Heating and cooling maintenance in Beltsville

Few people like to spend money and not be able to see immediate results from it. You buy groceries and see that the pantry is filled. You buy new car tires and stop sooner on the snow. It’s satisfying to spend the money and benefit immediately. But when it comes to maintenance, whether it’s getting your car an oil change or having someone perform a furnace tuneup, it’s the long-term benefits that you have to look at. Furnace maintenance isn’t something you want to skip, as you’ll find out below. People are asking us questions about HVAC maintenance all the time. How often does it really need to be done? What can go wrong if you put it off? Is it really helping my HVAC system? Let’s find out!

When does your HVAC need maintenance?

Everything breaks down eventually. In order for mechanical devices to work, there’s going to be some level of friction that’s occurring between pieces. A fan that has a screw loose can become unbalanced, which creates even more friction and wears down the attached pieces. It’s important to have an HVAC expert stop by in order to look for this type of wear and tune up any components that might be wearing unevenly. For heating units, cold Maryland winters can cause them to turn on multiple times an hour, putting stress on both their electronic and physical components. Electronics in the units — circuit boards and switches — have electricity sent through them every time they turn on, and these electric temperature spikes can weaken the molecules in the parts. Air conditioners have one additional problem: they’re outside. Because they’re out in the elements, AC units have to put up with wilder temperature changes than any other component. Hoses can crack as winter water gets in and freezes, and hail can also damage components. On top of that, their effectiveness can also be affected because of outside dust that collects on the coils. An AC maintenance company can clean it out and make sure everything is in good working order.

How often do you need HVAC maintenance?

Some people take a look at the cost of HVAC maintenance and think they can just put it off. One year leads to two, two becomes three. But that time, something usually breaks and they’re left with a huge bill that’s more than the cost of the total maintenance they might have spent. And all that time, their furnaces were less efficient and wasting fuel. It just makes more sense to have basic maintenance performed once a year. Having an HVAC expert around once a year can significantly lengthen the life of your equipment and improve its energy efficiency as well.

When should you call for heating and cooling maintenance?

The most common time that people contact us for furnace maintenance or boiler maintenance is during fall. Spring is the most common time that people call us for HVAC tune-ups to their air conditioning. It’s also a good idea to call us for an inspection if you’ve just moved into a pre-owned house. While you might have had a house inspection done, you’d probably be surprised at how little a house inspector actually does to test your furnace or AC. And if they do see problems, they will note them but not fix them. If you’ve just moved in, have a professional HVAC service by in order to give it a thorough inspection. When you need heating or cooling maintenance, here’s a little hint: call early in the season. When the weather gets cold and everyone else is thinking about getting their furnace up and going, it gets busy around here. When you combine those maintenance requests with the regular repairs, it just makes sense to get your heating checked out early in the season.

How does our maintenance contract work? Learn More