Why is Home Maintenance Important?
Every car owner knows that maintenance is important to prolong the life of the engine and keep the vehicle safe. So why don’t homeowners show the same maintenance prowess towards their house? Most times homeowners simply do not realize what maintenance is required and when each task should be performed. I found myself in this same position with my first home, and I paid the price.
The air conditioner was not been properly serviced the first year of me owning the home. At the beginning of the second year I noticed that the AC was having a hard time keeping the house cool. Even after turning the thermostat down several extra degrees, it couldn’t maintain less than 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
An HVAC professional was called to the house and ran a pressure test on the refrigerant lines. He was able to immediately conclude that there was a small leak in the line that had been slowly letting the refrigerant escape. After fixing the hole, he recharged the system with refrigerant to the tune of $350!
The cooling system immediately started working great again, but the costs didn’t stop there. The AC had to work doubly hard to maintain the temperature in the house for the past month. My electric bill jumped from about $300 to $600! It was a very pricey lesson.
