HVAC maintenance plans

Submitted by economist_ t3_zq0mdw in philadelphia

Bought a home two years ago, full rehab with new HVAC plumbing and electric. No issues. Thinking about getting one of those annual maintenance plans. The local company that installed the HVAC wants to charge $700 for two annual check ups, that sounds crazy expensive to me? We did not do business with that company directly.

Hence my two questions: is it even necessary to get these preventive visit plans? and if yes, any recommendations for a good local business, I'm not looking to cut costs but don't want to be ripped off like that. When I google I find that these plans tend to cost around $250, not sure I'm missing something but we don't live in a palace just a regular row home with central air.

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nemesisinphilly t1_j0vmrhn wrote

$700 just for seasonal maintenance is insane. I get junk mail all the time advertising $79 or $99 deals for seasonal maintenance.

Are you sure that the $700 is not for a service plan that includes them fixing any issues that are covered by the plan? For a service plan $700 is still very expensive but less crazy.

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economist_ OP t1_j0vp7d3 wrote

ok that's what I thought. thanks for confirming. what they sent says they would charge extra for any parts required in any repair, not sure if that means that any labor necessary for a repair would be covered by the plan. but even then seems expensive, paying an extra $500/year just for the expected labor cost of repairs, doesn't add up to me. will pass on them and go with a different company.

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calvinistgrindcore t1_j0vnmes wrote

Our house (early 1920s) has a heat pump for AC and shoulder-season heat, and a hot water boiler + radiators for deep cold. We pay $170 per year for maintenance on each system. The plan is worth it to us because they reach out to schedule without my having to call them, and it includes a 10% discount on replacement parts and waived dispatch fee if we have to call them for an emergency repair.

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mr__moose t1_j0vt4g1 wrote

Who do you use?

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calvinistgrindcore t1_j0vtlxj wrote

Sila HVAC. They're pretty corporate, but they are easy to deal with and show up on time. They wouldn't be my first choice for more esoteric stuff like steam heat, but for heat pumps, split systems, forced hot air, and hot water radiators, they're great.

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iamitman007 t1_j0w1gn4 wrote

Just change the filter every 60 days. Don’t get too restrictive of a filter. Your unit, if installed correctly should work properly for many years to come. Issues with equipment are covered under long warranties.

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economist_ OP t1_j0x0lbc wrote

Yes doing that already. Though that's about the limit of my abilities when it comes to maintenance...

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eleboil t1_j0wn117 wrote

And don't forget to clean the coils and the blower wheel annually. A decent company will do this. Run capacitators go bad and should be replaced every few years. Contacts should be inspected as well as tightening electrical connections. This is why some companies charge more than others. Competent and honest hvac companies are few and far between.

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iamitman007 t1_j0xb4aq wrote

True but, most of these things fail due to stress of unit needing to run more often and longer due to poor air flow caused by dirty filter. Also every house will go thru filters at different rates. For instance our house with 2 pets needs to be changed closer to 45 days than 60 days listed on the filter.

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SgtKetchup t1_j0win5u wrote

For $700/year you can get a whole home warranty covering HVAC as well as every other appliance and system in your house. That price is BONKERS.

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carolineecouture t1_j0whgit wrote

That seems high, but you'd have to say more about what's included. Is labor included? What about parts? Do you get "priority" for emergency calls? I would call around and see what people are offering. I just called the places that I saw coming to my neighbors' houses.

Often times the initial visit is the hook to get you to get an annual Maintainance plan.

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