How Often Should I Service My HVAC System?
While you may understand exactly how important it is to provide routine maintenance to your HVAC system, it’s not always so simple to know what kind of frequency it needs. Once you know the variables to consider, figuring out when to call for routine service can be easy.
Annual HVAC Service
When you need the absolute most cost effective maintenance solution for your HVAC system, annual service is the best way to go. This can allow a professional to check all the heating and cooling components in your system without the expense or inconvenience of multiple service calls each year. This approach can work well for people living in areas where the weather is fairly consistent year-round or where the system is really only in use for a single season.
For best results, schedule your annual HVAC system service call for just before the time of year when your system will be in the most demand.
Semi-Annual HVAC Service
Of course, the annual HVAC maintenance strategy isn’t appropriate when you rely heavily on your heater in the winter and your air conditioner in the summer. While it can be a little more expensive to pay for two separate service calls each year, it’s the best way to ensure that a professional has checked the relevant equipment prior to its heavy usage, which can help you ensure nothing breaks down in the middle of a frigid winter or unforgiving summer.
If you’re planning to schedule semi-annual service calls, spring and fall are the most popular times for pre-season service. A good rule of thumb is to start thinking about air conditioner maintenance once the temperature first gets into the 70s and heater maintenance when the mercury dips down to 60 degrees for the first time.
More Frequent HVAC Service
While scheduling HVAC system service calls twice a year is usually more than sufficient for the average family, there can be times when it’s to your advantage to call for additional service. For instance, your spring maintenance may have uncovered a slight problem with your air conditioner that didn’t require immediate repair. In many cases, you could save money by having these types of repairs performed during the off-season when everyone else is thinking about their heaters and many professional HVAC companies start to slow down. The same can be true for waiting until the spring to make minor repairs to heating components.