scheduled maintenance- really necessary?

[yankswin]

Next week, I am having my new HVAC system installed in my home. Is the
yearly scheduled maintenance really that important after one year, or can
it be done every other year?
Also, EXACTLY what is done for the furance and a/c yearly maintenance...
please be specific.

My system is in a very clean environment, with little dust and dirt in
area. The system is never be running 24/7.

[BigJon3475]

Do you want your system to last a long time or a short time? yes it's important....They make sure you don't go without and can track parameters of your system to know future problems before they show their ugly face and most likely fix them before hand. If you are looking to sign a service agreement they should list all the PM they do if they don't make them spell it out.

[smokin68]

This is one of those questions that varies on each system. I saw one last month that didn't need to be checked except every other year unless a problem arises....house is immaculate,new,paved road, and clean air. Filter not dirty in 3 months. While I recommend a yearly check-up, two yrs on this one. JMO.

[jackpiner]

It's the most important the first year after the install!!!:D

[techace79]

the short answer is yes. ask your contractor next week to see the op instructions. the first year is the most important.

[BigJon3475]

From the day you start your system after install is the day it starts to degrade....the more preventive maintenance preformed on the system the less that degradation will an effect the system

[beenthere]

If you never have to dust your coffee table, or clean your monitor, then your homes eviroment is clean enough that you don't need to have your system checked every year.

[techace79]

sir do you change the oil in your car? seriously i want to know?

[voleye]

Would you go out and purchase a 2007 SUV, and never check the tires, never change the oil or put washer fluid in it? Driveing it year after year with nothing done, How long would you like it to last?

[yankswin]

Hey techace79,

Hey wise guy....Of course I change my oil...every 3500 miles with Castrol
GTX. A HVAC system is NOT a car! Use your head....
My current 21 year old York contractors grade HVAC system is 21 years
old now and I NEVER did service on it....its still running fine. NOT a single
issue in 21 years. NOT bad for a low end York system, huh?

My home and my health is IMMACULATE.

I will do the scheduled maint after the first year, and than proceed to
every other year moving forward.

[munanee]

I agree with jackpiner. The first year is to ensure the unit was properly installed. After that I tell my customers that the seasonal tune-up is just a snap shot of the unit's condition at the time, it doesn't gurantee a trouble free season. If, on the other hand, someting is found (i.e., a failing capacitor), its chances will be greately enhanced.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Hey techace79,

Hey wise guy....Of course I change my oil...every 3500 miles with Castrol
GTX. A HVAC system is NOT a car! Use your head....
My current 21 year old York contractors grade HVAC system is 21 years
old now and I NEVER did service on it....its still running fine. NOT a single
issue in 21 years. NOT bad for a low end York system, huh?

My home and my health is IMMACULATE.

I will do the scheduled maint after the first year, and than proceed to
every other year moving forward.

I realize I am stepping into a mess here, but:

With due respect sir: Your rational is faulted, it is based on un-educated observations. I can almost guarantee you that your approach to maintaining the most expensive, the most energy using, and the most complex appliance in your home that runs 24/7 (whether it is physically running or not) is, well, IMO, kinda cheap; like someone that thinks all apples are the same and all oil is the same.

You will get out of the system what you put into it. It is your choice to determine whether you think you are smarter than a professional in the industry or not. But IMO one that can listen and learn is a lot wiser than one that 'knows it all'.

Best of luck to you with your new system, it sounds like you may need it sir.

[yankswin]

Well, "Sir" ga-hvac-tech,

Of course you would repsond with this approach, as post install maintenance
is a large money generating part of your business.
You need to note that I DID NOT state that I will NEVER perform maintenance
on my HVAC system. I stated I will have maintenance done EVERY other
year! I have faithfully changed my filter every 30 days and routinely washed
down the outside compressor.
Again, my cheap contractor's grade York system is currently 21 years old
and running! I turned on the AC last night for the first time this season and
once again, nice and cold air....beautiful!

[mr horsepower]

curiosity. why are you changing it if it works so well? regarding the maintenance question - don't wash down your new condensing unit from the outside like im sure you're doing to the old one. different fin count. you'll push trash in and make it look cleaner to you, but it wont come out the back like it MAY have been doing before. head pressure will climb, efficiency deteriorated, etc...but im sure you know that already, right? f.y.i. the large money in our business is non-existent. the so called large money comes from the equipment installs. the service contracts ensures that a. you'll get the most efficiency and life out of your unit, and b. you'll call us when a problem does arise, and c. to give you priority over customers without a service agreements in those really busy times, and d. to keep the hacks away from your investment, which keeps us employed so we'll be there when you need us to. if you don't trust our opinions, i for one won't be offended. it would though make a lot of sense to not ask a question to someone who's opinion you're not truly wanting.do your homework, get a good install and maintain it well and i'm sure you'll be happy. its your call on what good maintenance is and where it will come from.

[yankswin]

Mr Horsepower...of course I know not to spray hose with force into unit!
I just spray the outside, being very careful. Once a month I wiped it down.

The reason im replacing it should be obvious to you, I would think. The System
is 21 years old and the A/C is a 8 SEER and furnace 60%, so im replacing for
the better efficency that a 14 SEER and a 80% furnace will provide?
So, you think I should be one of these people who just runs the system
until it dies and than make a hasty panic decision is the July heat wave or
January blizzard??

[techace79]

Hey techace79,

Hey wise guy....Of course I change my oil...every 3500 miles with Castrol
GTX. A HVAC system is NOT a car! Use your head....
My current 21 year old York contractors grade HVAC system is 21 years
old now and I NEVER did service on it....its still running fine. NOT a single
issue in 21 years. NOT bad for a low end York system, huh?

My home and my health is IMMACULATE.

I will do the scheduled maint after the first year, and than proceed to
every other year moving forward.

just remember that if the tech doesnt come out and replace that wire that is connected but loose you could drop a comp. im no genuis but i think somewhere i read that overall repair costs statistically are greatly reduced with yearly maint. you were lucky with that york sys. shot, a lot of my cutomers just cant wait to see me and shot the sh**. i give them my personal cell # and really just make them feel comfotable with turning the season. you get lots of bennies like this. a customer that there mother has oil furnace. i dont work on them. the oil company said three days backed up. i went and found she had the grandkids over earlier and the hit the red switch. i charged her nothing and sat and talked for a few mins and left. for me its personal service with my cust. and i pick witch ones i want. i dont know how the others feel about it but i like it this way. i ahve 160 res MA to do by myself and every one is in my phone and i am in theirs. believe it or not they dont bother me much because i took care of them allready:D spend the few extra bucks and have some peace of mind
just my humble opinion

[yankswin]

Come on tech.....obviously if I see a loose wire I would call the tech immediately. IM visually inspect my system month. Maybe thats how I
was able to squeak out 21 years from my chreap York system!

To be honest, im sure i can squeeze out a few more years, but the
system is not very efficient at this stage of its life.

[mr horsepower]

id run it til it dies. :D :D so who am i to give you an opinion. f.y.i. nowhere in my previous post did i say anything about the velocity or force of the water. its direction, direction, direction. but that would be obvious, i would think.

[BigJon3475]

Come on tech.....obviously if I see a loose wire I would call the tech immediately. IM visually inspect my system month. Maybe thats how I
was able to squeak out 21 years from my chreap York system!

To be honest, im sure i can squeeze out a few more years, but the
system is not very efficient at this stage of its life.

You do know that a air filter does not catch all particles of debris.....Thus over time with the coil forming condensation it traps particles inside of the coil itself...Even with the best of filters...those particles buildup and create a situation where it lowers your CFM and decreases the efficiency of the system not to mention dust build up on your fan blades and motor. Just something to think about...In normal maintenance routines the coil would be cleaned (properly inside and out) the filters changed, snap shot taken of the system to record possible problems before they ever occur, blah...blah...blah....The maintenance is done to keep the system running as efficiently as it did from day one...if you truly did not have maintenance done at all on your current system...you should do a price comparison including inflation to see if you really are still " once again, nice and cold air" could mean several things..not all good. If you actually have low air flow you could be getting a really difference in temps in and out of the system...it doesn't mean its working at its maximum efficiency which is money in your pocket. I say do the recommendations from most companies and setup a service agreement for PM upon heating season start and cooling season start. It's your money and your efficiency why not take full advantage of it. These guys aren't trying to bash you just trying to generalize why you should have a shorter interval for PM's all of them are professional and although they do get paid for their work. They would rather have happy customers then ones with broken new air conditioners....Thats just not a good situation for anyone.

[chandleraz_guy]

for PM do they clean the blower coil? water, F409, or compressed air?

You do know that a air filter does not catch all particles of debris.....Thus over time with the coil forming condensation it traps particles inside of the coil itself...Even with the best of filters...those particles buildup and create a situation where it lowers your CFM and decreases the efficiency of the system not to mention dust build up on your fan blades and motor. Just something to think about...In normal maintenance routines the coil would be cleaned (properly inside and out) the filters changed, snap shot taken of the system to record possible problems before they ever occur, blah...blah...blah....The maintenance is done to keep the system running as efficiently as it did from day one...if you truly did not have maintenance done at all on your current system...you should do a price comparison including inflation to see if you really are still " once again, nice and cold air" could mean several things..not all good. If you actually have low air flow you could be getting a really difference in temps in and out of the system...it doesn't mean its working at its maximum efficiency which is money in your pocket. I say do the recommendations from most companies and setup a service agreement for PM upon heating season start and cooling season start. It's your money and your efficiency why not take full advantage of it. These guys aren't trying to bash you just trying to generalize why you should have a shorter interval for PM's all of them are professional and although they do get paid for their work. They would rather have happy customers then ones with broken new air conditioners....Thats just not a good situation for anyone.

[BigJon3475]

for PM do they clean the blower coil? water, F409, or compressed air?

The evaporator coil? The fan motor and cage will not be cleaned unless a technician feels it has lost capacity to move air and then follows that assumption by taking the proper information from recording data through specialized equipment.

[beenthere]

Your coils can have dirt in teh fins that you can't see.
A light checmical cleaning during an anual service check will keep it at its best efficiency.

Many systems work for years without any service other then air filter changes.
They slowly lose their efficiecy, and the owner doesn't realize that they are paying higher heating and cooling bills because of it.




Hey, its a York, of course its still working. :)

[jackpiner]

Priceless
The most important reason for yearly maintainance is. If you do have a breakdown in the middle of summer at 100 degrees You may get your contractor there in few days,instead of having to thumb through the yellow pages and settle for an unknown to you company.
Usually by July I can only take care of the existing residential and commercial customers that I have. And feel no obligation to others.

[ga-hvac-tech]

It just amazes me how much HO's know about HVAC, so much more than us folks that do it full time for decades... WOW, I wish I was as wise and smart as they are...

But then, those that laugh last... well, we all know the way that goes.

I will stand on the theory of my statement: A wise person will shut up and listen, a know it all will end up with a handful of stuff not socially acceptable to discuss.

Again, best of luck to you sir, you probably will need it.

[5H80]

As for pm, its true some people dont have their equipment serviced at it functions ok or at least seems too. But i have seen some fairly new equipment fail because of neglect. As far as service contracts, depending on the company providing the service, can make a big difference. what all do they do on regular pm. The company i work with has around 7000 homes on service contract. one system pm usually takes about 2 hours. Also s.a.customers do not pay for a service call if their unit goes down. They do have to pay for parts. Also they are gauranteed to have someone there the same day, hot or cold 24/7. They get discounted parts and discounts on new equipment. AND if they buy a unit from us ,we look after it for 5 years top to bottom and yes this includes twice a year maintanence and that is at no extra cost. so it may be very beneficial to have a service contract.

[yankswin]

ga-hvac-tech,

Again...SIR, you need to pay attention to what I wrote before you preach
to folks.
Why is that that no one here will provide specifics as to EXACTLY what is
done for both a/c and furance yearly maintenance.
One contractor stated to me that I dont need maintenance for the first 5
years!

[CottyGee]

Interesting thread... Some pretty caustic replies too! And some that are I think pretty honest.

I am one that has been very lax in "preventive maintenance" on my HVAC. In the 15 years I've been in this house, I've had folks out maybe 5 times total. However with this new system, I'm required under the terms of my contract to have them out once a year. That's not a horrible expense in exchange for a 10 yr. labor warranty, I s'pose.

The one that that is of value is having them clean out the condensate line. I had that sucker plug once, thanks to the mud wasps building a nice nest in the line. We figured out the problem when the ceiling caved in with about a ton of sopping cellulose along with the drywall! The substandard drip pan was part of the problem also...

My take on what I've read is that they may not do too much in this PM other than checking stuff, which may or may not prevent problems. It seems likely from what I've read in this thread that this isn't a critical service.

[mrs reb77]

Your warranty of course will be determined by the manufacturer but, on many units satisfactory proof of yearly service by a dealer may be required as a condition to warranty coverage.
In ICP limited warranty certificate it states this:
As a condition to warranty coverage, the unit must receive yearly maintenance, as described in the owner's manual, by a dealer. Satisfactory proof of yearly service by a dealer may be required. In another paragraph it states: In establishing that the required yearly service has occurred, you must furnish proof of yearly service by a qualified service technician.
That certainly seems clear enough for this equipment.
Now, there is your answer as to what is performed during yearly maintenance as well--described in owner's manual.
The first thing you may want to do is check with your installing company about warranty issues and what they recommend for your new system.

[rogerk]

If you do get the PM I feel sorry for the tech that has to go to your house and deal with you. :rolleyes:

[CottyGee]

If you do get the PM I feel sorry for the tech that has to go to your house and deal with you. :rolleyes:
rogerk -

Comments like yours do nothing other than foster an "us against them" mentality. Sadly, your's isn't the first comment this type that I've seen on this board.

[Shophound]

ga-hvac-tech,

Again...SIR, you need to pay attention to what I wrote before you preach
to folks.
Why is that that no one here will provide specifics as to EXACTLY what is
done for both a/c and furance yearly maintenance.
One contractor stated to me that I dont need maintenance for the first 5
years!

You want it broken down? Well, like gas mileage, yours will vary by how a contractor defines a preventive maintenance check. Me, if I were in contracting, would first sell and properly install your equipment and do a proper start-up/commissioning of the system to lay down a baseline of "day-one" performance. This would include measuring airflow, pressure drops across cooling coil, total external static pressure - TESP - (compared to OEM's acceptable range) superheat, subcooling, compressor running amp draw, etc. Granted, this data will vary somewhat under various operating loads, but it has an expected range and can be tracked. A capacity check would be performed to ensure the equipment is capable of delivering the purchased and designed btu's. If I designed the ductwork I would want to verify proper air delivery and introduction to each room, and proper return. Even if I didn't I'd want to run that check and recommened corrections, if warranted.

Each yearly checkup these points would be rechecked to verify if performance has deteriorated to where corrective action would be recommended. It would also include checking electrical components such as run and start capacitors, contactor points, tightening all wiring connections, checking condenser fan motor for shaft play, checking indoor blower motor for shaft play and dirt build-up, back-flushing condenser coil (they are NOT to be washed with the direction of airflow), splitting the coil if it's a double row and I see cottonwood trees within five miles :D , visual inspection for refrigerant leaks and maybe point leak detector at spots prone to develop leaks over time, check to ensure cap tubes inside condenser aren't rubbing together which can create a leak, recheck pressure drop over evap and compare it to baseline data, recommend an evap coil cleaning if warranted by visual and pressure drop data, same would apply for blower wheel blades, also an airflow killer if allowed to accumulate dirt. Verify proper operation of controls. Check condenser fan blade to see if it's going out of balance (which can kill motor bearings), check blower wheel in air handler for same reason. Recheck TESP.

Sure, you could blow all that off and just do your regular filter changing and forward flushing of your outdoor coil. But you won't have any tracking of performance and you won't have any trained set of eyes that could spot trouble before that 105 degree day hits.

[BigJon3475]

ga-hvac-tech,

Again...SIR, you need to pay attention to what I wrote before you preach
to folks.
Why is that that no one here will provide specifics as to EXACTLY what is
done for both a/c and furance yearly maintenance.
One contractor stated to me that I dont need maintenance for the first 5
years!


And I say to you....

"SIR, you need to pay attention to what I wrote before you preach
to folks. "

Look above. It is explained quiet well.

[nashobasales]

Why do you guys waste your time?:rolleyes: You could tell after the first few posts this guy wasn't going to take your advice. Your better off responding to other people who have legitimate questions and respect your answers as a pro. And yes, I know I just wasted my time in this post too....:rolleyes:

[CottyGee]

Why do you guys waste your time?:rolleyes: You could tell after the first few posts this guy wasn't going to take your advice. Your better off responding to other people who have legitimate questions and respect your answers as a pro. And yes, I know I just wasted my time in this post too....:rolleyes:
Well, this thread IS useful to homeowners like me that are basically cheap bastids (therefore inclined to maybe skimp on the PMs). Based on this thread, I've decided it probably IS better longterm to bite the bullet and pay the cost of a once-a-year checkup.

As per usual, ShopHound's post detailing the steps he'd take in checking out a system are very helpful. I think I'll print out the text and ask which of these my tech does or doesn't do and why...

[yankswin]

Im afraid some contractors here are VERY sensitive and VERY defensive. You
guys really need to pay attention to what im saying! I NEVER stated that I
would NOT perform PM on my system!
Ive stated that I will do PM after the first year and than every other year
there after. STOP exaggeratining guys. You make it sound like I will TOTALLY
neglect my HVAC and sit and let it rot!

And YES....I change the oil in my car every 3000 miles, get yearly physicals,
eye exams and dentists every six months. Chorlestrol checked every six
months.

My 1998 Toyota Corolla now has 178,000 miles and DOES NOT burn a
drop of oil!

How the heck can you explain getting 21 years out of my entry level cheap
YORK system with ZERO maint and repairs??
And its still running!

[Shophound]

Why do you guys waste your time?:rolleyes: You could tell after the first few posts this guy wasn't going to take your advice. Your better off responding to other people who have legitimate questions and respect your answers as a pro. And yes, I know I just wasted my time in this post too....:rolleyes:

The beauty of an open forum...the OP ain't the only one reading replies. You never know who you'll hit...or miss. Never hurts to put it out there for someone with the right angle who will benefit. I've learned lots from threads where I had no dog in the fight, because someone in the thread took time to explain their position.

[Shophound]

Im afraid some contractors here are VERY sensitive and VERY defensive. You
guys really need to pay attention to what im saying! I NEVER stated that I
would NOT perform PM on my system!
Ive stated that I will do PM after the first year and than every other year
there after. STOP exaggeratining guys. You make it sound like I will TOTALLY
neglect my HVAC and sit and let it rot!



Nobody is suggesting you would, at least in my estimation. You'll have to excuse the apparent touchiness...you have people here passionate about their chosen trade who over time become a bit jaded toward what so often they encounter among homeowners...apathy or flippancy toward the most expensive operating system in their house.

My previous post was my attempt to delineate what all is involved with a good, annual maintenance check. It should be obvious from the extent of the content disclosed that every other year might miss a few things. Sure you can let 'er go and just do your homeowner obligations to it (change filter and wash outdoor coil) but it has already been raised here...had your 21 year old system received the care outlined above, would it have given you 21 years of the most optimum performance and efficiency possible for its design and configuration? Vs. acceptable but a bit on the spendy side performance and efficiency?

In the end it is your equipment and you have the right to maintain it as you choose. However, your words are being interpreted by many here as attempts to minimize the importance of the role an annual check plays toward optimum system performance and efficiency. Whether that is a correct interpretation or not is moot...all we can do is clarify our positions and move on.

[BigJon3475]

Im afraid some contractors here are VERY sensitive and VERY defensive. You
guys really need to pay attention to what im saying! I NEVER stated that I
would NOT perform PM on my system!
Ive stated that I will do PM after the first year and than every other year
there after. STOP exaggeratining guys. You make it sound like I will TOTALLY
neglect my HVAC and sit and let it rot!

And YES....I change the oil in my car every 3000 miles, get yearly physicals,
eye exams and dentists every six months. Chorlestrol checked every six
months.

My 1998 Toyota Corolla now has 178,000 miles and DOES NOT burn a
drop of oil!

How the heck can you explain getting 21 years out of my entry level cheap
YORK system with ZERO maint and repairs??
And its still running!

If the cost of the system you currently have only went up 1 dollar each month of each year because of inefficiencies. Let's take a look see.....

1st year $50 per month
2nd year $51 per month
3rd year $52 per month
4th year $53 per month
5th year $54 per month
6th year $55 per month
7trh year $56 per month
8th year $57 per month
9th year $58 per month
10th year $59 per month
11th year $60 per month
12th year $61 per month
13th year $62 per month
14th year $63 per month
15th year $64 per month
16th year $65 per month
17th year $66 per month
18th year $67 per month
19th year $68 per month
20th year $69 per month
21st year $70 per month

Thats a 40% increase in your monthly bill. Not to mention that energy prices rise also. Just something to think about. The point in going with a higher seer is to save money. If you don't properly service it and make sure it stays clean then what are you actually saving? Seems to me you have already made up your mind in which case why come on a forum of HVAC professionals and ask opinions. And your lucky with it "still running" that should be a testament to how good of a quality your brand that you have is. Because of the increase in cost to use energy you probably dont even realize how much your bills have gone up. Look at energy cost for your area over the last 21 years and figure out inflation into it and look at how much your original bills were and now adjust your current bills for inflation. The point is routine maintenance is so important to longevity. New systems have much tighter standards to be able to achieve the seer ratings they have and therefore that means you don't have as much room to play with things like the charge all things must be exact if you want your SEER out of your system. Have a tech take a gander at what seer your current system is running at I bet it's no where near what it's rated.

[yankswin]

Thanks Big Jon and Shophound!
Finally, some thoughtful, intelligent responses!

[BigJon3475]

We are just trying to help....you asked everyone here tried to put it in laments terms. I guess you wanted it spelled out. Don't take some of the responses personally all these guys love their jobs or they wouldn't be taking the extra effort to be on forums like this. But you get different responses because people have different opinions and live in different places and lead different lives. Everyone here no matter how they answered were in fact trying to help you because they wouldn't have answered the thread otherwise. These guys get to see first hand what not doing maintenance does to a system....Just something to keep in mind.

[Shophound]

As per usual, ShopHound's post detailing the steps he'd take in checking out a system are very helpful. I think I'll print out the text and ask which of these my tech does or doesn't do and why...

Oh crap...good thing I don't live in Phoenix. Hard enough bein' the stickler I am about my own work without fellow techs saying, "Why you keep puttin' stuff in homeowner's heads like that?? Now I actually gotta make like I'm doin' somethin' on a PM!" :D :D

Seriously, for Cotty, if you've moved from cheap bastage status to insist-on-keeping-it-in-top-notch shape status, then my time here is worthwhile. :cool:

Also, enjoy your elite status. :D And...best wishes for your new install. I have full confidence you'll update us on it as it progresses.

[CottyGee]

"Elite status" LOL!

When I read your post with the detail of what you'd do in a PM, I imagined some of those probably not happening very often with most techs from most companies. But used as a list to show a guy - especially for the inspection right after the install - it could be very useful.

I'd *HOPE* that each and every single item on your list would be checked as part of the initial startup! Would that be a reasonable approach? Any other things that should be part of a new system startup??


if you've moved from cheap bastage status to insist-on-keeping-it-in-top-notch shape status, then my time here is worthwhile. :cool:
Well, the yearly checkup is required to get my 10 yrs. labor on my system, so yeah, I'm gonna do that for sure! And prolly afterward too... It'll be an OLD system by then!

[beenthere]

Bigjohn, nice break out you posted.


Yankswin.
We can't tell you what a company in your area will or will not check.



Best of luck weather you get the anual service checks or not.

[rogerk]

rogerk -

Comments like yours do nothing other than foster an "us against them" mentality. Sure, single me out.:rolleyes:

[ga-hvac-tech]

Well, let me try to explain a few things, then I am going to take the negative side one more time, and then retire from this thread:

I run a small company. I am a meticulous person with details. My customers trust me because they know I am honest and treat every system as though it were my home.

Somewhere between 33 and 40% of my installations are high end equipment, that requires careful and detailed maintaining to keep it at peak performance, thus justifying the extra $$$ the customer spent (on my recommendation) for the added comfort and energy efficiency.

Now for the negative: I have found that the few folks that require every detail spelled out to them; usually will take that new found knowledge and try to either do it themselves, or bid it out to the cheapest person (never realizing that they will get what they pay for regardless). And the years of experience and countless hours of training I attended and paid for did not produce a profit.

So you see: As a professional I do not share my professional knowledge. If this is not acceptable to you, then I am not the person for you to do business with.

But then, I usually have more folks to take care of than I have time... so I guess it all works out in the long run.

My friend, there is someone out there that you will work well with. And I wish you the best.

[bonafide]

Next week, I am having my new HVAC system installed in my home. Is the
yearly scheduled maintenance really that important after one year, or can
it be done every other year?
Also, EXACTLY what is done for the furance and a/c yearly maintenance...
please be specific.

My system is in a very clean environment, with little dust and dirt in
area. The system is never be running 24/7.

Why ask a question that you already seem to know the answer too? My company offers a free two year service contract on all new Hvac equipment. I hope that doesnt sound defensive or sensitive to you. There is a reason for this, Customer satisfaction that the equipment purchased is running at optimal efficiency. Our reputation, ect. All it takes is a little spider to make a web in the burner to soot up the secondary heat exchanger and then you got problems my friend. These new unit have little margin for era, ask your wife and kids if you have any if your furnace should be checked yearly.
Good luck with your new installation, I hope it last just as long as the first without any problems, believe me, we really do want our customers to be satisfied, we make alot more money on installs than PM's

[vet]

All we can say is that it is important, I have a new system myself that I installed and I check it every year since I am a tech. There are many things to look at and what to look for, more so in the cooling season with the inside and outside equipment. Not so much for the heating season but more important than the other especially for you and you’re family’s well being. It’s not that costly to you and new or not stuff happens. Like a paper schematic came loose from inside a unit and was stuck inside the blower and I have had to remove them from the coils surface, just because its new doesn’t mean it wont have some hidden problems that may take years to actually surface later down the road. And like it was said somewhere in this form already the newer systems now are a lot more sensitive than your older system you just cant imagine some of the smallest particles that could shut your unit down in a heart beat. We wont be the ones making any money off of you we just know the importance of having it checked twice a year, I could go on with hundreds of reasons or examples but you will do what you want. It’s your equipment and you will do what you want with it, I wish you another 20 years of no problems.

[NewAir]

If you read the fine print on your warranty papers that you will receive after the install, it requires yearly maintenance or your warranty could be null and void. Manufacturers usually do not ask if there was maintenance but if something specific were to come up and a manufacture rep. had to pay a visit, you could be in trouble without the proof of proper maintenance. Your furnace or air handler requires maint. plus the condenser and coil. This equals out to 2 x's per year. All componants are check for proper operation during this time to ensure that it is operating at manufacture specs. This really is an important part of maintaining a system so that it will allow for many years of operation without hassles. Good luck on your new system!

[jheating]

Koodos to you for even changing your filter and washing the condensing unit. You seem to be a very informed consumer. I do believe in annual maintenance on your hvac equipment just like you would a car, etc., but you would not believe the people out there that don't even know they have a filter in their unit. Does this mean our industry needs to be doing a better job of educating people? Food for thought.