HVAC Maintenance (new house, heat pump, buy)

[m378]

How often is everyone having preventative maintenance done?

All our equipment was replaced I think 4-5 years ago. We've been going with twice a year, but to be honest the company we use comes out, does whatever for an hour, and writes "everything in good working order" on the invoice.

What exactly should be done twice a year, and is it even necessary on newer equipment?

[lancers]

Yellow Dot has quite an extensive list of checks and cleans the unit twice a year for like $160. I am starting up in October my unit is in a new house and is only two years old. Better safe than sorry I guess but in my old house I don't recall ever doing much of anything for years other than replacing filters.

[danielbmartin]

Originally Posted by m378

How often is everyone having preventative maintenance done? ...

You didn't specify your type of HVAC. An oil- or gas-fueled furnace should be tuned up every autumn before the onset of the heating season.

IMHO a heat pump does not need routine care done by a technician. The homeowner should change the filter(s) routinely. If the condensate drain pipe becomes clogged the homeowner can blow it out by mouth, same as inflating a child's party balloon. If the system has a malfunction, then call the service man.

On occasion I had my heat pump "serviced" by professionals. They check the refrigerant pressures and declare them to be satisfactory. They replace one filter. (If your house has more than one, that's an extra charge.) They may do a soft sell for an overpriced UV mold-inhibiter. They may measure your air handler capacitor, tell you it is 6% below spec, and do a soft sell for an overpriced replacement.

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[m378]

Originally Posted by danielbmartin

You didn't specify your type of HVAC. An oil- or gas-fueled furnace should be tuned up every autumn before the onset of the heating season.

IMHO a heat pump does not need routine care done by a technician. The homeowner should change the filter(s) routinely. If the condensate drain pipe becomes clogged the homeowner can blow it out by mouth, same as inflating a child's party balloon. If the system has a malfunction, then call the service man.

On occasion I had my heat pump "serviced" by professionals. They check the refrigerant pressures and declare them to be satisfactory. They replace one filter. (If your house has more than one, that's an extra charge.) They may do a soft sell for an overpriced UV mold-inhibiter. They may measure your air handler capacitor, tell you it is 6% below spec, and do a soft sell for an overpriced replacement.

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Embarrassingly, I don't know. I come from the land of all furnaces, so I don't even know what a heat pump would look like.

I have a combo unit that sits outside for the first floor. 2nd floor has the AC unit outside, and a unit upstairs in the attic.

I should probably figure it out

[danielbmartin]

Originally Posted by m378

Embarrassingly, I don't know. ...

If your house is in a subdivision where all nearby houses were built by the same builder at the same time, ask your neighbors what type of HVAC they have. For reasons of efficiency and economy heat pumps are rarely seen in the the snow belt but are in common use in central North Carolina and points south.

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[Universe93B]

I've heard good things about Yellowdot, but their 2 system price for 1 year maintenance (includes 2 checks) I thought was too much at $250. I guess this would be a gas furnace inspection around Oct and an A/C inspection in May?

I heard a lot about people doing preventive maintenance these days. In my old house also, we didn't do anything except change the filters. Then around 10 years or more, the systems would need replacement. Are these systems more complicated these days than before?

[Poggly Woggly]

I get a service for heat in the fall and a air conditioning service in the spring. My system is 24 years old and still kicking. No costly repairs yet, but it's time is probably just about up.

[cchampagne232000]

Unless you are having issues with the unit I don't think you need to have it serviced. Put the 100 in your bank and save it for your next unit. All you need to make sure you do is clean your coils once a year (you can buy the spray at home depot) and change your air filters regularly.

[m378]

I just checked my invoice from the spring - I paid $202 dollars. Description of work says "Checked all AC componets (sic). Everything is working properly".

I don't think I'll be going with them again.

[carcrazy67]

Performing maintenance twice a year provides a very nice revenue stream for the HVAC companies. In my opinion, an annual inspection/cleaning is all that is typically necessary. If you have it done in the spring or the fall they can generally test both the air and the heat. Keep in mind that during a "good" service, there are some tests performed that are more than just cleaning coils and typically beyond the scope of the average homeowners ability. While some may claim maintenance is not necessary unless you have a problem, I would disagree. Properly maintaning the system results in more efficient operation (lower cost) and can alert you to issues that may be quite expensive if you neglect.