Is Signing Up for a Yearly HVAC Maintenance Plan Really Worth It?
We’re getting on toward winter, and that means cold weather and snow for many parts of the county. That’s certainly true for the Denver area. Colorado sees punishing winters, though many individuals love the snow. They take advantage by hitting the ski slopes, having snowball fights, or bundling up and having some hot chocolate indoors.
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No matter how you deal with the cold weather, though, if you’re a homeowner, then you will want to make sure your HVAC system works perfectly. If you have an issue with your furnace, that might cause problems for you at a time of year when there’s frigid temperatures outside.
If you call an HVAC company to come take a look at your furnace, then they will more than likely offer you a yearly maintenance plan. Is it worth it to get one, though? You know you need furnace maintenance, Denver, CO homeowners, but the maintenance by itself generally costs much less than one of these plans.
Let’s take a few moments to break down the question of whether signing up for one of these plans will prove to be worth it for homeowners. The answer is a little more complex than you might think.
How HVAC Companies Work
First, you should understand the way private HVAC companies work. As you might expect, when you call one of these companies, you’re dealing with a for-profit business entity.
They provide a valuable service, but they’re also trying to make as much money as they can off of you. You shouldn’t begrudge them that. It’s the way virtually any company works.
You might pay them a small fee to inspect your furnace with winter coming. Generally, you’ll want to do this in October or November before it gets too cold.
The company will send a representative to look at your furnace. This inspection might cost you a hundred dollars or so. If they see anything wrong with it, they will recommend that they fix it, which will increase the price of the visit.
However, the company’s representative will likely offer you a yearly service plan as well. The company trains them to do this. They’re salespeople as well as HVAC experts.
What Do You Get with One of These Yearly Maintenance Plans?
The plan might cost a few hundred dollars on average. If you pay for it, that price tag covers the yearly furnace inspection, and also a yearly central air inspection if you have a central air conditioner. That’s usually all that the maintenance plan guarantees.
However, you also get preferential treatment with the plan. In other words, if you purchase it, then the HVAC company will come to your home immediately if anything goes wrong with your air conditioner, furnace, or ductwork at any time during that calendar year. You won’t have to wait in line while the company caters to other customers before you.
Also, if you need the company to do any work for you, they will usually discount the total price tag since you’re a plan member. They might discount the installation of a new furnace or some duct repair work by 10% or 15%.
When Might It Be Worth It to Get One?
If you start to look at the situation from a practical standpoint, it actually becomes relatively easy to understand whether you should get this plan or not. Let’s say you just moved into a brand-new house. You have a new furnace, a new central air conditioner, and new ductwork all throughout the home.
If so, then it’s unlikely anything will go wrong with it. If someone from the HVAC company comes and says the same thing, then it’s probably not worth it for you to get the yearly maintenance plan. The cost of a yearly furnace inspection plus a yearly AC inspection might total $200 or so. The cost of the yearly maintenance plan, by contrast, might total double that amount.
On the other hand, if you live in an older home with an ancient HVAC system, it’s much more likely something might go wrong with it. In that instance, it probably makes more sense for you to pay for the yearly maintenance plan.
You can think of these plans like insurance. You don’t necessarily need to pay for it, but if you don’t, you’re taking a risk. Knowing whether you should get one of these plans or not often comes down to your risk tolerance.
