Annual heating & air conditioning tune-up

[VicStone]

My unit is 18 years old. I've been in this home for 6 years and never had it serviced. I change my pleated filter every 3 months. I don't buy warrantys or service contracts as they are huge profit centers for the seller. When things won't work anymore I buy a new one. I've been fortunate that my major purchases have held up over the years.

[Cattknap]

Some people, like us, just want someone else to take care of the servicing and filter changing. Our service agreement includes changing the filters and we are charged below retail for our filters - any problems (and we have had several this year), the cooling/heating people come out and see what is going on. We are retired and are very busy - we do quite a few things around the house for ourselves, but we do have a lawncare service and a service contract on our furnace/air conditioner - it really isn't a ton of money....just a few less things we have to fit into our schedule. It is okay to pay for services that you can afford and that help you have a less hectic schedule.

[al_roethlisberger]

I agree with those that are DIY'ers that like to educate themselves and maintain/repair their own systems. But as noted above, there are some that either for sheer convenience or due to inability/disability could benefit from a professional performing service. To some degree it is a personal choice, but in others it may be a requirement.

But along with that consideration, another thing to factor-in is the level/priority of response one will get in the event one needs a repair call. In many cases, if a pro receives a service call from two individuals, one that has a service contract, and one that does not, the pro is likely to prioritize the existing customer with the contract for a variety of reasons, one of which is loyalty.

Also, service contracts may be more necessary on some systems than others. Most homeowners arguably know the basics of maintaining a forced air system, which is to change filters regularly. But due to the contraction of the residential hydronic heating industry when A/C came along(and related forced air heat) many homeowners find it difficult to find a pro or don't have a basic understanding of how older hot water or steam heat systems work. So, if one has a local knowledgeable pro, a service contract for one of these systems may be valuable from an efficiency, comfort, and safety perspective.


And of course, beyond simple filter changes, an annual check-up of the system should include a number of service items including cleaning heat exchangers, checking system stats, and physical/mechanical inspections. All of these items are meant to catch a problem before it becomes a problem, which can range from no-heat calls to threats to health.

I personally do not have a service contract as I don't have a local pro that can service my system adequately. And so I have become the "expert". If I had a local pro before I became my own, perhaps I would have spent money on a service contract, but now it would be superfluous.

Al