You may have heard HVAC companies talk about how important yearly maintenance is for your heating and cooling system. And its true, whether you’re concerned about getting the most years out of your equipment, energy efficiency and lowering your utility bills, or potentially preventing a failure when you need your heating or cooling system the most, yearly maintenance is essential. So, most important is getting your maintenance done at some point every year.
But you may already know to get your yearly HVAC preventative maintenance done, and now you’re wondering if it really matters what time of year it gets serviced. The absolute best time for HVAC preventative maintenance is the spring and fall months. This is the time of year to get the most out of the maintenance service, save some money, get the best experience, and have more peace-of-mind during the seasons with the most uncomfortable temperatures.
Get the Most Out of Your Preventative Maintenance
Maintaining your HVAC system has three major functions: cleaning, preventative maintenance and testing. The testing portion of your maintenance potentially has the biggest immediate impact on your comfort. This is when a technician can detect parts of your system that are working poorly or about to fail.
If you have your maintenance done once a year, let’s say in the summer, it is more difficult to diagnose any problems with your furnace or boiler. Since the temperatures are already hot, it is difficult to tell if your furnace or boiler is actually heating the air properly, or just cycling through the already warm air. Likewise, in the winter months, some portions of testing for your AC cannot be performed. However, having your maintenance done in the spring or fall when temperatures are milder means your technician can fully operate and test both systems.
There is also a very practical reason for getting maintenance done in the milder seasons–no one wants their heat turned on and pumping hot air into their home in the summer, or their AC filling rooms with cold air in the already cold winter.
Save Some Money and Get the Best Experience
Spring and fall are HVAC companies slowest seasons. This may seem like it’s the HVAC company’s problem—but lets take a minute to think about how that can be good news for customers. The biggest perk for customers are discounts. Most heating and cooling companies run special promotions during the seasons with mild temperatures because demand for HVAC service is down, which means they have to be more price competitive to get customers in their door.
It also means more flexibility in their schedule. HVAC companies have more appointments available so you don’t have to schedule something far in advance or shift around anything important on your calendar. Another great thing about a less packed schedule is the technicians aren’t rushed because of back-to-back appointments. Extreme temperatures are when systems are being tested to their limits and are most commonly when parts fail. That means most emergency and service calls are being placed in summer and winter and may take priority over maintenance requests. So having an appointment during their slow season can mean much less hassle for you.
Have More Peace-of-mind
A lot can happen in the course of a year, or even a few months. Dirt, dust, and moisture can settle into your system even during the seasons they are not being used. Dirt and corrosion can have significant impact on the functionality and efficiency of your HVAC system. If your system is maintained once a year, choose to have your equipment maintenance done the season before the most extreme weather in your area, or the season you are most uncomfortable. For example, if you live up north where the winters are frigid, have your equipment serviced in fall. If you live in the southern states where the heat gets extreme, have your equipment serviced in spring.
If you live in an area like Maryland that has both cold winters and hot summers, you may consider having your HVAC system serviced twice a year. That means you can have your AC unit running at peak efficiency for summer and the furnace primed for winter. That is the surest way to have your entire system functioning at top efficiency and most cost effectively before the season it works the hardest. This is also the best way to avoid any potential service problems later that season.