Regular maintenance of your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system is critical for several reasons. Performing routine check-ups and servicing on your HVAC equipment provides numerous benefits that save you money in both the short and long term.

This article will explain why consistent HVAC maintenance in Albuquerque makes good sense for homeowners.

Benefits of Regular Albuquerque HVAC Maintenance

Reduced Energy Costs

One of the biggest benefits of regular HVAC maintenance is lower energy bills. When the various components of your system are clean and functioning properly, your HVAC unit doesn’t have to work as hard to heat or cool your home. There are a few reasons why maintained equipment leads to better efficiency:

• Dirty Coils: Coils are responsible for transferring heat in an HVAC system. However, over time dust and debris builds up on these coils, making it more difficult for refrigerant to absorb or release heat. Dirty evaporator coils cause the refrigerant to lose efficiency in its heat transfer process. This forces your AC system to run longer to reach the set temperature, increasing energy usage. Clean coils allow heat transfer to happen more readily, using less electricity.
• Clogged Air Filters: Air filters trap dust, pet hair and other particles as air circulates through your HVAC system. But filters quickly become overloaded with debris, restricting airflow through your vents. Your system has to work harder to push or pull air through the congested filter. Replacing clogged filters reduces the workload on the blower fan motor.
• Worn Parts: Components like fan belts, pulleys and motor bearings wear out over years of use. Their degradation causes friction and strain on connected parts. For example, a worn bearing forces the fan motor to use more energy to overcome the friction. Replacing worn parts allows your HVAC components to run more smoothly and efficiently.

Performing routine maintenance catches these types of issues before they spiral out of control. Tuning up your equipment ensures every component can operate at peak efficiency. This translates into 10-15% savings on your monthly heating and cooling utility bills.

Extended Equipment Life

The average lifespan of an HVAC system is only 10-15 years. One of the biggest contributors to early system failure is lack of maintenance. Even minor issues can quickly escalate into major problems when left unchecked year after year:

• Buildup: Dirt, debris and dust accumulation damage components over time without regular cleaning. For example, built-up grit on fan blades throws off balance and alignment, increasing wear. Excess friction slowly destroys compressors.
• Corrosion & Rust: Airborne contaminants, condensed water and chemicals from improperly installed ductwork cause corrosion and rust on system parts. For example, corroded copper piping eventually leaks hazardous refrigerant.
• Strain & Fatigue: As parts wear out, connected components have to overwork to compensate, causing additional strain. The harder your HVAC components have to work, the faster the overall system degrades.

During routine maintenance check-ups, technicians thoroughly inspect all equipment for proper operation. They can diagnose emerging problems and repair issues before irreversible damage happens. In some cases, parts may just need a good cleaning rather than replacement.

This preventative approach greatly reduces overall wear and tear on the intricate components that comprise your HVAC system. As a result, your equipment runs better and lasts longer, maximizing your return on investment.

The longer you can keep your existing HVAC system operating well, the less often you have budget for expensive new installations or replacements. Consistent maintenance leads to an extra 2-3 years of reliable service life per unit on average.

Fewer Emergency Repairs

It’s almost inevitable – HVAC breakdowns always seem to happen at the worst possible times. In Albuquerque’s extreme seasonal climate swings, that usually means your AC failing mid-summer or your furnace dying overnight on the coldest winter nights. Not only are these events terribly inconvenient, but emergency HVAC repairs are also exponentially more expensive than routine maintenance:

• After Hours Fees: Most heating/cooling companies charge extra for emergency service calls outside normal business hours, including late nights, weekends and holidays.
• Rush Delivery Fees: Any parts that require overnight shipping to get your system functioning again typically incur express delivery markups.
• Diagnostic Charges: Technicians often have a difficult time diagnosing intermittent breakdown issues outside of routine maintenance. Additional testing and troubleshooting adds to your emergency repair bill.
• Temporary Fixes: Sometimes a permanent solution cannot be implemented immediately during an emergency call. You may have to pay again later for the technician to install the right replacement part after ordering.

While completely avoiding emergency repairs isn’t realistic, a consistent maintenance program minimizes their likelihood. Trained technicians can easily identify minor issues before they spiral into major repair bills down the road. For example, worn fan belts commonly get replaced during routine tune-ups as part of preventative planning.

This avoids coming home to find your system fan has completely stopped working until a costly new replacement belt arrives.

Investing in regular maintenance reduces the chances of getting stuck paying a painful emergency invoice. It also minimizes disruptions to your home comfort whenever possible.

Enhanced Air Quality

Proper functioning of your home’s HVAC system is about more than just comfort. The equipment installed throughout your ductwork circulates clean, filtered air to every room when operating correctly. However, over extended operating periods, various contaminants degrade indoor air quality:

• Dust Buildup: Fan blades, air filters and ventilation ducts accumulate layer upon layer of dust over months and years of continuous use. As these components become contaminated with particulate, your HVAC system blows more of these unwanted particles into the inhabited spaces of your home.
• Mold Growth: Standing water and excess moisture inside air handlers, drain pans, ductwork and vents leads to mold growth over time. Spores from the mold colonies then spread through your ventilation system.
• Refrigerant Leaks: Tiny refrigerant leaks allow contaminated air to infiltrate the sealed, pressurized interior of your HVAC equipment. That unintended outside air then flows into your interior living spaces.

During seasonal maintenance, technicians thoroughly clean all HVAC components to remove built-up dust, debris and mold. They also check for and seal refrigerant leaks. Preventative maintenance ensures your system keeps blowing fresh, clean, breathable air through your home.

Improved Safety

Faulty or damaged HVAC equipment poses serious safety hazards to your home and family. For example, gas furnaces produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct when operating.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can prove fatal to humans through prolonged exposure. Cracked heat exchangers, backdrafting and incomplete combustion increase the risks:

• Cracked Exchangers: Small fractures in a furnace’s heat exchanger allows carbon monoxide to leak from the isolated combustion chamber into the ductwork that feeds your living spaces.
• Backdrafting: Negative pressure in your home draws dangerous exhaust gases back down the vent pipe into inhabited areas instead of outside.
• Incomplete Combustion: This issue arises when the fuel-to-air mixture during burning is off balance. The improper ratio allows more carbon monoxide to form than normal.

Likewise, refrigerant leaks from malfunctioning cooling equipment and ductwork are also hazardous for occupants. Routine maintenance checks by qualified HVAC technicians identify carbon monoxide hazards, gas leaks and other dangerous systemic issues. Detecting and repairing problems early prevents harmful gas exposure incidents.

Take Care of Your Family’s Safety Using Regular HVAC Maintenance

A home’s HVAC system plays a critical role in protecting your family’s health and safety. Faulty heating and cooling equipment can introduce dangerous contaminants like carbon monoxide, mold spores, and refrigerant chemicals into the air you breathe every day. Staying on top of maintenance minimizes these risks.

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Gas furnaces produce carbon monoxide, an odorless, invisible gas that can be fatal through prolonged exposure. Cracks in the heat exchanger, backdrafting, gas leaks and incomplete combustion increase the risks of carbon monoxide leaking into your home.
• Cracked Heat Exchangers: Over years of heating cycles, small fractures can form in your furnace’s heat exchanger. These cracks allow carbon monoxide to leak from the isolated combustion chamber into the ductwork feeding your living spaces. Family members can fall ill through repeated exposure to the infiltrating gas.
• Backdrafting: Negative pressure inside your home can draw exhaust gases back down the vent pipe into inhabited areas instead of venting safely outside. The backdrafting pulls carbon monoxide into circulation through your ducts.
• Gas Leaks: A small leak in the gas fuel line feeding your furnace allows unburned natural gas or propane to accumulate in and around your HVAC components. If ignited, an explosion can destroy equipment and endanger occupants.

Conclusion

Protecting your family and your most important investment – your home – requires proactive HVAC maintenance year-round. Performing seasonal equipment check-ups provides better energy efficiency, extended equipment lifespan, cost savings on energy and repairs, improved indoor air quality and reduced safety risks.

Preventative servicing minimizes costly emergency breakdowns and equipment failures down the road. By catching small issues before they escalate into huge expenses, consistent maintenance saves you money and headaches in both the short and long term.

Contact a qualified, reputable HVAC technician in your area to schedule semi-annual check-ups. Investing a little now goes a long way towards getting the most out of your home’s heating and cooling system.