You may have experienced someone offering you a maintenance plan or service agreement to keep your HVAC in tip-top shape. But you might be wondering if these contracts are worth it. After all, once you sign up to an HVAC service contract with a maintenance provider here in Illinois, you would have to pay monthly premiums for the check-ups and fine-tuning of your HVAC system throughout the year.
What’s in an HVAC Service Contract?
The details of technical assistance vary on the kind of HVAC service contract you sign up to. Most HVAC maintenance service packages always include heating systems checks every late autumn and air conditioner units inspections every late spring. Late autumn and late spring presage winter and summer respectively, the times of the year your HVACs would be needed most.
There are extended HVAC service maintenance packages that include regular inspection and preventive repairs of sensitive HVAC components. There are also packages which would let you access to priority emergency assistance, which you can find useful if, for example, you find your HVAC breaking down for some reason in the winter or summer. Although you are not required to get these kinds of auxiliary support, some contracts let you “opt-in” with these extras–for an added fee of course. Depending on the service contract you obtain, your costs could range from $200 to %500, so it would be wise to study the contract first.
Weighing the costs and benefits
Before you even consider signing up for extended service maintenance, you should weigh your options and study your circumstances first. Check the list of offerings and purported benefits and compare those things listed in the HVAC service contract to your list of circumstances and needs. Do the extra services fit, or does the core plan of biannual HVAC inspections suffice?
Homeowners in Illinois tend to be discouraged by the rates of maintenance contracts even though HVAC maintenance is essential. To get the best maintenance prices, try asking for quotes from various HVAC maintenance contractors in Illinois and compare prices, offers, and quality of work. Prioritize those maintenance packages that offer emergency repairs during summer and winter as insurance against HVAC breakdown during these peak times.
With an idea of your HVAC needs, the suitability of the provisions of a particular service contract to your needs, and their price, you can begin to make a comprehensive comparison of benefits and costs of an HVAC service contract. Only then can you come up with a prudent decision concerning your HVAC’s maintenance and how you will fit your budget to meet this need.
Don’t forget the importance of regular maintenance
Part of your cost and benefit analysis and decision-making considerations should be the value of having someone come over and inspect your HVAC system twice a year compared to the amount you’ll pay for the premium. Consider that prevention is better than repair–it is cheaper and makes the life of your HVAC unit longer. You also save on energy bills from the enhanced performance and efficiency that extended HVAC services provide. So that’s one reason you should consider signing up to an HVAC Service Contract with a reputable professional in Illinois. The knowledge of someone always there on the lookout for the welfare of your HVAC gives an assurance to the mind that can’t be measured by money.
It all boils down to your budget
Budgets are a real concern for those who enter into an HVAC Service Contract. Fortunately for you, there are HVAC maintenance providers in Illinois who can help you find the best HVAC service contract that fits your budget. You don’t have to opt-in for the extras–yet. What is important is you get your HVAC unit covered by a maintenance service contract as soon as possible. Once your core HVAC maintenance needs are covered, only then can you try exploring other opt-ins.