HVAC Repair

Air Conditioning Maintenance in D.C.

Does air conditioner, furnace and heat pump maintenance actually matter? The answer is a resounding “Yes.” Any product with moving parts, especially one that transports dust- and pollutant-filled air, will require some form of maintenance over time. Wires can loosen, parts need to be periodically oiled, coils and internal components need to be cleaned of dust and refrigerant may need to be added.

Air conditioners and heat pumps both “transfer” heat rather than generating cool air. They can’t burn fuel like a furnace or boiler. These systems essentially move air over super-cooled coils carrying refrigerant.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that a thick coating of dust will act as an insulator on those coils, drastically reducing the efficiency of that heat transference process. This means your air conditioner or heat pump will have to run longer to reach and maintain the temperature you set on your thermostat.

The more your air conditioner or heat pump runs the faster it will age and the more it will cost you in terms of your home’s utility costs. Clean, properly maintained systems last longer, run more efficiently and experience fewer breakdowns overall.

Choosing the Right Maintenance Provider

Broadly speaking, consumers in the Washington, D.C. metro area have two options when it comes to maintenance: one-off service and maintenance-club memberships.

There are advantages and disadvantages to each option.

Not getting a membership is, in the short term at least, undeniably the more affordable of the two options. You’re only paying for one or two service visits a year (depending on your system and the frequency with which you schedule maintenance).

On the other hand, if you’re like most people, remembering every 12 months to schedule maintenance isn’t as easy as it sounds. Life has a way of intervening and distracting you, especially for a relatively mundane chore. Joining a maintenance club means your HVAC company will reach out to you to schedule so you’ll never forget or put it off.

Although it’s technically cheaper to not sign up for a maintenance plan, failing to get any maintenance is likely more expensive in the long run. A unit that may last 15 or 20 years when properly maintained may only last 10 years with no maintenance. More frequently replacements will inevitably cost more than paying for maintenance once a year.

Most maintenance plans also come with guarantees and discounts on repair services. Companies often feel confident in offering those significant discounts because maintenance tends to prevent those breakdowns from occurring in the first place, which will also save you money throughout the life of your system.

Properly maintained systems are also more efficient, meaning you’ll ultimately pay less for heating and cooling in your home. The savings can be hard to quantify because not every dirty system will necessarily decrease in efficiency at the same rate, but it’s safe to say you might be paying hundreds of extra dollars a year on heating and cooling because your dirty system is more inefficient than it should be.