HVAC preventive maintenance worth it?

HVAC preventive maintenance worth it?

Plano, TX · Member since 2017 · 151 posts · 5 votes

We are looking at an annual HVAC tune up plan for our rental. This is what one company's tune up entails:

Spring AC tune up:

Indoor Unit

*Blower Motor *Amp Draw *Bearings *Blower Wheel Balanced *Control Board *Operating Properly *Incoming Voltage*Connections *Low Voltage *Electrical Connections *Change/Clean Filter *Capacitor *Thermostat *Check Operations *

Outdoor Unit

*Compressor*Amp Draw*Condenser Fan Motor*Amp Draw*Bearings*Capacitor*Electrical Connections*Clean Condenser Coil(water)*Check Refrigerant Levels*Check Contactor *Relays Operation*Check Operations*Clear Condensation Lines*

Furnace:

Fall Maintenance Checklist

*Replace Filter*Electrical Connections*Check Thermostat*Verify Blower Condition*Check Control Operations*Check Control Board*Check Capacitor(s)*Amps of motor operations* Check Relays*Heat Exchanger Condition*Burner Condition* Remove and clean flame sensor* Inspect Blower Wheel*Inspect and check ignition operations* Check ALL safety operations* Verify a good clean burning flame*

Are these pretty standard work supposed to happen for tune ups? 

We don't live close by so doing it ourselves is out of question.

The property is in a rural area, it seems the outside unit gets dirty rather quickly. We had one new AC put in May, it's already tripped the circuit last month due to dirty coil of the condenser outside. The AC company said it might be dirt or foliage and tried to sell us their maintenance plan for $105/yr. It cost us about $500 to fix it (AC technician + electrician) this time. I figure the annual maintenance might be worth it but not sure. Our own AC never gives us any trouble and it's much older. Is it true that tenants beat up the house badly because it's not theirs?

Another option is to order one time tune up as we see fit.

Any thoughts, advice would be appreciated.

Zoe

0Reply
86 views

Most Popular Reply

Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
6y

Sounds pretty detailed. Just keeping the air filters changed would have the biggest impact. I've heard regularly changing the air filter can reduce service calls by 40% or more. I don't do any preventative maintenance unless it's a heating system that services multiple units.

The DIY Landlord Book4.7248 Reviews
See this reply in the discussion

28 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Rental Property Investor · Navarre, FL · Member since 2019 · 913 posts · 640 votes
    6y

    I had American Home Shield. My hot tub furnace went out. Called them. 3 days later tech arrived, didn't have the part needed. The heater is 20 years old. 2 weeks later comes back with a non factory part and replaces it. 2 weeks later it goes out again. We repeat this process several times then I'm so mad they send a different contractor out. We go through this process again. Then we get another contractor and they install a ground rod and shoot a crack through my brick veneer, 3 feet high. Fixed again, but not for long. We get a FOURTH contractor out. Finally after switching out 2 parts multiple times, it seems to work. ONE YEAR later. AHS refused to replace the furnace. The heater was out of service more than it was in service; and I needed it for a spine injury. Sold the house just after it was fixed the last time, but it's probably quit by now. Just before we sold, a burner on the cooktop goes out. 8 weeks later it apparently got fixed. 

    Warranty companies are not in the business to buy you new appliances. If you're really interested in protecting your equipment, do as our HVAC contractor above said. 

    What will you do if you're waiting 2 weeks for the AC to get fixed and your tenant says your place is not livable and he's not going to pay you rent, AND demand credit for the days the AC was broken?

    I'm not jaded! LOL

  • Salem, AL · Member since 2019 · 1 post · 0 votes
    6y

    @Matthew Shaw I know this is older, but to answer your question many units have high pressure switches. Meaning low airflow from a dirty coil can cause the high pressure switch to cut the unit off. Also that price could be reasonable if they had to take the evaporator coil out to clean it properly. Some manufacturers don’t think of service work and don’t give you room to clean the evaporator coil. As far as needing an electrician I have no idea.

  • Contractor · Nashville, TN · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y

    My property management company (Flywheel PM) offers a program that we put on the lease. If the tenant sends a photo the first of each quarter of a new air filter installed, we wave the fee to send someone out to install it. 90 days seems to be the max amount of time that a filter can last, but at least this way we don't have to deal with it every month. At each signing or renewal of the lease, we provide one filter per 3 months of lease.

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.