Why Have Preventive
Maintenance?
Just as you should tune your car each year, change the oil, and do other preventive
maintenance work on a regular basis, your air conditioning system also needs the same
kind of care.
All too often, a customer tells his or her contractor that they were sold a pile of
junk because, after a relatively short period of time, a motor burned out, a compressor
died, a heat exchanger developed a crack, or any of a number of situations occurred
with the result being that of an expensive repair bill. Usually, the cause of the
problem is that the customer never had the system serviced!
Regular maintence is important. If a motor is not lubricated, it will eventually
burn out. If the freon is not maintained at the correct pressure, it will cause wear
and tear on the compressor (An important component of freon is oil). And, not changing
your return filter on a monthly basis can ultimately damage your compressor beyond repair.
That's right, a $2.00 filter can ruin your system if it is not changed.
How often should you have maintenance? What should be checked? Who should do the
work? Should you buy a service contract?
For the first question, the answer is twice per year; in the spring for your air
conditioning and in the fall for your heating system (Note - your furnace is the most
used appliance in your house since it handles your total air distribution as well as your
heat). As to who you should use let me refer you to "How to Select an HVAC Company".
What should be done when checking the system? This can be divided into 2 categories:
1) What you, yourself, can do and 2) What your HVAC contractor can do.
The most important task that you can perform is to change your return filter monthly!
This can not be over-stressed since, if this is not followed, your system will eventually
die. Other things you can do are making sure that no items being stored in your attic
are laying on top of ductwork, keeping anything flammable away from your furnace, and
periodically rinsing the coils of your condensing unit (the outside unit) with a hose.
If you have any questions as to how to do this, ask your contractor.
What should your contractor do?
1) For air conditioning, he should check your freon level, lubricate both, the motor
for the outside unit, and the motor in the furnace, tighten the belt if the motor for
your furnace is belt-driven, check the thermostat, check amperage draw and the
compressor and all motors, check the evaporator coil for dirt and grime, check the
drain lines, check the ductwork for air leaks, and tighten all electrical connections.
2) For gas heat, he should perform light cleaning of the burners (if this hasn't been
done in a long time, heavier cleaning of burners and heat exchanger may be needed and
this may cost more), clean and calibrate the pilot assembly, check the heat exchanger
for cracks, check the gas valve, check the blower motor and belt (if any), check the
thermocouple, check the fan limit switch and all safety devices, check the thermostat,
check the ductwork for leaks, and tighten electrical connections.
3) For electric heat, check the sequencer, check the heating elements, check the safety
devices, check the blower motor and belt (if any), check the safety controls, check
total amperage draw of system, check the thermostat, check the ductwork, and tighten
electrical connections.
As for service contracts, I highly recommend them if you already have a satisfactory
relationship with an HVAC contractor. A contract may cost a little more up front than
two service call per year but can provide benefits in two ways.
1) Most companies offering contracts will put you on priority over all other
customers when emergency service is needed.
2) Most contractors provide a discount on parts when repairs are needed, usually 10%.
Depending on the company, there may be other benefits offered with a service
agreement. Talk this over with your technician. Do you really need a service
contract? You decide.
Finally, here are two good rules to follow. First, if it appears that an HVAC company
may be offering an unbelievably low-priced special in order to get in the door to sell
expensive, unneeded repairs, then be extremely careful when dealing with that company.
And last of all, if a diagnosis is made indicating expensive repairs, get a second
opinion.
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