Our home is the largest investment most of us will ever incur. Keeping our home comfortable is always a priority.  This is why our HVAC system is so important.  It is no secret that heating and air conditioning equipment is costly. When there is an equipment failure, the costs are often shocking to the homeowner. But, should they be?

Most repairs on HVAC systems are easily identifiable with bi-annual inspections and tune-ups.  Worn components can normally be replaced by scheduled appointment and without significant downtime. The problem lies in homeowners not purchasing the bi-annual maintenance agreement.

Compare the care of the HVAC system with another large ticket mechanical device, such as the family automobile. Both of these items require tune-ups, fluid checks, and regular cleaning.  However, most people take much better care of their automobile than their HVAC system. People would never dream of taking a car from a garage after six months of storage and driving on a three-month road trip. But, that is exactly what we do with our HVAC system.

Why does it cost so much to repair or replace an air conditioning system?  Usually, it is because we have let minor repairs become major repairs.  With any mechanical system, failure of a part or component can have a domino effect on other parts. This means, replacing multiple parts instead of repairing one.

Even when we suspect a problem with our air conditioning system, we do not take action until the system is no longer cooling. Since most people work during the day and are only home in the cool of the evening, they may not realize that the system was not cooling as it should have been for many days or weeks. When we find ourselves with a hot home and no air conditioning, we want help NOW.

Often scheduling after normal business hours or on weekends or holidays is necessary.  If the parts are not in stock, it often costs additional charges to get them quickly. Air conditioning companies have to absorb these costs.  Technicians put in long days and overtime deserves compensation. They try hard to keep standard parts in stock, but it is not possible to keep all parts to all systems on hand, at all times.  Expedited orders cost more, for the part and for the shipping.

Finally, the age of the system factors in. For example, air conditioners made before 2004 use R-22 refrigerant. R-22 is very costly and a leak is a good reason to look at replacement of the system. Most of these expenses are controllable with bi-annual maintenance. Call today and aloow Action Heating & Air Conditioning  your air conditioning company to assist you in keeping costs down.