Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!
Here in central Pennsylvania, you depend on your home’s heating and cooling year-round for comfort. You count on it to get you through long, cold winters and keep you cool in the oft-sweltering summer. The good news is that modern HVAC systems do their jobs reliably and with little need for intervention.
However, no HVAC system can work forever without maintenance. That makes regular HVAC maintenance appointments with a qualified HVAC technician important. The question is, how often do you need to have your home’s HVAC serviced for best results? Here’s an answer to that question and information on what’s included in HVAC maintenance and what can happen if you neglect your HVAC.
How Often You Should Have Your HVAC Serviced
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to have your heating serviced once a year, as well as an additional service for your cooling system. The first appointment should take place before the cooling season begins. During that appointment, our expert HVAC technician will service your central AC system to make sure it’s ready for the summer. Then, you should schedule another appointment just before the heating season. During that appointment, our technician will service your furnace to be ready for the winter.
What’s Involved in HVAC Maintenance?
During each HVAC maintenance appointment, our technician will complete a thorough service checklist on your system. It includes a complete inspection of your system’s main components and testing to ensure their functionality. It also includes a cleaning of your system’s inner workings and lubrication of its moving parts.
Our technician will also change your HVAC air filter or advise you of its condition and make any mechanical adjustments they deem necessary. Then, our technician will test your HVAC’s safety features, including your furnace’s flame sensor and limit switch. They’ll also check your home’s thermostat for proper operation and make any adjustments it requires.
Our technician will also check your HVAC’s electrical connections to ensure they’re tight and in good condition. That can prevent electrical issues like short circuits to protect your system from inadvertent damage. They’ll also measure the voltages passing through your system to look for signs of failing components.
For example, the test might uncover a malfunctioning capacitor or contactor switch, which, if left alone, could bring your HVAC to a halt when it fails. That would allow you to address the problem before it leaves you stuck without AC on a hot day.
An HVAC service appointment also includes an inspection of your system’s indoor and outdoor coils. From time to time, those coils will require cleaning to maintain your system’s overall efficiency. If our technician notes that your coils need cleaning, they’ll let you know before performing it. They’ll also remove any dirt or detritus that’s built up around your HVAC’s outdoor unit. This will ensure proper airflow and further enhance your HVAC efficiency.
What Happens if You Neglect Your HVAC?
Although your HVAC will likely remain operable if you skip regular maintenance appointments, that decision has some consequences. For one, you can expect your HVAC to have a much shorter lifespan. A well-maintained central AC should last for about 15 years. A well-maintained furnace can last for up to 20 years.
Plus, regular maintenance is a condition of your HVAC warranty. If you don’t maintain your system as required, you could void your warranty. Then, if a major component fails, you’d end up paying to fix it out of pocket. That can be an expensive proposition and one that regular maintenance could help you avoid.
A neglected HVAC will also lose efficiency over time. Estimates indicate that the average central air conditioner will lose approximately 5% of its efficiency each year without maintenance. Your furnace could suffer a similar fate, not to mention that it could develop safety issues. For example, an undetected issue with your furnace’s burner could increase your home’s risk of carbon monoxide buildup. A regular inspection helps make sure that won’t happen.
Neglecting your HVAC will also harm your comfort and your indoor air quality. This is because the buildup of dust and dirt inside your system can reduce airflow through it. That makes it more difficult for your HVAC to reach and maintain the temperature you’ve set. It can also lead to uncomfortable hot and cold spots throughout your home.
On top of that, the dust and dirt inside your system can get dislodged and end up back in your home’s air. That can lead to adverse health effects, such as worsened allergy symptoms, more frequent respiratory infections, and irritation of your eyes, nose, and throat.
Finally, skipping regular HVAC maintenance also increases the likelihood of a small problem turning into a big one. For example, if your AC system develops a leak somewhere in its refrigerant lines, it could run low on refrigerant. If the leak goes unnoticed for long, it could result in damage to your system’s compressor.
Or, your evaporator coil might freeze, blocking airflow through your system and preventing your AC from cooling your home. The compressor and evaporator coils are two of the costliest parts of your HVAC to replace.
Plus, those conditions can also put added strain on your system’s fans. Before you know it, you could have multiple components failing simultaneously. With those potential consequences, scheduling regular maintenance appointments seems like a more acceptable option.
Your Local HVAC Maintenance Specialists
If you’re a homeowner in the Etters, PA area who needs a trustworthy HVAC maintenance company, Ready & Able Plumbing, Heating & Air can help with your needs. We’ve served local homeowners since 1998, amassing an impressive reputation for quality and affordability since then.
We offer comprehensive HVAC services, including installation, maintenance, and repair. We also offer complete residential plumbing services and indoor air quality solutions. We’re veteran-owned and NCI-certified.
Plus, we’re Better Business Bureau-accredited with an A+ rating. And you can always expect all of our employees to give 150% in everything they do. That means our HVAC technicians will treat you and your home with respect as they efficiently complete their work. It also means you will receive top-notch customer service in every interaction you have with us.
So, if you need HVAC maintenance in Etters, contact our team at Ready & Able Plumbing, Heating & Air today and make an appointment to provide the assistance you require!
Welcome to Ready & Able, formerly known as David LeRoy Plumbing! Although our name and brand have changed, we are still here to serve you and all of your plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality needs!