Why Preventive Maintenance is so Important for Your Air Conditioner & Heater

Preventative maintenance to your air conditioner and heater can be crucial in saving you money, ensuring that you and your family are breathing in clean air, helping the environment as well as helping you enjoy increased comfort and safety in your home. Frequent air conditioner and heater preventative maintenance is a cost-effective and straightforward way to ensure that your units are running optimally, as well as helping you to identify problems before they become big issues. These are among the many benefits of getting regular AC and heater maintenance.

Below, we delve deeper into why air conditioner and heater preventative maintenance is such an important and worthwhile investment.

1. Saves you money:

According to energy experts, preventative maintenance helps ensure that your air conditioner and heater are running at peak efficiency, thus saving up to 30% of your energy bill. Similarly, regular maintenance of your system will extend the units life which could cost you thousands of dollars.

2. Improves the quality of your air:

According to EPA reports, the levels of airborne pollutants in your house could be five times or even 100 times higher, in extreme cases, than that of the air outside of your home. This is a matter of concern, especially if you or a family member suffers from respiratory illnesses such as hay fever or asthma. These common allergens in your house could be something as simple as household dust, pet dander, cigarette smoke, mold, or even pollen. Preventative maintenance of your air conditioner and heater will help ensure that the cold or warm air that pumps through your vents is  clean.

3. Keeps you and your loved ones comfortable:

Since you depend on your air conditioning and heating unit to keep you comfortable, regular preventative maintenance is vital to help the unit distribute the warm or cool air steadily and uniformly. Some preventative measures such as cleaning your ductwork will ensure that your house is heating and cooling as efficiently as possible. Additionally, maintaining your unit frequently will reduce the chances of smells and noises coming from your system which is far from relaxing.

4. Maintains the safety of your home:

Preventative maintenance on your unit will is the best way to protect you and your family again potentially deadly carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is called the “silent killer” because it is colorless and odorless and can kill within in hours of a leak occurring. Some of the most common causes of carbon monoxide leaks include a crack on the heat exchanger, which can be detected easily during preventative maintenance by a professional.  

5. Protects your home from damage:

We often hear stories of people going on holiday, only to return days or even weeks later to find that their air conditioning unit has burst, and they are left with flooded floors, damaged flooring and inevitably a massive bill to replace their unit and fix the damage caused. Carrying out preventative maintenance measures helps to ensure not only that your unit is functioning properly but will also help to identify any potential issues before they lead to disasters.

For more information on the types of preventative maintenance measures we recommend, please see last weeks blog post. On top of regular self-maintenance of your unit, Energy Safe Victoria recommends that all gas appliances be serviced at least every two years by a professional.  This will help to ensure that your unit is functioning to the best of its ability, as well as to safeguard your family from potential carbon monoxide poisoning.