Are HVAC Maintenance Plans Worth It?

Home HVAC systems are modern miracles. Having heating or cooling at the touch of a button makes your home comfortable for you and your family whenever you like, and that’s a little bit of magic we’ve come to take for granted over the years.

That is, until the system stops working.

When we have a problem with our home HVAC system, we immediately realize how essential it was to comfortable living. That’s especially true when we need it most, whether it’s an air conditioner unit failing in the middle of a heat wave, or a furnace or boiler acting up during a cold spell. Bottom line: we need our HVAC always running.

The best way to avoid such a fate is to ensure your HVAC system is maintained properly. A home HVAC system that’s cleaned and maintained regularly works better for longer, minimizing potentially dangerous system failures.

Maintenance typically requires you to schedule service appointments with your HVAC installation and maintenance provider so they can examine your HVAC system, test it, and take care of any necessary repairs or maintenance.

Many providers recommend an HVAC maintenance plan or service contract to their customers, but are HVAC service contracts worth it in the long run?

Why Spend Even More Money on your HVAC System?

HVAC maintenance plans are indeed an extra cost for homeowners to contend with. With all the other costs associated with owning and maintaining a home, it’s understandable that some may not want to take on yet another expense.

But there’s another way to look at it.  You’re going to spend money on your HVAC system anyway. Things are going to go wrong. Repairs are going to be needed.

Do you want to spend nothing now, but spend more later, when it’s needed, when you aren’t expecting it? Or do you want to spend some now, which can prevent more expensive issues and therefore save you in the long run?

Are HVAC maintenance plans worth it? Here’s why a service plan might be a good idea:

• Easier scheduling. Having an HVAC maintenance plan means you’ll have regularly scheduled maintenance visits. Instead of having to call your service provider every time you want a check-up or a tune-up, you can simply rely on them to come out on their regular schedule. This takes much of the tedium out of your HVAC maintenance.
• More comfort. Because your HVAC system is being regularly maintained, your system will work better and more efficiently overall. Regular maintenance like changing air filters and seasonal tune-ups means that your home HVAC system will heat your home better in the winter and keep it cooler in the summer.
• Better response times. Many HVAC service contracts offer priority response times for customers who run into problems with their systems. In fact, some of the best HVAC maintenance plans even offer 24-hour service, which means you’re covered in an emergency and not hoping you can find someone to come out when your heat died the Friday before a snowstorm.
• Overall cost savings. How does opting for an HVAC service contract help you save money? Regular preventative maintenance can stay on top of the condition of your HVAC system as technicians look for any minor issues that, if left unattended, could balloon into more expensive ones. The cost of replacing or repairing a small component is often minuscule compared to having to do the same for a larger and more expensive one.

What’s the Best HVAC Maintenance Plan?

HVAC maintenance is most effective when it’s done regularly. However, many HVAC maintenance and installation experts know that the additional cost of an HVAC service contract can be a concern, so these service providers will often have different tiers of maintenance service. These service plans allow homeowners to choose the level of coverage they feel is appropriate.

It’s always recommended to choose the best HVAC maintenance plan you can afford. Higher-tier plans are excellent for expanded services like priority scheduling, discounts on repair costs, preventative maintenance, and seasonal tune-ups. Many service providers will even provide a discount on needed repairs for for maintenance plan customers, making these upgraded service plans the clear standout. This means that what looks on the surface like a more expensive maintenance plan might end up saving you more money over time.

Start Thinking about a HVAC Maintenance Plan

Keeping your home’s HVAC systems working the way it’s supposed to can take a lot of work. Having an HVAC maintenance plan can be absolutely worth it, as it ensures that the necessary work gets done on a regular basis.

It can be tempting to forgo an HVAC maintenance contract to save on costs, but not maintaining your HVAC system regularly can easily result in small problems going undetected. These small problems have a tendency to turn into larger, much more expensive problems, and can easily run you much more than the cost of regular maintenance.

Similarly, many homeowners may decide to wait until an issue arises, but calling someone in an emergency to solve a problem will almost always cost more than regular maintenance. It’s not terribly dissimilar from seeing a dentist every six months to avoid larger root canals.

Another way that having an HVAC maintenance plan is worth it is to reap the benefits of regularly scheduled maintenance and priority scheduling. Don’t call around to find someone available or wait several days for a service call — be the priority! This is especially important when your AC or heat goes out in an emergency.

If you would like to learn more about service plans or how Burns & McBride has been offering reasonable service plans in the New Castle County area for decades, call us at 302-389-5403 or visit our maintenance plan page.