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If it's an older unit, they may be able to spot a refrigerant leak before it gets low enough to cause the coil to freeze up. Basically, if it needs "topping off", you have a leak.
I have my two units check annually in the springtime at a total cost of $110. My units have lasted 36 years and still worked at replacement. Several of my neighbors are now on their third units, they only have them serviced if a problem arises. I got tired of the old pilot lights and lack of efficiency and replaced them.
Yes, if you can, the money is better spent to replace and upgrade with a more efficient unit/system than to keep paying for annual service to maintain an ancient one, IMO.
A lot depends upon the climate where you live. You don’t get much more humid than living near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico between Florida and south Texas (I’m in south Louisiana). High humidity can generate growth not only in the condensate pan but also on the evaporator coils. If you have easy access to those coils and pan then it’s easy to keep up. But not all units are designed for ease of maintenance and not everyone is physically capable of accessing these units (age and health issues). Also not everyone has enough basic knowledge to know how to perform these basic maintenance steps without damaging their unit (like one person I know who though she needed to spray and pour Clorox bleach on her evaporator coils to clean them). An honest and reputable service company service contract can, in the long run, save money through extended life of the central unit as well as the discounts some contracts offer on parts and emergency calls.
It is also good to have them run a combustion analysis and adjust your furnace's gas valve to tune it to optimal efficiency. Like 10:32-16min on this video. Though I don't think that has to be done every year.
The "need" depends on multiple factors. How you maintain your HVAC? Cleaning filters regularly and not over burdening your HVAC will minimize this need of professional services. But if you think its time to get professional help then the services should not exceed $100 though. Get the quote from different contractors. Choose the contractors based on the reviews that will be a great help.
I am with the posters who say change the filter regularly and don't call for service until there's an indication you have an issue.
I fell for the annual or bi-annual service stuff when I was younger, and each time the service tech(s) would recommend this or that. Finally, I taught myself how to maintenance my HVAC unit and now see everything they recommended was not necessary.
You can learn a lot about furnaces from a guy online called "gray furnace man." He taught me most of what I know re furnaces. The A coil and condensing unit required research and pressure gauges. The rest is magic.
I don't purchase an annual service either and have had the same furnace for the 31 years I have lived here and it is the original furnace, which is 40 years old next year. I have never had a repairman work on it and it has only had one issue, which was a pretty basis fix. I have a book on furnace reapair and there are only about 3 or 4 things that could go wrong with it. Otherwise, I clean it up now and then and clean the filter a couple of times a year. I am thinking about replacing it before I retire though and would like to install a brand that is reliable. Someone said Trane or Lennox is the way to go. My fear is that I will buy something new and it will have problems all the time, or some costly repair like a computer in it going out.
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