Fall is when we stress regular maintenance for home heating equipment. No matter if you use a furnace, boiler, or heat pump to stay comfortable during the winter, that heating system needs to have professionals inspect and tune it up before the serious cold arrives. The best way to take care of this is to sign up for a regular maintenance agreement.
This is sometimes confusing to homeowners, who think that as long as their equipment is under warranty, that it’s the same thing as a maintenance agreement. We want to go into this issue a little deeper to help you better understand your HVAC system’s warranty and the importance of routine maintenance.
Warranty vs. Maintenance Agreement
This isn’t actually a showdown—you want to have both!—but a comparison.
The warranty for your heating system is coverage for malfunctions and breakdowns that aren’t your fault. Warranties are provided by the manufacturer or the dealer and are usually for a period of 10 to 12 years. If malfunctions based on factory faults occur during that time, the warranty covers all or part of the repairs.
A maintenance agreement is an agreement you enter into with a local HVAC contractor, rather than with the manufacturer. The agreement covers annual visits by professionals to carefully inspect the equipment, clean it, and adjust it. It’s like the regular oil-change and check-ups you have for your car.
Why You Need a Maintenance Agreement Along With Your Warranty
Maintenance isn’t an additional service for your heating system or a luxury. It’s necessary since the equipment is designed to only work the way it should if it receives annual maintenance. You’re not supposed to drive your car year after year without an oil change; the same applies to a heater, which shouldn’t run winter after winter without having service to lubricate engines, clean out dust and dirt, and check on airflow and gas pressure.
In fact, most manufacturer or dealer warranties are only good as long as the equipment is professionally maintained. Missing maintenance could void the warranty—and you absolutely want the warranty in force for the full 10 to 12 years. It will save you an immense amount of unnecessary expenditures in case of catastrophic equipment failure. Make sure you save your proof of maintenance, since you may need to show it before the manufacturer approves a warranty repair.
A Maintenance Agreement Helps in Many Ways
Keeping up with routine maintenance through a maintenance agreement is one of the best heating services in Doylestown, PA you can have. It not only keeps the warranty good, but it also lowers the chance of repairs by 85% and improves system longevity. Maintenance also ensures the best energy-efficient performance so you don’t pay more to heat your home each winter than you have to.
It’s easy to have maintenance done for your heater before winter arrives: call our office and ask about our maintenance agreement. You’ll not only receive fall heating maintenance, but you’ll also be investing in spring air conditioning maintenance.