Preventative Maintenance Plans a Good Idea?

[jamesberen]

I just wanted to ask if signing up for a preventative maintenance plan with a local HVAC company is a good idea. It costs around $$$$ a year and they come twice a year.

I also wonder what exactly is done during these visits.

Should I sign up or just call comeone if something goes wrong?

I have a new home and HVAC system.

[HVAC/Stud]

Change your filters and have your coils clean once every 3 years. maintenance contracts are to set up a customer base. HVAC company president if he has 1 on his unit. I'm a Hvac contractor and I clean my coils every thee years. I have 90+ NG furnace and I've never open the panel in 12the years.
No if you change your owwn filters yuodon't need one.ml

[danielworkerbee]

How old is the furnace, because in my opion, the older the more often to prevent unplanned break downs.
High Eff. furnace should have more fequent cleanings, condensate pump ? Humidifier = yearly water panel change.
AC system thats always dirty cost alot of money.
Post some pictures of the furnace, humidifer, equipment room and outdoor condenser.
luck dan

[Brent Ridley]

I think PM contracts are great. I suggest every customer has one. Several things are completed on a maintenance.

1. Clean indoor and outdoor coils. I disagree with HVAC/Stud in that I believe your coils need to cleaned at least once a year. Dirty coils decrease efficiency.

2. Clean drain lines. This will possibly prevent a major water issue from a clogged drain. This needs to be done at least once a year. Sometimes twice a year depending on the climate.

3. Inspect heat exchanger and combustion analysis (if applicable). CO is nothing to play with and I sleep better at night knowing my furnace is running correctly.

4. Electrical checks. Test all caps, relays, safeties, contactors, etc.

5. Filter replacement. Because every homeowner doesn't change them like they should. A dirty filter can reek havoc on your system.

6. Some PM contracts offer discounts on repairs for when things do go wrong.

There are many more perks but the main thing is you have someone checking your system twice a year. A good PM can find and prevent 75% of common problems before they occur.

[beshvac]

There are many advantages to having a service agreement. Some of them are, depending on the agreement:

1. The company will be familiar with your equipment. Whenever we add a new customer we add all the manuals associated with your equipment to our database.
2. You become a priority customer with discounts. We come to your house 24/7 at no additional charge, and you get put ahead of any non-agreement customers.
3. The equipment is kept clean annually.
4. Problems are taken care of before they become problems.

5. Most agreements include repair discounts.

Just to name a few

[beshvac]

I think PM contracts are great. I suggest every customer had one.Several things are completed on a maintenance.

1. Clean indoor and outdoor coils. I disagree with HVAC/Stud in that I believe your coils need to cleaned at least once a year.

2. Clean drain lines. This will possibly prevent a major water issue from a clogged drain. This needs to be done at least once a year. Sometimes twice a year depending on the climate.

3. Inspect heat exchanger and combustion analysis (if applicable). CO is nothing to play with and I sleep better at night knowing my furnace is running correctly.

4. Electrical checks. Test all caps, relays, safeties, contactors, etc.

5. Filter replacement. Because every homeowner doesn't change them like they should. A dirty filter can reek havoc on your system.

6. Some PM contracts offer discounts on repairs for when things do go wrong.

There are many more perks but the main thing is you have someone checking your system twice a year. A good PM can find and prevent 75% of common problems before they occur.

+1

[HVAC/Stud]

Jamesberen,

You say this is a new home and HVAC system? If it is installed IAW ACCA standards it only needs air filters changed. A new system doesn't need any checking. Have a service call in three years and have coils (outdoor) cleaned. There is no bearings to oil.
Maintenance contract are to give off season tech's work.

Stud

[kangaroogod]

I cannot believe that competent (I thought) hvac professionals are giving such advice....you need to have all gas appliances checked each and every year period... Visual inspection, verification of proper operation, carbon monoxide testing, complete vent system verification at a minimum.. If this is to be done and the tech needs to be at your home then he might just as well do the "maintenance" while he is there. Do you NEED you system cleaned every year,,, perhaps not but it can and will be PREVENTative. A loose compressor wire on your ac system could cause hundreds if not $1000 more in damage. Call it "service" "preventative maintenance" "cleaning" or whatever it is a good idea if for nothing more than safety. What happens when rocky the raccoon builds a nest in the vent system for your water heater? I would want someone to check that. My $.02

[HVAC/Stud]

Kangaroo god,

Be honest,you check your furnace once a year,and do all those checks. My take is I'm not going to tell a HO he needs to sign a contract for twice a year @ $$$ for a PM check, when I don't check mine but every three years.

Stud

[catmanacman]

you are not supposed to put pricing , we do not know the labor rate for your area or what the service includes so it may or may not be a good deal .

[HVAC/Stud]

I've had HO's call me and won't turn their heat on till I come out and check it. I tell them, did it work last winter? They say worked "good". I say"change your filter, and call for heat"if it doesn't work I will come and check it.
We,in the south have mostly heat pumps. Why would you check a HP twice a year? Contracts,it's a marketing thing.

Stud

[Trehak01]

When it comes to what you get out of a maintenance contract every company is different. Just like when you go and get your oil changed, they tell you want there going to do for the money you pay. I highly recommend having some sort of maintenance done. A lot of problems can detected and prevented during routine maintenance.

Many companies will also offer a discount for being a customer. If you have a heating and cool problem and need service during regular hours or even after hours you can get a discount off the cost of parts and labor. It is an incentive to keeping up with your equipment.
I would suggest that you find a local NATE certified company that has good reviews and is a factory authorized dealer for the equipment you have installed in your home. This will eliminate a lot of problems when getting parts for the equipment (if needed) and the technician is familiar with the equipment. make a trip there to there office and see how professional they are from the office to the shop see how clean the technicians are and how the office staff treat you. Also some manufactures suggest that you do maintenance in order to keep up with your warranty.

I believe these are all very important factors when choosing a company to service and maintenance the equipment. I hope this helps.

[kangaroogod]

Stud, my maintenance includes annual replacement if the media filter and humidifier water panel. Replacement of dehumidifier filter along with annual oiling of the motor. Annul flush of the condenser, cleaning of the drains, cleaning of the burners of my furnace along with flame sensor and a co test.
As for contracts,,, well the company I work for it goes like this,,,,$$$$.00 for two years,, covers furnace annual maintenance each year and full parts/labor/service calls with 24/7 service. We have 24,000 service agreement customers and the renewal rate is over 80% so customers see the value! Many customers are procrastinators and having a contract ensures they get the maintenance done. If they forget to schedule we will call them and send postcards asking them to call us. At what point will a customer know there furnace is unsafe?.... On a prescheduled basis at their leisure or when they have no heat if that occurs., perhaps when the co detector goes off? We had a family 20 miles from me just pass away from co poisoning.. They had a co detector but the batteries were dead... It was a furnace issue that would have been found if they had maintenance performed pre season,, do you think their families have had there furnace serviced since they passed? I would imagine so.

[jpsmith1cm]

Guys,

Remember the site rules about pricing.

[kangaroogod]

Sorry wont happen again

[jtrammel]

I've had HO's call me and won't turn their heat on till I come out and check it. I tell them, did it work last winter? They say worked "good". I say"change your filter, and call for heat"if it doesn't work I will come and check it.
We,in the south have mostly heat pumps. Why would you check a HP twice a year? Contracts,it's a marketing thing.

Stud

Don't hate on PMs, they are a good idea and are of value to the customer.

[Mr Bill]

Don't hate on PMs, they are a good idea and are of value to the customer.

I totally agree! If you take your car to have the oil changed, you probably pay more per year that a good annual PM contract. You also have to think outside the box, home owners, plumbers, cable guys. electricians, etc. go into our attics all the time, and most are like a bull in a china closet, the only way you will know if something related to your a/c and heating system was damaged is a annual PM. We all have our on opinions, but I like to offer common sense opinions.

[jtrammel]

I totally agree! If you take your car to have the oil changed, you probably pay more per year that a good annual PM contract. You also have to think outside the box, home owners, plumbers, cable guys. electricians, etc. go into our attics all the time, and most are like a bull in a china closet, the only way you will know if something related to your a/c and heating system was damaged is a annual PM. We all have our on opinions, but I like to offer common sense opinions.

Cable guys suck, why do they have to run 5000 feet of cable to go 30 feet? Why do they get away with not hanging there cable? How do they get away with running there cable along the exterior of a house up the side of the house across the pitched roof and into a gable vent then through the ceiling all the while crushing any duct in their path? I HATE cable guys!!!

[HVAC/Stud]

Just keeping the discussion lively.

Still wonder how many of y'all do the same checks on their own HVAC system, that they push on HO's.

Back to Jamesbenen

I'd not sign a contract, have coil cleaning every two years. Today's units are designed to last ten years, that's why the ten year warranty.

Stud

[Mr Bill]

Just keeping the discussion lively. Still wonder how many of y'all do the same checks on their own HVAC system, that they push on HO's.
Stud

Stud, everyone knows half the lights don't work in an electricians home, plumbers have leaky faucets, and a/c guys tell there wives "honey it's cooling the best it can". You are not comparing apple to apples, we know if we have a problem at anytime, home owners do not, I have been called out on calls were the home owner said they were in the attic getting down Christmas ornaments, and found this big pipe, laying up there, it was the vent pipe.