a heating and cooling company in Fairfax, Virginia.
Preventive maintenance of heating and air conditioning systems may be the most important step homeowners must take to ensure that a building's heating and cooling systems operate at optimal levels and for as long as possible. A great advantage of a regular HVAC maintenance program is that you can meet your contractor's service technicians and they know you and your system. Just like maintaining a car with regular oil changes and tire rotations to ensure that it works well, preventive maintenance of heating and air conditioning systems reduces the chance of failure in a heating and cooling system, especially when more is needed. An air conditioning system that works at optimal efficiency will ensure that you have better air quality in your home or office.
If you neglect regular maintenance of your air conditioning systems or ignore potential problems, your system will wear out much sooner. Letting an air conditioning system work until it fails means that it could stop working at the most inopportune times, such as outside working hours, in the middle of the night or in the middle of winter. When weather conditions are extreme, the demand for calls to the air conditioning service is also often high, so you may have to wait in line. By maintaining a regular air conditioning and heating maintenance program, your HVAC contractor can ensure that any small problem doesn't turn into a serious problem.
If 20 percent or more of the fins are bent, the unit is likely to lose efficiency and justify a service call, says James Clark, HVAC control specialist at Technical Hot & Cold in Westland, Michigan. Just as you wouldn't drive a car without changing the oil, you shouldn't operate your air conditioning system without having properly maintained your heating, ventilation and air conditioning.