Reasons you need a Maintenance Agreement
1.If your equipment is under warranty, the manufacturer has the right to refuse honoring the warranty. In their agreement it states that the equipment has to be serviced at least once a year by a Certified Air Conditioning Contractor in order to uphold the warranty.
2.It increases the life of your equipment. For example if you don’t change the oil or air filter in your car, the life of the car will be cut in half and could cause a pricey major break down. Your air conditioning equipment is no different. If you don’t change your air conditioning return air filter and keep your condenser coil clean [outside unit] it will increase the chance of a major break down and reduce the life of your equipment. I’ll talk about why in a later blog.
3.It keeps your unit running efficiently. I would say the energy saved by ensuring peak efficiency will pay for the cost of your maintenance agreement over the year.
4.If a part needs replacing, the mechanic can do the repair while they are there, saving you the cost of an emergency breakdown and the inconvenience of a second visit. Sometimes though, the part is a special order part that would need to be brought in, but that is the exception and not the norm.
5.In Florida the humidity is high and it is hot. Your air conditioner runs about 50% of the time if it’s sized correctly. It also produces a high amount of condensate water that needs to be drained from the unit. This line has to be cleaned out at least once a year if not twice a year to keep the line clear of algae buildup and prevent it from clogging up..
6.This may be the most important reason and the one most people may not agree with me. Actually only 10 to 15% of people with central air conditioning have a maintenance plan. However, that relationship provides you with a company that knows your equipment so they don’t need to be shown around all the time. The company will know the history of your system. At Air Masters of Tampa Bay we give priority to our maintenance customers over customers who don’t have agreements. We also offer you a discount on parts that customers without contracts do not get.
I’ll be talking about what the contractor should be doing on the inspection in my next blog.
