Preventive Maintenance Agreements

Though it may seem like a small detail, maintaining a comfortable temperature on your company’s premises is absolutely essential to your bottom line. Regardless of industry, customer retention rates drop when temperature comfort is not considered and addressed. Therefore, your HVAC system needs to be in proper working order and maintained on a frequent basis.Read More

Understanding HVAC preventative maintenance pricing can be one of the more frustrating aspects of HVAC Preventative Maintenance shopping for an agreement.

When you consider that there are no industrywide standards when it comes to preventive maintenance agreements for HVAC systems and parts — as well as all of the added-on services that can be applied to an agreement, the age and projected life of the equipment, the complexity of today’s systems and, in some quarters, the lack of familiarity with older systems — comparing prices from one vendor to another is no easy task.

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Here in New York, Fall is finding its way into Winter fairly on schedule. And, cold weather means it’s time to heat things up, and get proactive about your HVAC system.

Depending on the coverage you choose, your service contract may include more or fewer of the services listed below. As you’ve seen in our previous posts on the subject, contractors offer a wide range of coverage options. With the help of an HVAC expert from a reputable contractor, you should have no problem constructing a plan that’s right for your budget and your building.Read More

OK, excuse the cheeky title, but it’s Halloween and we couldn’t resist.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been discussing various aspects of HVAC preventive maintenance, including the importance of a good plan, choosing the right vendor and what to look for when selecting a service contract. To wrap up this series of blog posts, let’s review why having a preventive agreement makes sense for your building and your budget.

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Both are a pain in the, ah hem…arm, and you’ll probably regret it if you don’t get one.

If you’re reading this likely you’re either in the process of selecting an HVAC vendor, or (like many people) you’ve had a frustrating, confusing, or downright devastating experience with a previous maintenance contract. And yet, you want to do your best to prevent equipment failure, keep your employees and tenants happy, and save time, money and stress in the process.

From mechanical contractors to manufacturers, there are a wide variety of vendors who offer preventive maintenance contracts, and not all of their services are equal. This article–and this series, really–is meant to help you avoid preventative maintenance mayhem, by giving you the knowledge you need to make the decision that’s right for you.

In our last post we discussed all the ways contractors can vary; now, let’s review the various types of service agreements help you make an informed decision before investing in one.

HVAC maintenance contract types can generally be narrowed down to the following:

• Full Coverage — The ultimate insurance policy for the buyer, as the contractor assumes the risk for most anything that can go wrong with your system. But make sure you understand exactly how each vendor defines “full coverage.”
• Full Labor — Typically covers 100% of the labor to repair, replace and maintain most HVAC equipment. As the system owner or manager, you’re responsible for the cost of any equipment and parts needed to complete the repair.
• Preventive Maintenance — Generally a “fixed fee” charge for a specified number of scheduled maintenance visits annually. Though initially less expensive than a full-service or full-labor contract, any emergencies, repairs and replacements must be paid for on a labor-and-materials basis.
• Inspection Service — This is typically the least expensive type of agreement — and the least valuable when it comes to protecting your system. It is also usually purchased for a fixed annual fee and includes a specified number of periodic inspections.

Variations are possible within each contract type, but it depends on the system owner’s requirements and the contractor’s ability and willingness to modify or customize service offerings.

Don’t be driven by price alone — if a service provider is less than reputable or misquotes costs, you can bet they’ll only do the minimum to keep your system running until the end of the contract term.

To learn more about HVAC service agreements, download our free guide to HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contracts: How to Find the Right One for Your HVAC Infrastructure.

When it comes to preventative maintenance, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is deciding what contractor to hire.