Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
I don't have any maintenance agreement at all. But, annually is not often enough to add vinegar or to flush out the condensate line. I do it every 3 months. I change the filter every 6 months. Those are really the only things you need to do, except to inspect the inside of the air handling unit and the outside coils for dirt or mold. I think it is a waste of money to pay an HVAC technician to come to your house to do anything to a system that is operating properly. They cannot prevent a breakdown. Call a technician when the system fails. Also, don't pay in advance for repair service because you will be stuck with one company who may not be available when you need them.
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As a person who grew up in the trades, as well as having a father-in-law owning an HVAC company, I don't immediately see the need for an HVAC maintenance contract.
Then again, if you have mobility issues or just never have been a DIYer at home, there may be value and "comfort" in having someone look at your HVAC once or twice a year.
As others said, changing the filter, cleaning the drain, and inspecting the coils, are most of what it takes to maintain HVAC.
There are other things consider in my opinion -- has the flow from the vents decreased, is the temperature not maintaining as it did in other seasons, has an animal been in your attic (real thing, animals can destroy ducts in attic), has a gardener kinked your high or low pressure line from the compressor, are your outdoor coils bent? These are some of the things that can degrade your HVAC experience.
I did a maintenance agreement for a year on a previously-owned home with a 15 year old HVAC system. In each visit, I was pressured to replace the system -- even though it worked fine and they even said it worked fine. I didn't renew the contract and the unit worked for a few years longer before, inevitably, expiring.
All HVAC systems, like us Villagers, will eventually breakdown and fail.