Caring for the HVAC system in your Hudson, OH home easily ranks among your most important maintenance tasks. Everything from regular air filter changes to routine tune-up service affects your indoor air quality (IAQ), health, and spending. Although skipping or delaying these things might seem more affordable in the present, your negligence could cost a fortune in the long run. Read on to find out how.
The Loss of Equipment Manufacturer Warranties
All new furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioners come with manufacturer warranties. These warranties cover the costs of replacing damaged HVAC equipment when problems are caused by substandard workmanship or defective parts and products. However, all manufacturer warranties are mutually binding agreements. In addition to the promises that HVAC manufacturers make, these guarantees also list a variety of requirements for warranty holders. Scheduling routine HVAC maintenance is one of them.
If you regularly delay or skip AC, heat pump, or furnace tune-ups, the warranties for these appliances could be voided outright. At the very least, you’ll deal with frustrating delays or denials when submitting claims. In some cases, the loss of warranty protections leads to hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket spending. In others, such as when heat exchangers or compressors fail, it could result in thousands.
Mitigating IAQ Symptoms Comes at a Price
Dirty heaters and air conditioners harbor dust, carpet fibers, textile fibers, pollen, dander, lint, and more. Unfortunately, many of these particulates are blown off and continuously circulated throughout living spaces. Whether you aren’t changing your HVAC air filters often enough or haven’t had your equipment professionally serviced in a while, negligence in HVAC maintenance lowers your indoor air quality and causes symptoms like:
- Recurring headaches
- Sneezing, wheezing, and coughing
- Nasal irritation
- Skin rashes
- Diminished sleep quality
Sadly, many people spend hundreds of dollars on medications and other interventions to alleviate these symptoms only to discover that catching up on HVAC maintenance is both the cheapest and most effective solution.
Problems With Indoor Mold
Your HVAC system doesn’t just regulate your indoor temperature, it also regulates humidity. When air conditioners and heat pumps develop dirty condenser coils, building interiors tend to feel warm and muggy. Indoor humidity levels also rise when furnaces have blocked air intake valves and when HVAC air ducts are obstructed. Not only do these problems lead to less comfortable living conditions, but they also set the stage for mold development.
Decreased HVAC Efficiency and Higher Energy Bills
Heating and cooling your home likely accounts for half of your energy bill. The best way to increase the efficiency of heaters and air conditioners is by taking good care of them. Neglecting HVAC maintenance will force your equipment to work much harder than normal while using more energy in the process.
The Cost of Poorly Maintained Ductwork
According to both the University of Florida and the United States Department of Energy (DOE), air ducts can lose up to 40% of an HVAC system’s heating and cooling energy. Just like air conditioners and furnaces need annual maintenance, your ductwork needs annual maintenance too. These yearly visits are a chance for our team to find and resolve air leaks, vent closures, and other air distribution problems.
Premature Equipment Failure
Whether caused by dirty air ducts, blocked filters, or filthy evaporator and condenser coils, neglected HVAC systems experience inordinate stress. This accelerates normal wear and may cause premature equipment failure. Neglecting essential maintenance might mean having to replace costly appliances at or before the mid-point of their expected service lives.
Having your HVAC equipment fail early and unexpectedly also places your entire household at risk of heating and cooling emergencies and dangerous, temperature-related ailments like:
- Frostbite
- Hypothermia
- Heat stroke
- Dehydration
- Heat exhaustion
From helping you keep more of your hard-won cash in your pocket and protecting the health of building residents, routine HVAC maintenance is always worth its cost.
Save Money With a Preventative Maintenance Plan
Fortunately, preventative HVAC maintenance doesn’t have to be an ongoing financial burden. By purchasing a preventative maintenance plan, you can enjoy benefits like covered tune-up services, priority scheduling, discounted replacement parts, and discounted repairs. With an HVAC preventative maintenance plan, you’ll also get timely reminders to schedule service to help you comply with the warranty terms.
We’ve been proudly serving Hudson, OH and the surrounding cities since 1991. Our clients can count on us for exceptional heating, cooling, and IAQ services. We also provide heat pumps, water heaters, and ductless mini-split systems. To find out about our air conditioning preventative maintenance, and heating maintenance, or schedule an appointment, get in touch with Bernard Heating & Cooling today.
