There are many aspects of managing a home or a business, and maintaining its appliances is a major one. When an appliance goes out, you’ll quickly miss the convenience and comfort it brings you. This is especially true during the cooler Decatur, AL winters and during the hot summer months, if your HVAC system goes out.
Thankfully, there are ways to prevent your furnace or AC unit from quitting suddenly, and there are ways to extend its lifespan and efficiency, perhaps even beyond the typical 15 to 25 years. An HVAC maintenance program may be the way to go.
What is an HVAC Maintenance Plan?
Put simply, such a plan is just a yearly program where you have your HVAC system, including your furnace and air conditioner, inspected, cleaned, and tuned up. The purpose of this program is to make sure all the parts of your system are in good shape, such as your blower fan, thermostat, thermocouple, and many other components.
Your HVAC professional will also give your system a good cleaning, removing dust, soot, and other debris from your system. You’ll also get a new furnace filter if you need one.
This is also the time when your HVAC professional might recommend minor repairs or adjustments. It’s a good idea to carry them out as soon as you can.
HVAC Maintenance Plans and Cost Savings
There are many benefits to setting up a plan for your furnace and AC system. The first is simply cost: such inspections and cleanings are generally cheap and need to only happen once per year.
The cost savings don’t stop there. Inspections can turn up minor problems in your HVAC system, such as a failing thermocouple, that are also relatively inexpensive to replace. Other repairs can also save money if caught early. By leaving such repairs untouched, your furnace could fail later on, and never at a convenient time. The same goes for your air conditioning unit.
If the failure happens after hours or on a weekend, calling your HVAC company for repairs may be more expensive. It’s also possible that more damage has occurred in your system, which can also drive up the repair cost.
Efficiency and Your HVAC Maintenance Program
Cleaning your system will help the air flow better through it, and this in turn will require less electricity and gas to run. Repairs to some components will lower your energy bill as well. Inspection time is also a good time to ask about a smart thermostat, and for tips on energy savings. You can also ask to have your ductwork inspected for possible leaks.
An HVAC Maintenance Plan to Keep You Safe
Gas furnaces are cheaper to run than their electric counterparts, but come with a small risk of carbon monoxide leaks. Usually, this is due to a cracked heat exchanger, and will typically mean a new furnace is needed. If this is the case, your HVAC professional will find this issue before carbon monoxide has a chance to sicken you or your family. It is better to get a new furnace than to risk these serious health issues, and possibly death.
Set Up Your Plan Today
If you’re in the Decatur, AL area, contact us at Southeastern Mechanical Services, and we’ll help you create a plan to keep your HVAC system running smoothly and efficiently for many years to come.
