AC/Heating Systems Maintenace

[Michael G.]

How many homes have their AC/heating system serviced every 6 months or per year?

Do you have a signed contact?

Do you feel most company's do what you can do, keep the ac water lines clear and change the air filter?

I'm on the fence about this and thinking without a contract, if I have trouble,
it would be easier to get estimates on a fix with more than 1 company.

Your Thoughts Please

Cheers!

[rjm1cc]

no contract
Do the water line maintenance yourself.
Use YouTube for some suggestions.

[Stu from NYC]

We have a pm done every six months

[retiredguy123]

How many homes have their AC/heating system serviced every 6 months or per year?

Do you have a signed contact?

Do you feel most company's do what you can do, keep the ac water lines clear and change the air filter?

I'm on the fence about this and thinking without a contract, if I have trouble,
it would be easier to get estimates on a fix with more than 1 company.

Your Thoughts Please

Cheers!
I have never paid an HVAC company for routine maintenance. Changing the filter and keeping the condensate line clear are easy DIY projects. You should also check the outside condenser unit for dirt and debris around the coils. To keep the condensate line clear, add about a quart of vinegar to the drain pipe every 3 months or so. On a hot summer day, I like to inspect the outside unit to see if the suction line (the one with the black insulation) is cold and sweating. If it is, your compressor is working. There is nothing else that an HVAC technician can do to prevent your system from failing. Most HVAC companies want to sell you regular maintenance checkups (or tune-ups?) because it is a cash cow for their business. Don't waste your money.

[Michael G.]

I have never paid an HVAC company for routine maintenance. Changing the filter and keeping the condensate line clear are easy DIY projects. You should also check the outside condenser unit for dirt and debris around the coils. To keep the condensate line clear, add about a quart of vinegar to the drain pipe every 3 months or so. On a hot summer day, I like to inspect the outside unit to see if the suction line (the one with the black insulation) is cold and sweating. If it is, your compressor is working. There is nothing else that an HVAC technician can do to prevent your system from failing. Most HVAC companies want to sell you regular maintenance checkups (or tune-ups?) because it is a cash cow for their business. Don't waste your money.

I totally agree!

My kind of guy, honest, sincere, and to the point.

Thank You

[MrFlorida]

No contract here , friends have them, such a joke. Guy comes out and looks for something to fix, so they can drum up business. I change the filter myself ( they don't do that) and if it's not running right, I'll be the first to know. I'll call when something breaks.

[Michael G.]

No contract here , friends have them, such a joke. Guy comes out and looks for something to fix, so they can drum up business. I change the filter myself ( they don't do that) and if it's not running right, I'll be the first to know. I'll call when something breaks.

My way of thinking also.
I did have a maintenance plan until the 1st of January.
They came every 6 months for 150.00, ea., a real joke.

[Babubhat]

Coils need cleaning. Maintenance has found dead animals inside

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I had an ultraviolet light installed inside so that airborn viruses are killed during recirculation. That needs cleaning every year. . I have a contract for a cleaning. . .

just a bit safer during virus season. .

[dewilson58]

Annual Maint..............no contract, same firm each year.

Check on pricing from all the big boys.

[toeser]

How many homes have their AC/heating system serviced every 6 months or per year?

Do you have a signed contact?

Do you feel most company's do what you can do, keep the ac water lines clear and change the air filter?

I'm on the fence about this and thinking without a contract, if I have trouble,
it would be easier to get estimates on a fix with more than 1 company.

Your Thoughts Please

Cheers!


I think service every six months would be complete overkill. I have mine serviced once per year ONLY because I'm gone much of the summer. I haven't serviced my northern air conditioner in several years and have had zero issues.

[ithos]

I agree with the DIY comments so far. But need to inspect the contactor for the compressor periodically to help prevent compressor failure.

How and When to Change A Contactor - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I53nbpTHmVk)

[mydavid]

No contract here , friends have them, such a joke. Guy comes out and looks for something to fix, so they can drum up business. I change the filter myself ( they don't do that) and if it's not running right, I'll be the first to know. I'll call when something breaks. I'm with you!!!:bigbow:

[spofford]

Semi annual maintenance, $ 150 for both. Have had issues with our 15 year old system, and get quick response every time. No extra charge for emergency calls. Worth the maintenance charge for us,

[bjd0105]

We us M&S for our maintenance and it is a contract. We had multiple power surges in our neighborhood during the summer and our a/c went down. Called them early afternoon and the they were here within a couple hours. A coil fried and it cost under $100 to repair. Just charge for parts. Well worth the contract.

[Luggage]

Do you get the oil changed in your car on a regular basis? Do you want to have air conditioning companies stay in business? Do you want to be known to your AC company as a good customer? I think it's cheap enough to spend the money to let them look at your system if it's more than a few years old once a year or once every 6 months, mine comes out and does a test for compression and I had DeSantis, replace several key parts that will wear out in the future with the assurance that I can get another 5 years out of the system without spending three to $5,000 for a full replacement. Yes he made money off of me but I believe in quality service and I also appreciate that has been working fine for the last several years. You can certainly replace your own inside air filter and make sure the water pipe is not clogged but I'm not one to take apart the rest of the system myself just like most people won't even know how to open the hood of their car or want to change a flat tire themselves

[coconutmama]

[QUOTE=Michael G.;2048295]How many homes have their AC/heating system serviced every 6 months or per year?

Do you have a signed contact?

Do you feel most company's do what you can do, keep the ac water lines clear and change the air filter?



We do not have a contract but have our initial a/c company do an annual pm. We have a split unit in the lanai in addition to the house unit, added by them after we enclosed the lanai. It is about $150 annually for both to be done. If we experience any issues during the year they come right away.

We change our own filters every 6 months that we purchase from Ace Hardware. Also monthly we flush the lines with a bleach mixture and water flush. Amazing what can come out of there!

[retiredguy123]

Some posters have said that the contractor who performs maintenance will usually respond to a repair issue immediately. In my experience, there are at least 5 or 6 excellent HVAC contractors in The Villages who will also respond immediately even if you don't have a maintenance agreement. I have not seen any maintenance contracts that will guarantee a response time for a repair. They only make empty promises and offer a small discount for repair work. That is because every contractor has limited capacity to respond. If my system fails, I would rather be free to call any available contractor to find one who can respond the fastest. If your AC fails in the summer, you want it to be repaired the same day.

[Sunflower33]

I do every six months I have since I moved into my house 6 years ago and use munns I buy my own filter and change once a year as directed. I also pour warm water in the tube to make sure my line stays clear

How many homes have their AC/heating system serviced every 6 months or per year?

Do you have a signed contact?

Do you feel most company's do what you can do, keep the ac water lines clear and change the air filter?

I'm on the fence about this and thinking without a contract, if I have trouble,
it would be easier to get estimates on a fix with more than 1 company.

Your Thoughts Please

Cheers!

[Professor]

I pay $140 a year for service every 6 months. Could do it myself but we travel a lot and don't want to take the time. The plus is that if my system fails I get priority service 24/7 at straight time rates rather than at over time or emergency rates no matter what.

[coffeebean]

no contract
Do the water line maintenance yourself.
Use YouTube for some suggestions.

I guess you mean the condensation line.

[Michael G.]

I pay $140 a year for service every 6 months. Could do it myself but we travel a lot and don't want to take the time.

This would be the only reason for paying in advance, but if you live here full time,
no contract for me.

[OhioBuckeye]

We’ll it’s probably not a bad idea to have an annual inspection but I think where the problem is they charge to much for the little they do. Like a lot of us, we probably could maintenance our own if after we watch them a couple of times. They check them for about maybe 20 mins. Checking Freon levels are probably the most serious check. Don’t know how much some companies charge but it’s good money when one person checks 15 homes a day. But again look at some Drs. what they charge. Can’t get subscriptions refilled unless every 6 months you go to see them & talk about how the weather is. Just my opinion!

[airstreamingypsy]

No contract. I needed a new a/c this summer. A local guy, freelancer who used to work for one of the big boys, now on his own installed it. Price was better, and he will service it once a year for a nominal fee.

[EdFNJ]

I had an ultraviolet light installed inside so that airborn viruses are killed during recirculation. That needs cleaning every year. . I have a contract for a cleaning. . .

just a bit safer during virus season. . We have one of those UV lights as well. It was already installed when we moved in. I have since done a LOT of reading about them and the general consensus (other than from the dealers that sell them) is they do little good. They DO NOT need cleaning (no idea why they would tell you that) but they do need to be REPLACED every 1 to 1 1/2 years because even if they still "glow" the UV output is greatly reduced. Also, if they are usually set to only go on when the system is running (which is not a lot) they do even less good. Since it was already there I have replaced the bulb ($60-$100 depending on where) twice in 5 years myself (they NEVER are dirty) but am wondering if it is of any real value any longer. I did rewire it to be ON all the time as long as I had it.

Edit to add this link: How often should your UV lamps be changed and why? - Ultravation News Ultravation News (https://www.ultravation.com/news/2012/08/05/how-often-should-your-uv-lamps-be-changed-and-why/)

[Lindaws]

No contract. We use Munns.

[jimhurtt@twc.com]

A standing contract would likely be better. Too many A/C so -called contractors offer to service your system as an opportunity to hard sell. The barely service your unit then spend half an hour telling you what lousy shape it is in and they happen to have a big sale going on.

[EdFNJ]

When an A/C gets replaced down here do they (somehow) replace the refrigerant lines from the AH to the compressor? Not sure how they can do it since the lines run under the house other than up through the attic. In the 2 times over about 45 years we had our system replaced when we lived up north they always replaced those lines. Always wondered how it was done here.

[retiredguy123]

When an A/C gets replaced down here do they (somehow) replace the refrigerant lines from the AH to the compressor? Not sure how they can do it since the lines run under the house other than up through the attic. In the 2 times over about 45 years we had our system replaced when we lived up north they always replaced those lines. Always wondered how it was done here.
Typically, they don't replace the underground lines, unless they detect a leak. They are copper piping with no joints.

[august2959]

How many homes have their AC/heating system serviced every 6 months or per year?

Do you have a signed contact?

Do you feel most company's do what you can do, keep the ac water lines clear and change the air filter?

I'm on the fence about this and thinking without a contract, if I have trouble,
it would be easier to get estimates on a fix with more than 1 company.

Your Thoughts Please

Cheers!

Our son has a heating and cooling business and he feels those contracts are a way for AC folks to make money off of their clients. He said they are a waste.

[EdFNJ]

Typically, they don't replace the underground lines, unless they detect a leak. They are copper piping with no joints. Thanks.

I've always heard that lines should be replaced anytime a system is replaced but obviously it isn't practical with the underground lines here. One of the reasons I have read is that the line needs to be PROPERLY FLUSHED or moisture could be a problem and also when upgrading an older system the line diameter could be an issue. Obviously most people here DON'T have the lines replaced so I guess it isn't a recurring problem unless by the time any problem shows up the home owners may be pushing up daisies. :D We still have the original system coming up on 13yrs old here since we were 2nd owners but I'm sure the time is near although we had 3 that lasted 20+ years each when we lived up north.

[Dana1963]

I have never paid an HVAC company for routine maintenance. Changing the filter and keeping the condensate line clear are easy DIY projects. You should also check the outside condenser unit for dirt and debris around the coils. To keep the condensate line clear, add about a quart of vinegar to the drain pipe every 3 months or so. On a hot summer day, I like to inspect the outside unit to see if the suction line (the one with the black insulation) is cold and sweating. If it is, your compressor is working. There is nothing else that an HVAC technician can do to prevent your system from failing. Most HVAC companies want to sell you regular maintenance checkups (or tune-ups?) because it is a cash cow for their business. Don't waste your money.
100% correct