Your HVAC system keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the winter but taking care of your HVAC system can seem daunting. Do you need to hire someone to do maintenance, or can you handle it yourself? Here we’ll explore the benefits of both DIY and professional maintenance to help you decide what’s best for your home and budget.
HVAC Maintenance 101
In order to decide between DIY or professional maintenance, you need to understand what’s involved in HVAC Maintenance. Your heating and cooling system needs routine maintenance to run smoothly. Some of the basic maintenance you can do includes changing air filters and cleaning vents. You should also ensure your thermostat is working properly.
More technical maintenance includes checking refrigerant levels, testing electrical components, and cleaning your system’s coils. Professional HVAC technicians receive training on how to complete these maintenance tasks and many more.
You know how you need to take your car to the mechanic for an oil change? It’s recommended you hire a professional for maintenance on your HVAC system as well. However, there are certain maintenance tasks you can perform yourself.
Do It Yourself
When you take care of your HVAC maintenance yourself, you’re in control. One of the biggest benefits of DIY maintenance is cost savings. Service calls can cost anywhere from $75 to $200 per visit. By doing some maintenance tasks yourself, you can save money on those service fees.
Another benefit of DIY maintenance is you can do it whenever you want. You don’t need to wait for your local technician to have availability in their schedule. Once you notice an issue, you can jump right to work. By taking care of small issues sooner, you prevent them from turning into larger (and expensive) problems.
Lastly, when you do your own maintenance you become more familiar with how your system works. You’ll notice when something isn’t working properly and can possibly diagnose the problem yourself. Once you understand how everything works, you’ll feel more comfortable with your heating and cooling system.
Maintenance Tasks You Can Do
Luckily, there are a few HVAC maintenance tasks you can do to help your system run smoothly. The easiest task you can do is change your air filter. Air filters should be changed every one to three months, depending on your filter brand and home environment.
You should also clean the area around your outdoor unit. Trim back any foliage that could block the airflow and wipe down the unit to remove dirt and debris. You can also clean your supply vents and return vents. Simply dust and vacuum them to keep them free of dirt.
It’s also a good idea to check your thermostat batteries and your thermostat settings. Checking your thermostat only takes a few minutes and can prevent some common issues.
The Drawbacks of Doing It Yourself
Of course, there are some drawbacks to DIY maintenance. You may not be able to catch every issue. HVAC Supply Store told us that you could be waiting for your HVAC technician to come fix a major problem that you could have caught on your maintenance walkthrough.
Safety is another concern. You shouldn’t be messing with electricity, refrigerant, and mechanical components unless you have experience. You don’t want to hurt yourself or make costly damage to your HVAC system.
Finally, you don’t have the right tools. There are many specialty tools HVAC technicians use. Some of these include tools to measure proper refrigerant level, airflow, and electrical testing equipment. Without the right tools your maintenance will be limited.
Hiring a Professional
Now it’s time to learn about hiring a professional to maintain your HVAC system. A professional technician has been trained to service and repair HVAC systems. They also take continuing education classes to stay up-to-date on new systems and maintenance techniques.
Professional maintenance is thorough. When you schedule a maintenance service call, your technician will check refrigerant levels, test electrical components, clean coils, lubricate moving parts, and much more. Your entire system will be inspected by a certified professional.
Maintenance service plans are also available from many HVAC companies. These services typically include 2 visits per year. One visit in the spring before cooling season and one in the fall before heating season. Enrolling in a maintenance plan is a great way to keep up with professional maintenance while saving money.
When to Call the Pros
There are some instances where you should always call a professional. If your system is not cooling or heating like it should, is making strange noises, or your energy bills have spiked, call a technician. These are all signs there might be a bigger issue with your system.
Also, keep in mind many manufacturers require annual maintenance by a professional to keep your warranty valid. If you don’t have professional maintenance done, you could be voiding your warranty. When your warranty is void, you’ll be paying for all repairs out of pocket.
You should always hire a professional to maintain older HVAC systems. Older systems require more attentive care. By having a professional take care of your HVAC maintenance, you can extend the lifespan of your system and prevent unexpected breakdowns.
The Cost
While professionals cost more than DIY maintenance, there are positives to the cost. Regular maintenance by a professional keeps your HVAC system running efficiently. Not only will your energy bill be lower, but you’ll catch small issues before they turn into larger repairs.
Professional maintenance can also extend the life of your HVAC system. With proper maintenance, an HVAC system can last 15-20 years. Without maintenance, your system will usually have a much shorter lifespan. Think of professional maintenance as investing in your HVAC system.
Weighing Your Options
For most people, a combination of DIY and professional maintenance is best. You can take care of changing your filter and keeping the area around your HVAC units clean. Then have a professional come twice a year to ensure your system is working properly.
This way you save money by doing maintenance yourself and have the peace of mind that a professional took care of the hard stuff. You can maintain the parts of your home you can and leave the technical stuff to the experts.
Deciding whether to DIY or hire a professional to maintain your HVAC system isn’t always easy. Think about how comfortable you feel doing home repairs. Look at your budget and how much time you have to do maintenance. Also consider how old your HVAC system is and if it’s a complicated system.
Can I really DIY HVAC maintenance or am I just going to break something?
You sure can do some things yourself—and chances are you already do without thinking. Replacing filters, cleaning vents, checking thermostat settings, keeping an eye on airflow, and making sure the outdoor unit isn’t covered in debris are all examples of maintenance you can do yourself. Where you don’t want to venture is anything that involves refrigerant or opening up your system and working with wiring. When it comes to DIY HVAC maintenance, if you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t do it.
What DIY maintenance are most homeowners doing wrong?
Thinking the occasional DIY project is going to substitute for regularly scheduled professional maintenance. DIY maintenance is a great way to extend the time between visits from your local HVAC tech, but it won’t find hidden issues like electrical problems, refrigerant leaks, or worn components. The other thing homeowners try to DIY that can cause major (and expensive!) problems is taking things apart. Again, if you don’t have the proper training and experience, keep your tools away from the interior of your HVAC system.
How often do I need to hire someone to maintain my HVAC system?
At least twice a year. Spring and fall are ideal because that way your technician can head off any problems before your unit is blasting air nonstop during the hottest or coldest months of the year. If you live in an especially dusty area your system may need more frequent filter changes. Additionally, if your system is older or gets heavy use DIY maintenance will become less effective over time and you’ll want to stay on top of professional maintenance.
Is paying for maintenance twice a year really worth it?
Yep. It can feel like a waste of money, especially when your system seems to be running just fine. But professional maintenance early can mean the difference between lower energy bills and higher energy bills, no surprises and the system breaking down on the hottest day of the year, and new HVAC systems and barely keeping your old one patched together. Think of professional maintenance like oil changes for your car. Skipping them might save you money in the short term but will cost you way more down the road.
When DIY isn’t enough, how do I know it’s time to call a professional?
If your HVAC system still isn’t working right after you’ve done your DIY maintenance, it’s making strange noises, smells funny, or you suddenly see your energy bill jump through the roof it’s probably time to call for service. Trying to go beyond DIY maintenance can void warranties and cause damage to your system. Systems also may require professional maintenance to keep your warranty valid.
DIY or Professional Maintenance: Which should I choose?
As with so many things, a combination of the two is ideal. DIY what you can and know the limits of your abilities. Beyond changing filters and keeping your system clean, call for professional maintenance at least twice a year and you’ll get years of reliable service without worrying that you’re going to go poking around in your HVAC system and accidentally void the warranty.