Winnipesaukee Forum - View Single Post - Heat Pump preventative maintenance

thebix · 05-03-2013, 03:47 PM

I have a 3 1/2 year old Lennox dual fuel heating / air conditioning system, forced air, in my 2600 sq ft ranch house. Three zones, HVR, MERV 16 filter, humidifier, sophisticated controls, multi speed blower and 95% propane furnace. The heat pump provides the heat when the temp is over 30 degrees, propane runs when the air temp is colder.

The system works very well, very comfortable and electricity and propane costs seem reasonable for a ranch house that has lots of outside walls and roof but also has max insulation and double and triple pane low-e windows. No drafts!

The HVAC company wants me to have a semi-annual preventative maintenance contract at $300 a visit ($600 per year). I did have then do PM the second year, at $240 a visit. Costs go up and now I question the value.

I lived in Virginia for 17 years with a 2 zone heat pump, all electric. It ran well and I was never asked for a PM contract. One time the electric utility offered a $50 checkup and that showed the system still running well within specs.

I seems like this PM checkup is like the extended warranty on electronic / appliance purchases that Consumer Reports says is almost never cost beneficial and is really a huge profit center for the vendor. I seem to recall the last PM visit took about an hour, and the filter replacement cost was extra!

I Googled Heat Pump PM to look for other consumer views. I found almost all the hits were from HVAC dealers touting the necessity for it, else the system could drop as much as 25% in efficiency. I checked my electric bill and usage in heavy heat pump months (March - October) does not spike at all compared to propane months so can't see a potential cost anywhere near $600 annually in efficiency loss. I didn't find any consumer hits suggesting that PM was vital.

Does anyone see a $600 annual value in doing this PM?

Of course the filter must be replaced (and I can get a MERV 16 online for half the cost as from the HVAC dealer), and the humidifier has detailed instructions on how to clean it each spring. I can do that OK. (The HVAC dealer would do the humidifier PM in the fall, which is not when the vendor calls for it!)

05-03-2013, 03:47 PM	#1
thebix Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: South Down since 2009. Posts: 102 Thanks: 2 Thanked 34 Times in 25 Posts	Heat Pump preventative maintenance - is it really worth it? I have a 3 1/2 year old Lennox dual fuel heating / air conditioning system, forced air, in my 2600 sq ft ranch house. Three zones, HVR, MERV 16 filter, humidifier, sophisticated controls, multi speed blower and 95% propane furnace. The heat pump provides the heat when the temp is over 30 degrees, propane runs when the air temp is colder. The system works very well, very comfortable and electricity and propane costs seem reasonable for a ranch house that has lots of outside walls and roof but also has max insulation and double and triple pane low-e windows. No drafts! The HVAC company wants me to have a semi-annual preventative maintenance contract at $300 a visit ($600 per year). I did have then do PM the second year, at $240 a visit. Costs go up and now I question the value. I lived in Virginia for 17 years with a 2 zone heat pump, all electric. It ran well and I was never asked for a PM contract. One time the electric utility offered a $50 checkup and that showed the system still running well within specs. I seems like this PM checkup is like the extended warranty on electronic / appliance purchases that Consumer Reports says is almost never cost beneficial and is really a huge profit center for the vendor. I seem to recall the last PM visit took about an hour, and the filter replacement cost was extra! I Googled Heat Pump PM to look for other consumer views. I found almost all the hits were from HVAC dealers touting the necessity for it, else the system could drop as much as 25% in efficiency. I checked my electric bill and usage in heavy heat pump months (March - October) does not spike at all compared to propane months so can't see a potential cost anywhere near $600 annually in efficiency loss. I didn't find any consumer hits suggesting that PM was vital. Does anyone see a $600 annual value in doing this PM? Of course the filter must be replaced (and I can get a MERV 16 online for half the cost as from the HVAC dealer), and the humidifier has detailed instructions on how to clean it each spring. I can do that OK. (The HVAC dealer would do the humidifier PM in the fall, which is not when the vendor calls for it!)