Las Vegas is well-known for its scorching summers, but it also sees freezing temperatures at night in the winter. Your HVAC system performs both cooling and heating functions to keep your home comfortable throughout the year. When summer or winter comes around, you have to make sure your equipment is ready to handle the heavy cooling or heating loads.
Many homeowners opt for an annual HVAC maintenance plan, but it’s best that you sign up for a bi-annual plan if you live in a place where extreme temperatures occur twice a year. If you fail to properly prepare your air conditioner for summer or winter, it can struggle to keep up with the extreme heat or cold. This can result in a more uncomfortable home, increased wear and tear, higher energy bills, and a greater chance of system failure. Here are 6 reasons why you need bi-annual HVAC maintenance:
1. Higher Comfort Levels
If it isn’t well-maintained, your HVAC system may experience a variety of problems that can undermine your home’s comfort levels. For example, a dirty or clogged filter can hinder the movement of conditioned air to your indoor space, resulting in reduced airflow and uneven temperatures around your home. Also, if your air-conditioner has a dirty evaporator coil, it’ll struggle to achieve and maintain your desired temperature. Besides failing to properly cool or heat your home, a poorly maintained or problematic HVAC unit may also emit certain sounds or smells that can make your life more unpleasant.
It can be very frustrating to have a malfunctioning or broken HVAC system in the middle of summer or winter. You can help prevent this from happening by enrolling in a bi-annual preventative maintenance program, which includes two maintenance visits a year from trained HVAC technicians. The technicians will perform a wide range of tasks to ensure that your air conditioner will run smoothly throughout the peak cooling and heating seasons, from replacing your air filter to lubricating components. With proper maintenance, your HVAC unit will be able to deliver adequate cooling or heating power to maintain a comfortable environment in your home.
2. Greater Energy Savings
While using your HVAC system is an effective way to keep your home comfortable during times of extreme temperatures, you also have to keep an eye on your energy costs. Utility bills are typically higher during summer and winter when you need to use your system on a more frequent basis. If it isn’t in good condition, your HVAC unit will struggle to cool or heat your home, leading to higher energy consumption. Generally, your energy bill for a specific month of this year should be about the same as that of the same month in the previous year. If it’s significantly higher, then your equipment is probably in need of attention.
While it can cause your yearly expenses to go up, a bi-annual HVAC maintenance plan will pay for itself over time. This is partly because it can help you save on your energy costs. A preventative maintenance plan includes certain tasks that can reduce strain on your HVAC system that results from dirty, leaky, or faulty components. If it’s well-maintained, your equipment will use less energy to deliver the same amount of cooling or heating, resulting in lower energy bills. According to the Department of Energy, a simple task like changing your air filter regularly can reduce your air-conditioner’s energy consumption by up to 15%.
3. Lower Repair Costs
Similar to other appliances, your HVAC system will become more and more vulnerable to mechanical problems as it ages. It’s common for older air-conditioners to require occasional repairs, but an ill-maintained unit may need professional attention much more often. If you don’t service your equipment regularly, some of its components will wear out at a faster rate, which can lead to major issues or breakdowns. Having to repair your HVAC unit frequently can be a considerable financial burden, especially if you need emergency repair services from time to time. Also, certain components may degrade to the extent that they need to be replaced, which can cost a lot of money.
Besides keeping every component of your HVAC system in good condition, a bi-annual preventative maintenance plan also includes a thorough inspection of your equipment. The technicians who come to your home will properly inspect your air-conditioner to see if it has any faulty components. If they detect even a small issue, they can fix it right away to prevent it from growing into a costly problem. Having your HVAC unit inspected twice a year is a more effective way to prevent expensive repairs.
4. Longer Service Life
Your HVAC system is a substantial investment, so you should try to get the most out of it. If you don’t take good care of your air-conditioner, it’ll accumulate more dirt and grime and sustain more wear and tear over time, which can cause it to be constantly strained. An overly strained system will reach the end of its service life much sooner. The average lifespan of an HVAC unit is 10 to 15 years, but you can make your equipment last up to 20 years with proper maintenance. Installing a new HVAC system can set you back thousands of dollars, so you can expect to save a lot over the long run if you can extend the longevity of your air-conditioner.
Enrolling in a bi-annual maintenance plan can help you reduce the frequency at which you need to replace your HVAC system. The maintenance technicians will remove dirt and grime buildups, lubricate all moving parts, and perform other tasks to ensure that your equipment will operate like a well-oiled machine. As such, your air-conditioner will be able to deliver optimal performance and efficiency while experiencing minimal wear and tear. The more frequently you service your HVAC unit, the longer it’ll last. So, a bi-annual maintenance plan is a worthwhile investment.
5. Better Indoor Air Quality
Many homeowners think that their HVAC systems only function to maintain comfortable temperatures in their homes. Actually, they also play an important role in controlling indoor air quality. Your air-conditioner helps reduce the concentrations of harmful particles in your indoor air by improving air circulation and reducing humidity levels. Dirt, dust, dust mites, pet dander, chemicals, and other airborne contaminants can be detrimental to your health when inhaled. They can contribute to a wide range of short-term and long-term health problems, including coughing, sneezing, eye irritation, headache, breathing difficulty, fatigue, asthma, respiratory infection, and lung cancer. As such, if your HVAC unit isn’t properly maintained, you and your family members will become more susceptible to these health issues.
Many HVAC maintenance problems can undermine the air quality in your home. For example, a clogged air filter won’t be able to effectively trap dirt, dust, and other contaminants, allowing them to get into your home. Additionally, a malfunctioning blower motor and leaky ducts can reduce airflow to your indoor space, resulting in poorer air circulation. A bi-annual maintenance plan will ensure that every component in your HVAC system that helps improve indoor air quality will be properly cleaned and serviced. As such, you’ll enjoy cleaner and healthier air in your home.
6. Compliance with Warranty Requirement
Some homeowners prefer to take HVAC maintenance and repairs into their own hands so that they can save money. Others may work with unreliable HVAC companies that offer suspiciously attractive rates. These aren’t the best ways to maintain your air-conditioner for a number of reasons. Firstly, a person who isn’t a qualified technician may not have the necessary knowledge and expertise to fix certain problems. If they make a mistake, it can cause severe damage to the equipment, which can lead to a costly repair or part replacement. Also, you should know that you can void your HVAC unit’s manufacturer’s warranty if it isn’t regular maintained by a licensed contractor. If you fail to meet this requirement, you’ll likely have to pay for the repair out of your own pocket if something goes wrong with your system.
One of the most important benefits of a bi-annual maintenance program is that it’ll ensure that your HVAC system’s manufacturer’s warranty will remain valid. Of course, you have to make sure you sign up for a maintenance plan with a licensed HVAC company. Complying with your manufacturer’s warranty’s maintenance requirement can potentially help you save a lot of money on repairs or replacements.
What Happens During an HVAC Maintenance Visit?
The services included in a bi-annual HVAC maintenance program may vary from one contractor to another. However, most companies will perform the following tasks:
Inspection
During a maintenance visit, the HVAC technicians will thoroughly inspect every component in your air-conditioner, including the thermostat, indoor and outdoor units, air filter, electrical connections, and the condensate drain line. They’ll also check the refrigerant level to make sure your equipment isn’t leaking refrigerant. In general, the technicians will pay more attention to the cooling system during the spring visit and focus more on the heating components in fall.
Servicing
During the inspection, the technicians may find that certain components need to be cleaned. These parts may include the blower compartment, evaporator coil, condensate drain line, and the condenser. Your outdoor condensing unit may be littered with debris that can affect its operation, so the technicians will remove any debris or objects around it. Also, if your ductwork is dirty, they’ll clean it to improve the air quality in your home and the overall efficiency of your HVAC unit. Additionally, they may lubricate the motors, tighten connections, and top off all fluid levels.
Replacing Components
Even if all the main components in your HVAC system are in good condition, there may be small parts that need to be replaced. While you should be changing your air filter yourself between visits, the technicians will replace it for you if necessary. They’ll also replace the fan belts or motor bearings if they aren’t in good condition. These small components aren’t expensive to replace but they can have a significant impact on your air-conditioner’s performance and efficiency.
Joining a bi-annual HVAC maintenance program is the most effective way to prepare your HVAC system for the high cooling and heating loads in summer and winter. It’ll ensure that your air conditioner will be able to keep your home comfortable while delivering maximum energy savings. [company_name] offers a tested-and-proven bi-annual HVAC maintenance program that includes comprehensive maintenance and inspection of your air-conditioner. We’re a licensed HVAC company with certified technicians who have undergone extensive training and continually stay updated with the latest technologies in the HVAC industry. Contact us at [phone] to find out about our bi-annual HVAC maintenance program.
