Is Heating and Air Maintenance Really Important?

Here’s a question I get often — or at least more often than I would hope. “Do I really have to maintain my HVAC system every year?”

My answer is that, like visiting the dentist for a cleaning twice a year, it’s important to have a company you trust service your equipment biannually. 

Some people resist having their heating and air system maintained on a regular basis. And I understand, to an extent, because I know for some companies those scheduled visits are really an excuse to start selling you on x, y, and z. By contrast, our team loves these systems, new and old. That means we love the system that’s already in your house, and we’ll maintain it right, whatever that might take.

Really, maintenance is just a logical part of owning a several thousand-dollar investment in the heating and air equipment that keeps you and your family comfortable. It’s not a $49.99 service call, but you also don’t have to listen to an upsell from our service techs. Our maintenance techs are only required to improve your system and preventively protect from future issues when

measurable.

When we come to your house, we’re there to do the work. In the South, that means chemical cleaning of some parts of the system due to pollen, and after a system is 5 years old or older, you need to add up to a pound of coolant a year. I have a 32-point checklist for doing maintenance. It’s thorough — a deep checkup, not a quick look. That’s what we’re there to do.

We’re also there because, like your dentist knows your teeth, we know your house. And we know your system, and dialing one in doesn’t just happen during installation. It’s like having a piano that needs to be regularly tuned. Because my guys get to work instead of standing in the kitchen telling you what you need to spend money on, they’re up in the attic or down in the crawlspace finding ways to improve your system’s efficiency. They’re also the first to catch leaky

pipes, cracked foundations, holes in the roof, or moisture under the floorboards — I can’t tell you how many times that’s happened.

During our maintenance visits, we pride ourselves on locating things homeowners might have stopped noticing long ago. When I hear a rattling grate, I’ll tell you to hold on, and then I’ll fix it. It’s amazing what we live with, but sometimes you need an outside observer to come in with fresh eyes (or ears!). If that person is a heating and air expert, all the better.

One of the benefits of having a dentist you trust is that you know where to go in an emergency, or at least who you’ll consult with as soon as you can. The dentist knows your teeth and you know them. You’re comfortable letting them into your mouth (I mean home) to make the needed repairs.

Your dentist knows you, and so do we. We may work in different fields, but we share a passion for our area of expertise — I don’t hire guys who don’t like HVAC work — and, like the dentist, we believe in regular maintenance for a host of reasons. For many, it may come down to money, and we get that. But I think you’ll find that over the years, you’ll spend less with us than you otherwise would, and you’ll have a better time of it as well.

Thank you for trusting us.

AvaAir. We’ll Be There.