Staying comfortable inside your home means being able to rely on your HVAC system to provide heat and cool air. During the cold winter months of Central New Jersey, you want heat that you can count on to stay cozy and warm. Over the scorching summer, you need cool air to beat the heat and relax without breaking a sweat.
Taking care of your HVAC system is crucial to maintaining a high level of home comfort. Professionals and experts agree that you need annual HVAC inspections and maintenance to get the best from your system and ensure longevity and safety. There are many benefits to conducting this annual service.
Improved Air Quality
The warm and cool air that blows out of your vents recirculates from outside of your unit. This air can contain dust and allergens and, sometimes, even dirt and debris. Inside your HVAC system are air filters that remove these contaminants, trapping them in the filter to create healthier air for you and your family to breathe. As the filter becomes full or clogged, your heating and cooling system has to work harder to push air through.
With a clogged filter, the air you breathe inside your home is not as clean and healthy. This air filter needs to be changed regularly. As part of the routine HVAC inspection and maintenance process, the air filter will be replaced. In some units, the filter can be cleaned rather than replaced with a new one.
Greater Energy Efficiency
Your HVAC system works hard to keep your home comfortable, especially in times of extreme temperatures. Over time, your unit may have parts and components that wear out and break down. As the parts no longer work as well as they once did, you’ll see a decrease in energy efficiency.
This decrease in efficiency can cause a spike in your heating and cooling costs due to increased energy demands for the units to keep up. As part of the annual HVAC inspection, your technician will check for any worn-out or damaged components. These components are then repaired or replaced to help increase the energy efficiency of your HVAC system.
Save Money on Costly Future Repairs
As part of the HVAC inspection process, your HVAC technician will look over all the mechanical components of the furnace or air conditioner. During this inspection, the technician is looking for signs of wear and tear that could lead to the failure of the system. Finding these issues before they cause your entire system to fail could save you money on more costly repairs in the future. The technician can identify any risks of impending breakdown and make repairs as needed during the annual inspection. If you have a worn part that leads to failure, you could be paying a steep price for emergency repair services in the dead of winter to keep your home warm.
Increase the Lifespan of Your System
Think about your body in comparison to your HVAC system. We all know that we can’t live forever, but we often take steps to increase our lifespan so that our bodies don’t wear out prematurely. The same concept should apply to your furnace or air conditioner. An annual inspection by a professional technician means being able to spot troubles and perform preventative maintenance.
This preventative maintenance by a professional HVAC technician may include the lubrication of any moving parts within the unit, replacement of damaged or over-worn parts, and cleaning the inside and outside of the unit. A typical furnace lasts 10 to 15 years when properly cared for. Without annual maintenance, you risk drastically reducing this lifespan, resulting in costly replacement of your units more frequently.
Avoid Losing Warranty Coverage
Most furnace and air conditioner manufacturers provide a limited warranty on new units. This warranty generally covers mechanical failures that occur within a certain time frame after installation. Manufacturers know that inspection, maintenance, and tune-ups are crucial to keeping your heating and cooling units running.
If you fail to conduct annual inspections and maintenance, you risk voiding the warranty. In the rare case that your unit has a mechanical defect that causes premature failure, the warranty is designed to cover needed repairs or replacement costs. With a voided warranty, you are on the hook for these costs yourself, which could reach into the thousands of dollars. Check your warranty paperwork for specific requirements, and follow the recommended maintenance schedule to avoid these high out-of-pocket expenses.
Insurance Requirements
Homeowner’s insurance is something you carry to cover the expenses of damage to your home. Many insurance policies carry a clause that requires a homeowner to perform certain maintenance duties to satisfy the policy. One of these duties often includes annual HVAC maintenance and inspection. Failing to perform HVAC inspection and maintenance according to the schedule outlined in your insurance policy could result in cancellation of your policy or rejection of claims that relate to your HVAC unit.
For example, if you have an electrical connection that sparks a fire, your homeowner’s insurance may cover the cost of the damages related to the fire. However, if you haven’t had a professional HVAC technician in your home for several years, your insurance company could deny your claim due to negligence. Avoid losing your insurance coverage and the risk of expensive damages by having an annual inspection of your heating and cooling system performed by a professional.
Improved Safety
Your HVAC system runs on electricity and sometimes gas. Electrical connections can become damaged or loose over time. When an electrical connection is not sound, you run the risk of shock, electrocution, and fire. Having your HVAC system inspected at least once per year can help you identify faulty connections to reduce these safety risks. Additionally, when using a gas furnace, you need to be especially careful to avoid gas leaks. A large gas leak could cause fire and explosion, resulting in serious injury, death, and destructive damage to your home and belongings. Your HVAC technician will inspect all electrical and gas connections during your annual inspection process. This inspection helps to lower your risk of life-threatening injury.
Contact the Professionals
Putting off annual maintenance and inspection of your HVAC system could lead to devastating consequences in the future. Without this annual inspection, you risk higher costs related to repairs, decreased safety of yourself and your family, and loss of warranty and insurance coverage. You also lower the lifespan of your heating and cooling units by neglecting routine maintenance and care.
With a properly maintained furnace and air conditioner, you’ll also enjoy lower heating and cooling costs. Now that you understand the importance of an annual HVAC inspection, contact Conway Comfort Heating & Cooling right away, and keep your system running safely and efficiently to carry you through the fluctuating New Jersey seasons. We also offer commercial heating solutions along with indoor air quality products. We look forward to providing you with quality service and attention to detail.
