Regular preventive maintenance of HVAC equipment is an essential element of property management for several reasons .
Improve Your Air Quality:
The EPA reports that indoor levels of airborne pollutants may be 2-5 times higher (in extreme cases more than 100 times higher) than outdoor levels. This particularly significant if you or any family members suffer from respiratory issues such as asthma.
Though we are not aware of it day to day. We share our homes with a variety of substances that we would rather not breathe. These common indoor allergens range from ordinary household dust that contain dozens of respiratory issues to pet dander, cigarette smoke, pollen and mold.
If a musty odor has you concerned about mold, it may be time to consider having the air ducts professionally cleaned. Generally speaking, preventive maintenance helps ensure that the warm or cold air pumping. And through your vents as clean and well-filtered as possible.
Prevent Costly Repairs
Preventative maintenance helps HVAC owners and operators avoid unnecessary repairs by catching problems before they become a costly malfunction. It often said that running a piece of equipment to the point of failure can cost as much as 10 times as a regular maintenance program. A Pacific Partners Consulting Group study found that every $1 worth of deferred maintenance can quadruple to $4 in capital renewal costs later.
“Running your system until fail or repair easily costs somewhere between three and 10 times as much as a good maintenance program,” said David Auton, senior director of reliability engineering for Cushman & Wakefield. “When the equipment does fail, the actual repair costs are exorbitant, and you typically didn’t plan for them.”
Help the Environment
For those concerned about their green footprint, keep in mind that a well-maintained HVAC system consumes considerably less fuel – and that’s good for the planet.
Such homeowners will also want to be aware of what kind of refrigerant used in their system since the EPA has been working to phase out substances that harm the environment. HVAC technicians handling controlled refrigerant are required to have EPA Section 608 Certification and can help you understand what kind of refrigerant you’re using, its impact on the environment, and your options.
Your HVAC contractor can also talk to you about the benefits of using a programmable thermostat or switching from oil heat to natural gas so you can take to reduce your system’s impact on the environment.
Boost Tenant Satisfaction
Happy tenants turn into long-term tenants, but uncomfortable tenants rarely happy about it. Unmaintained HVAC equipment can malfunction and fail at the most inopportune times – or during the harshest weather events. Considering HVAC contractors can schedule two or more weeks out. Preventative maintenance not only helps avoid inconvenient equipment failure, but it also helps to improve overall HVAC efficiencies. And further improving tenant comfort while reducing energy bills.
