Air conditioning service is a broad term used to describe the function of technicians in the maintenance of air conditioning equipment associated with a private residence or a public building. The purpose of air conditioning service is to prevent major breakdowns of the equipment by conducting regular quality checks of the existing systems, replacing components when needed, and installing new systems when the older system has become obsolete or inadequate to maintain a proper temperature in the space.
Many companies that sell and install air conditioning systems offer buyers the opportunity to enroll in service contracts that provide an ongoing schedule for air conditioning service. This often includes making annual or semiannual comprehensive inspections of the installed equipment. Other services covered under the contract may include minor repairs to the system at no additional charge, or replacing components covered by the warranty without charging any type of labor costs. In general, the idea behind this ongoing air conditioning service is to ensure the unit continues to run at maximum efficiency.
A quality AC service contract will provide for the periodic evaluation of all working components of the system. This will include testing essential components, such as capacitors, fan blades, motors, and the ductwork attached to the system. By testing the components to make sure they are operating properly, it is often possible to identify problem areas before they begin to damage other components within the air conditioning unit. From this perspective, air conditioning service helps to prevent the owner of the system from incurring a larger expense later on.
Many manufacturers of air conditioning systems include at least one year of air conditioning service in the purchase package. The owners of the installed systems have the option of continuing the service from one year to the next by paying what is usually a reasonable annual fee. As with many types of preventive maintenance programs, the cost of the annual air conditioning service contract can easily be offset by the need to replace a defective part covered under the terms of the contract or the labor costs associated with emergency service calls that are covered under the agreement.
It is important to note that the quality and structure of air conditioning service contracts vary greatly from one provider to another. For this reason, consumers should always read the service contract thoroughly. Failure to do so may lead to purchasing a system at what seems a great price, but ultimately proves costly, due to various service functions not being included in the package.