A little over five years ago, I invested in central air conditioning for my home.
It was a rather expensive project.
I purchased a top-of-the-line cooling system in order to take advantage of high efficiency operation. I hoped that a higher SEER level would prove worth the extra cost. The lower monthly electric bills help to offset the initial expense. At the time of the installation, the HVAC contractor recommended that I enroll in a maintenance plan with his company. He explained that for a small fee, they send a technician to service the air conditioner every spring. This seemed like a complete waste of money to me. I didn’t believe that a brand new air conditioner would need maintenance. I kept up with regular filter changes and assumed the air conditioner would continue to operate at peak capacity. Just this past summer, I started to have problems with it. I noticed that the cooling unit was making more noise than usual. Every time it cycled on, there was a strange rattling sound and a slightly musty smell coming from the vents. I also needed to lower the thermostat by several degrees because the house felt a bit overheated. This forced the air conditioner to run for longer cycles, use more energy and my electric bill was huge. I finally called for professional repair. The technician took the air conditioner apart and found a disgusting buildup of dust, mold and all sorts of debris within the equipment. This accumulation was restricting airflow, polluting my indoor air quality and impacting my comfort level. Because I hadn’t kept up with professional service, the manufacturer’s warranty no longer applied. I ended up with a huge repair bill due to the amount of labor and replacement parts needed.