It's important for homeowners to take charge of their heating, ventilation and air- conditioning (HVAC) system before it takes advantage of them. This can be achieved by obtaining a Preventive Maintenance Agreement (PMA) through a reputable, licensed and insured HVAC contractor. Doing so will extend the life of the system and save you money. Similar to performing regular maintenance on your automobile, maintaining your HVAC system can help it provide years of optimal comfort.
With a PMA, which is usually offered for a yearly fee, a technician will come to your home to test and inspect your HVAC system before any minor issues turn into major problems. Although different PMAs are available, technicians usually visit a home twice a year-once before the cooling season and once before the heating season-to ensure everything is working properly. Another all-inclusive option is a lifetime PMA that includes the cost of all maintenance, repairs, components, emergency service and equipment replacement.
It's important to remember that warranties are different from PMAs. A warranty will only last for a certain amount of time and sometimes only applies to specific parts of an HVAC unit. If a part is not working and it's still under warranty, the manufacturer will provide a free replacement part. However, since warranties don't cover labor, homeowners will still be responsible for installation costs.
While it's important to have a service technician carefully inspect your unit to uncover any refrigerant leaks, soot, rust, corroded electrical contacts and frayed wires, there are also a few simple maintenance tasks, recommended by the HVAC experts at York®, a brand of Johnson Controls, that homeowners can perform to improve their units' performance:
• Clear debris away from intake and exhaust vents to ensure unobstructed airflow.
• Check the thermostat wire entry point and, if necessary, apply caulk, so a draft won't influence the thermostat reading.
• Remove supply and return registers to see if the ducts need to be cleaned.
To learn more about PMAs or to get additional tips on how to improve the performance of your HVAC system, visit York on the Web at www.yorkupg.com or call (800) 910-YORK.
It's important to have a service technician carefully inspect your air-conditioning unit to uncover any refrigerant leaks, soot, rust, corroded electrical contacts and frayed wires.
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