Manufacturers and utility companies recommend regular maintenance of your HVAC, furnace, and AC units. But Why? The answer for manufacturers is different than the answer for utility companies. However, they both make a difference to you and me, owners of an HVAC system.
Here are the benefits you will get with regular HVAC servicing:
- It will help avoid a premature replacement of the compressor and other expensive parts
- Your system will more likely work through the hottest and coldest days without failing on you
- You will reduce your electric and gas costs by keeping your system running efficiently
Why manufacturers recommend you service your HVAC regularly
Manufacturers have a reputation to maintain. I’m sure you have heard…
“You can’t stop a Trane”
Be it Trane, Bryant, Carrier, or any other brand, every HVAC manufacturer needs to maintain its reputation for reliability and durability. And every one of them realizes that these are machines that go through wear and tear. Unlike our human bodies, HVAC units can’t heal themselves. All sorts of parts wear out and need to be replaced, cleaned, and calibrated.
Of course, your decision to opt-in for an HVAC service agreement has nothing to do with maintaining a brand’s rep. But you do want reliability and durability. Providing that regular inspection and maintenance helps keep your system around longer and reliable.
Your HVAC system will last longer when maintained
If a heating or cooling system isn’t maintained, it will undoubtedly live a shorter life. Dirty coils and filters stress your fan and compressor motors. Capacitors work harder and wear out quicker. Pressurized systems will lose their pressure sooner.
Replacing compressors, motors, or entire HVAC systems is a major cost. It’s best to maximize their life before having to replace them. Regular maintenance will help them last and minimize expensive premature replacements.
Your Heating and Cooling systems will work when you need them most
When your HVAC unit fails on freezing-cold or steamy hot days, you will probably pay extra to get it up and running fast. Emergency servicing can be more expensive than planned servicing. But this is not the main reason of importance to keep your HVAC running reliably…
Do you want to keep your system running reliably “most of the time?” Would you be happy if your system worked 360 days of the year but failed on the coldest or hottest days? Of course not!
But the problem is that the coldest and hottest days are also when your system is most stressed and most likely to fail. That’s why getting an HVAC tune-up or complete maintenance before you hit the hardest HVAC-use is so important.
It’s called “peace of mind.”
After you have the heating/cooling system serviced, you can “chill,” knowing your system is running at its peak and will weather the storms while you are comfy inside your home.
Why Utility companies recommend regular HVAC maintenance
So why do utility companies recommend routine maintenance on your HVAC system?
It’s because heating and cooling require more energy than any other function or appliance in your house. Nationally, about 42% of your energy bills go toward keeping your home at the right temperature. However, a maintained HVAC system will consume less energy than one that has been neglected.
You may be thinking, but don’t the utilities WANT you to consume more energy? They will get paid more for the extra usage, right?
It’s not as simple as that. Utility companies must try to build out their infrastructure to a controllable size. To handle the normal load… and then some. But they don’t build their systems for absolute peak usage. And as utility infrastructure ages and populations grow, their systems become more stressed to keep up with the demand. That’s why many people experience rolling blackouts during peak seasons for heating and cooling.
If everyone keeps their heating and cooling systems running as efficiently as possible, this reduced the strains on the electrical grid and natural gas companies. They can provide more reliable service to us, the consumers. And they can avoid costly lawsuits that happen as a repercussion of poor energy management.
OK, sure. But why do I care?
You will reduce your utility bill with regular HVAC servicing
When you maintain your system, you pay less for your energy bill. Does this savings pay for the cost of maintenance? It can in places with colder winters and hotter summers. The US Department of Energy states that regular HVAC maintenance can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%!
Here in the Solutions Heating and Cooling service areas of South Boston, Danville, Rustburg, and Chase City, it can get fairly cold in the winter and hot in the summer. So, maintaining your HVAC system will reduce your bills. On top of that, if you have a poorly insulated home, you will see a larger improvement to your bill than you would see in a well-insulated home.
All the benefits of HVAC servicing add up
While reducing energy costs alone may not add up to the costs of the maintenance plan, it’s not the whole picture. When you add in the costs of emergency repairs and shortened life-cycle, you will find that HVAC maintenance plans pay for themselves.
Still, the biggest reason is comfort. The most important days to keep our heating and cooling running are also the most challenging days for the units. There’s no sense in having an expensive HVAC unit if it doesn’t do the job when you need it most.
That’s why here at Solutions Heating and Cooling, our motto is “Making Comfort Affordable.” Comfort is most important. But we know you need it to be affordable too. We have maintenance plans to fit your budget and the needs of your HVAC system.
Check out our HVAC service plans (link to maintenance service page)
Come see why we have a solid 5.0-star rating and so many happy customers.
Give us a call at (434) 222-0541.
Brianna or Jennifer will be glad to help you out.