What to Look For in HVAC Preventative Maintenance Contracts

HVAC preventive maintenance ensures longevity and efficiency for your equipment. A well-thought-out HVAC preventive maintenance contract can save your business time and money.

Essential Aspects Of An HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contract

Entering a preventive maintenance service agreement is an intelligent business decision but making sure the plan is to your benefit is crucial. Take the time to research the following factors when entering an HVAC preventive maintenance contract to maximize your company’s plan’s benefits.

Flexibility
Inclusions and exclusions
Emergency Service
Responsibilities
Frequency

Flexibility

Is the provider willing to customize the terms of the preventive maintenance service agreement based on your needs? Or do they only offer one cookie-cutter contract for all of their clients? Many contractors may stand somewhere in between. Before contracting, be sure that you understand how much the contractor is willing to work with you.
Depending on your HVAC system maintenance needs, you may need a contract written specifically for your business. If that’s the case, make sure you find a contractor flexible enough to work with you to create an agreement based on your priorities. Does your business prioritize energy efficiency? Make sure to find a contractor willing to match your preferences. At Air Comfort, we work with you to build a contract based on your needs, so we can better serve you.

Inclusions and Exclusions

During contracting, be sure to clarify what’s included and what’s excluded from the contract. Some contractors will exclude coverage of specific equipment in the HVAC preventive maintenance plan. Make sure that all of your vital HVAC equipment is explicitly listed on the service agreement.
Many HVAC contractors may refuse responsibility for HVAC services due to equipment failure caused by certain disasters or events. When contracting with HVAC providers, exclusions are inevitable, but make sure you understand them to be confident that the contract will work for your unique situation, saving you from contractual disputes down the road.

Emergency Service

What emergency service does the contract guarantee? How long will it take for an emergency to be remedied? Will it cost you additional money to have a crisis resolved outside of regular business hours? If your system is more prone to critical failure and you absolutely cannot afford downtime, make sure that the emergency agreement has you covered.

Responsibilities

What parts, materials, or repairs are your responsibility? Depending on the terms of the contract, you may end up being responsible for expenses that you were unaware of. Carefully read the terms outlining which party is responsible for additional repair costs. Often, if a system failure results from your negligence, repair costs will not be covered. Make sure you know where you stand before signing.

Frequency

How frequently will your system be inspected? What will this inspection cover? Ensure that the frequency of inspection will match the usage of your system. The more regularly you have your system checked, the more reliable your system, but this comes at an increased cost. The less often you contract for inspection, the more cost-effective but at the expense of guaranteed reliability. The key to contracting for inspection frequency is to find a balance between reliability, cost, and usage. Air Comfort has decades of experience to help you find that balance.

Reasons to Enter an HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contract

Having an HVAC preventive maintenance plan guarantees your equipment is serviced regularly. Frequently addressing normal wear and tear helps avoid larger problems arising in the future.

Repair Costs

Keeping up with an HVAC preventive maintenance routine allows your business to save money by extending your equipment’s lifespan, avoiding the high cost of replacement. HVAC preventive maintenance helps avoid extensive repairs by recognizing a problem before it balloons. Regular maintenance from a service company also helps a business’s equipment remain under warranty.

Energy Efficiency

As mechanical systems age, they begin to decline in efficiency. Even when systems are just below optimal efficiency, you notice energy bills getting higher. Preventive maintenance limits the decline of your equipment and keeps it working at peak efficiency.

Unexpected Failure

Even more costly to a company than repairing unmaintained systems is business downtime. When a system fails, expensive repairs or replacement costs are required. While these replacements are being done, it often means your employees are unable to work, customers cannot purchase products, and your daily business operations are not being executed. The costs of being shut down for even one day can have incredibly adverse effects on your business, and many extensive replacements can take days to complete.

Preventive Maintenance Tasks

Preventive maintenance tasks vary and range from routine tasks such as changing filters in heating and air conditioning units or belt replacement to more labor-intensive and complicated processes.

Your HVAC preventive maintenance plan can be drawn up to ensure your contract includes the services that work for you.

Learn More About Our Preventive Maintenance Contracts

At Air Comfort, we work with you to design a tailor-made maintenance service plan for your business needs. Reach out today to keep your equipment running efficiently and lower operational costs.