This discussion about the benefits of HVAC maintenance is an update to one of our most popular and helpful blog posts. Here’s the original: Poor HVAC Maintenance Means Poor Profits. That’s the Bottom Line
Are you monitoring HVAC expenses?
As a business owner, monitoring hard costs is a vital part of maintaining your livelihood. You’re constantly keeping an eye on expenses like payroll, rent or mortgage, and let’s not forget energy costs. Your HVAC system is one of the most expensive and integral parts of your business infrastructure. Do you know what is it costing you? And, more importantly, how can you minimize HVAC expenses? That’s the purpose of regularly servicing your equipment. Let’s take a closer look at the costs of HVAC problems and the benefits of HVAC maintenance.
The soft costs of HVAC problems
When thinking about the benefits of HVAC maintenance, consider the following questions:
- How many customers would you be willing to lose because your building was say, too hot to complete that workout, or too cold to finish that meal, or too drafty to try on those clothes?
- How productive do you think your employees should be? How is their productivity impacted by the poorly-regulated temperature in your space?
- How long would you be willing to close your doors due to an HVAC equipment failure?
- How about your energy costs? Is your electric bill getting higher every month? That can happen when HVAC equipment is neglected and no longer operating efficiently.
Like any smart business owner or building manager, you probably wouldn’t tolerate any of this. And yet, these are the soft costs of a poorly maintained HVAC system.
These soft costs are something you may not account for in your monthly budget, but they can lead to declining profits if you don’t pay attention. That’s especially true if you are operating a restaurant, retail store, or other business where attracting and retaining customers is critical to your success. Staying on top of your HVAC equipment with regular preventative maintenance might seem expensive, until you realize the price of lost opportunities.
So how can you control costs you haven’t thought about until now? With an HVAC preventative maintenance plan.
Let’s explore some of the benefits of HVAC maintenance.
Benefits of an HVAC maintenance contract
- Correcting issues in advance means your company doesn’t suffer from emergency situations that can require you to shut down. You should expect your HVAC preventative maintenance contract to include regular visits from HVAC experts to check on equipment, evaluate performance, and identify and correct any problems.
- Regular check ups allow you to budget for future business expenses. If you know that your HVAC system is nearing the end of its life, you can start saving for new components before the old ones break down.
- Priority service in the event of an emergency. Without a contract, you might be in line behind hundreds of other businesses that also need service calls (especially during a heat wave, when AC systems always seem to break down!). Having a contract in place gives you priority over others without contracts.
- Better control of utility costs. When your air conditioning and heating systems are operating at optimum efficiency, they use less energy. That’s one of the benefits of HVAC maintenance that may surprise you. Those numbers can add up to more than you expect.
To learn more about the soft costs of poor HVAC maintenance and how it could be affecting you, download our comprehensive white paper, Calculating the Hidden Costs of Poor HVAC Maintenance.
It’s important to know that all maintenance contracts are not the same, so carefully vet HVAC service providers and pay close attention to HVAC maintenance contract terms. So do your own research, and ask questions to be sure you’re getting all the benefits of HVAC preventative maintenance with your contract.
Helpful hints for selecting an HVAC maintenance agreement
- Find out if the provider is close to your business, or if they regularly have trucks in your area (in fact, pay attention to trucks you often see in your area… your neighbors are trusting those companies).
- Check out the qualifications of their professionals. Are they certified and regularly trained to keep their skills current?
- Find out whether the company maintains a well-stocked inventory of parts and replacement equipment. This is essential because waiting several days for parts can cost you business.
- Thoroughly review the contract, including its provisions on the maximum time period for response when you experience equipment failure. Ideally, you should look for a crew to respond within 1 business day, or the same day if you call in the morning.
- What tasks are included in preventative HVAC maintenance? Be sure to ask about this because not all contracts are the same. Some companies will just change your filters and spend a few minutes looking over the system and call it a day. Do they include coil cleaning? How about checking electrical connections?
- Some contracts also include the cost of labor and parts for any repairs you might need within the contract period. These contracts are more expensive, but can help you budget expenses. And if you do need a major repair, they can save you a bundle.
Here are some related articles that can help you compare contracts and get the most benefits from HVAC maintenance:
HVAC Service Contracts: Controlling Time, Quality & Cost
The Ultimate Commercial HVAC Preventative Maintenance Checklist
HVAC Service Contract Pricing Guide
While the costs of entering into a preventative maintenance agreement may seem steep, remember they’re small compared to the expense of lost business opportunities (and also the cost of major repairs that happen when equipment is neglected. Keep those soft costs in mind when adding up the overall benefits of HVAC maintenance as well as comparing prices.
Companies that do consider proper HVAC system maintenance into account when figuring future financial success are making smart, informed choices that help them increase profits and grow their business.