Updated May 2022

Investing in an AC tune-up costs money, but it’s worth it in the long run because:

• Tune-ups save you money in the long run
• Properly maintaining your system keeps your AC unit running efficiently
• Professional tune-ups increase your AC unit’s lifespan

5 Reasons Why AC Tune-Ups Are Worth It

If you’re a homeowner in Chapel Hill, NC, you’ve probably been told time and time again that AC tune-ups should be at the top of your list of priorities when it comes to home maintenance. These maintenance stops take money from your budget and time out of your valuable schedule, which is why you may have decided to forego these seasonal visits from your local HVAC experts like Bud Matthews Services. However, the truth is that making these investments in time and energy is worth it in the long run. Why? Well, five big reasons stand out from the rest. These include:

1.  Increased Efficiency

Over time, your AC unit accumulates wear and tear, dirt, dust, and other debris. It’s unavoidable, and it leads to lower efficiency season after season. This translates to uneven cooling throughout your home, unsatisfactory temperatures, and other issues. At the end of the day, you’ll find yourself paying to run an air conditioner that is simply unable to keep up with your home’s cooling needs, which wastes money and energy.

While you can take on some cleaning measures yourself, such as changing your AC filter and cleaning up around the outside unit and vents, the best way to combat this drop in efficiency is by trusting the job to the team of professionals at Bud Matthews Services during a tune-up. Tune-ups give those with the experience and know-how the opportunity to thoroughly clean out your condenser unit, vents, and even ductwork to restore efficiency. They also have the chance to replace worn-out parts that could be slowing your system down. At the end of every visit, you’ll be left with a unit that cools your whole home evenly and reliably throughout the coming months.

2.  Mitigating Further Damage

One of the biggest reasons to invest in an AC tune-up is to keep small problems from becoming serious. Even if you’re keeping your system clean and well-maintained, various components are sure to wear out at some point. While this may lead to a trivial loss in performance at first, broken or worn parts that are left unattended have a habit of developing into much bigger, much more expensive issues.

When a team of professionals like Bud Matthews Services stops by to tune and inspect your system, they’ll identify any parts showing an abnormal amount of wear and tear or other types of damage. While those parts may not be causing much of a problem yet, it’s only a matter of time before they fail entirely, potentially leaving your AC unit unable to function at all and your home at the mercy of the sweltering summers. During a tune-up, you can have these parts replaced quickly and easily by an experienced HVAC expert, mitigating future damage and ensuring your cooling system stays running strong for longer.

3. Lower Energy Bills

If you’re anything like the other thousands of homeowners, then your electricity bill is your highest monthly utility charge, particularly during the summer months. The numbers on your electricity bill will only continue to climb higher each month if you choose to avoid undergoing proper seasonal maintenance, unfortunately.

Decreased efficiency doesn’t just mean your AC unit produces cool air less effectively, but it also means it’s consuming more electricity to achieve these substandard results. Take debris buildup as an example. As dirt, dust, pollen, pet dander, and other pollutants clog up your vents, ductwork, or outside unit, your blower has to work harder and harder to push cool throughout your home. This increased workload requires more power, which means you’re using far more electricity than necessary to achieve the task of keeping your home cool, translating into higher energy costs. This same result can occur from faulty or worn parts, too.

The best way to ensure your energy bills stay predictable and regular is by investing in seasonal tune-ups from a team of local trusted HVAC professionals. By cleaning your unit inside and out and replacing any worn parts, investing in tune-ups can save you up to 15 percent on your monthly energy expenses, which more than pays for the cost of maintenance in most cases.

4. Longer System Lifespan

You know that debris buildup and damaged parts can actively harm your system’s ability to cool your home evenly and raise your energy bills, but did you know that these issues, left untreated, could also shorten the overall lifespan of your AC system? As your system works harder to contend with blockages and other issues, various parts wear out more quickly. Some of these can be easily replaced during routine tune-ups, but other, larger parts can succumb to the stress of inefficiency as well. While you could replace these large, integral parts of your system, it is often more sensible at this point to replace a worn-out unit entirely, a process that’s costly and time-consuming in many cases.

Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent premature AC system failure, and the most important one is having the professionals from Bud Matthews Services out to tune up your system and check for damage regularly. Routine tune-ups help prevent this premature burnout by keeping every part working properly, reducing stress on the system in the long run, thus extending its lifespan sometimes even beyond its expected limits. These tune-ups may cost a little cash throughout the year, but it’s far less expensive in the long run than buying a whole new system.

5. Keeping Warranty Benefits

Many air conditioning units purchased come with certain warranty benefits that owners can rely on throughout the years regarding repairs or replacements. However, many of these warranties come with conditions, particularly regarding upkeep and proper maintenance. If these conditions are not met, you won’t be able to receive the benefits of a limited warranty. Reading the details of your warranty and adhering to them closely is an absolute must if you’re looking to get the most out of your purchase in the long run.

An AC expert from Bud Matthews Services can take the time during each tune-up to ensure that the conditions for maintaining your warranty are met. When scheduling your tune-up, discuss your warranty with your technician to better understand what needs to be done to continue enjoying the full benefits in the years to come.

Schedule Your Tune-Up Today

If you own a home with an AC unit of any shape or size, it’s time to stop overlooking the need for regular tune-ups. To get more information about why regular air conditioning tune-ups are absolutely worth the cost or to schedule a tune-up for your home today, contact Bud Matthews Services. With over 40 years of experience, our professional, certified technicians know exactly what challenges your HVAC unit faces throughout the seasons and how to combat any problems that might arise before they become an issue. We’re here to ensure that your AC unit is running smoothly, reliably, and efficiently year-round and that you and your family are always comfortable in your own home, regardless of the temperature outside.