Preventative Maintenance

Alum Ridge Heating & Air offers Energy Savings Agreements to help our customers save money and extend the life of their heating and air conditioning equipment. Regular maintenance ensures that warranties are upheld by the manufacturer, as well as increasing the efficiency and life of your unit.

The average life of an oil or gas furnace is between 18 – 22 years and the average life of a heat pump system is between 10 – 14 years, if it has been serviced every year. The key word in the last sentence was "serviced!"

We are finding our maintenance agreement customers’ units have about an 80% less chance to break down during peak heating and air conditioning seasons than non-maintenance customers.

Also, our maintenance customers receive a discount on all replacement parts, priority scheduling of repair calls, and emergency after hours and on weekends. This is due to the fact that their equipment is in better shape than that of non-maintenance customers; therefore, it requires less time for our repairs and fewer charges to the customer.

We still work for anyone who calls for HVAC repair as usual; however, we can just take care of you better if we maintenance your equipment since this keeps it running smoothly. It’s just like changing the oil in your vehicle every 3,000 miles.

The Peak Performance Maintenance Agreement Program

Don’t sacrifice your family’s safety and your equipment’s efficiency. This program is designed for gas heat, gas heat with electric air conditioning, heat pumps, electric heating, oil furnaces, boilers, gas logs, and indoor air quality systems.

Our professional service technicians understand your heating and air conditioning systems and can eliminate money wasting problems. We have developed a customized program that addresses the problems we see most often.

The comprehensive service and maintenance agreement we offer is designed to:

• reduce your utility and repair costs
• reduce the possibility of a heating and air conditioning breakdown
• provide preferential emergency service if the need ever arises
• maintain of enhance your current level of comfort
• provide a limited 5-year parts and labor warranty on repair

We know that our satisfied customers have been and will continue to be the secret to our success. We also believe that our Peak Performance Heating & Air Conditioning Maintenance Program is the best way for us to keep our customers satisfied!

Did you know?

• Some heating and air conditioning problems can DOUBLE operating costs without reducing comfort.
• Up to 80% of all a/c and heat pump compressor failures could be eliminated if the problems were corrected in a timely manner.
• "Freon" (refrigerant) should never need to be replaced. If it must be added every year, there is an expensive leak that must be repaired. (per EPA)
• A dirty evaporator, condenser, and blower could increase a/c and heat pump electrical usage by 50% or more.
• Just a 100th of an inch of dirt or film on an evaporator coil can reduce its efficiency by 5%.
• Un-repaired small problems lead to very expensive repairs.
• Depending on the current condition of your equipment, this service may pay for itself several times over in energy savings alone.
• Annual safety checks can eliminate dangerous problems.
• Maintenance or service calls are paid for when services are rendered. Not a costly "money up front plan."

Oil & Gas Heating Systems:

• Heat Exchanger will be inspected for cracks and deterioration
  - Heat exchanger can develop cracks with age. If they exist, there is a risk of serious illness from the toxic carbon monoxide fumes.
• Safety Controls will be operationally checked
  - Safety controls that do not operate can cause dangerous problems!
• Gas burners will be cleaned if needed.
  - Dirty burners can cause poor combustion. You pay for useful heat that goes up the stack.
• Thermocouple will be checked.
  - A defective thermocouple will cause the furnace to shutdown.
• Fan switch will be checked and adjusted as needed.
  - A fan switch that is not properly adjusted can waste energy or cause annoyance by the fan cycling.
• Pilot will be cleaned and adjusted as necessary.
  - Weak or dirty pilots can easily be extinguished causing the furnace to shut down.
• Secure all panels.
  - Loose panels can increase operating costs and cause and dangerous condition.
• Air filters will be replaced at customer’s option.
  - Dirty air filters can increase operating costs.
• Blower wheel will be inspected and motor lubricated.
  - Motor will last longer and the temperature will be more comfortable.
• Gas line will be leak checked from the furnace to the shut off valve to the burners.
  - Undetected gas leaks are dangerous. Combustion air openings will be checked.
• Flue pipe will be inspected.
  - Flue pipe corrosion or leaks are dangerous.
• Thermostat will be cleaned.
  - Dust works as an insulator on a thermostat throwing off calibration, using more energy, and decreasing the life of the thermostat.
• Nozzle and oil filter installed.
  - Clean burning fuel keeps efficiency level up.

Electric Air Conditioning Systems

• Condenser coil fins will be straightened (combed).
  - Dirty condenser coils raise refrigerant pressure higher than needed, increasing your electric bill.
• Evaporator coil will be inspected if accessible.
  - Evaporator coils become dirty because air filters only collect a portion of the particles in the air. Even a small amount of dirt can decrease efficiency and increase operation cost.
• Blower wheel will be inspected and cleaned as necessary.
  - Dirty blower wheels reduce air flow, causing longer operating time, and increasing cost. This problem can lead to lost comfort and compressor failure.
• Refrigerant charge will be checked.
  - A low or high refrigerant charge can easily go unnoticed and increase operating costs. An improper charge can cause compressor shutdown.
• Air filter will be replaced at customer’s option.
  - A restricted air filter can cause your unit to waste energy and shorten the compressor’s life.
• Belts and pulleys will be inspected and adjusted as required.
  - Loose belts and worn pulleys decrease air flow, increase operating costs, and shorten the compressor’s life. Belts crack and break with age.
• Lubrication of motors and bearings.
  - Improperly lubricated rotating equipment will eventually fail.
• Thermostat will be cleaned.
  - Dust works as an insulator on a thermostat throwing off calibration, using more energy, and decreasing the life of the thermostat.
• Controls and safeties will be inspected and tested.
  - Controls and safeties that do not function properly can increase operation cost, causing other components to fail and is dangerous.
• Crank case heater will be operationally checked.
  - Crank case heaters that do not work lead to a motor or compressor failure.
• Relays and contactors will be inspected.
  - Worn contacts and loose wire connections can lead to a motor or compressor failure.
• Unit disconnect will be inspected.
  - Worn or over heated disconnect blows fuses and is dangerous.
• Unit wiring will be inspected and loose connections tightened.
  - Loose connections can lead to control, motor, and compressor failure.
• Temperatures and pressures will be taken and recorded.
  - An accurate record of your equipment’s vital data can indicate potential problems, which can be eliminated. A record will be kept on your equipment which may reduce emergency service time.

Heat Pump Systems

Includes everything listed under air conditioning systems plus…

• Defrost timer will be checked.
  - A defrost timer that is not working properly can cause a loss of heat and can shorten the compressor’s life.
• Reversing valve will be operationally checked.
  - A reversing valve that is not operating properly can waste energy and cause a loss of heat.
• Auxiliary heat strips will be checked.
  - Heat strips not checked can cause loss of heat or increase electricity cost.

Please contact Alum Ridge Heating & Air, Inc. at 540-505-2906 for a price quote on a maintenance agreement for your home!