ServicesMaintenance Plans
HVAC Maintenance Plans in Rockford
Our maintenance plans put a technician on your furnace, AC or heat pump twice a year to test the parts that wear out quietly: capacitors, flame sensors, ignitors and coils. On older equipment, that is how a small fix stays small.
What a Plan Does for an Aging System
Most heating and cooling failures start months before the system stops. A run capacitor loses capacitance, a flame sensor builds up a silica coating, a condensate line slowly clogs with algae. None of that is visible from the thermostat, and all of it can be caught with a meter, a mirror and a scheduled visit.
Older homes add another layer. Equipment has often been repaired by several hands over the years, with mismatched replacement parts, jumpered safety switches or a furnace that was oversized for the house. On a plan, we learn your system once, write down what we find, and track how it changes from visit to visit.
The membership itself is straightforward: maintenance plans from $14.99 a month with tune-ups, repair discounts and priority scheduling. Timing matters as much as the checklist, so the heating visit lands before the cold sets in and the cooling visit comes ahead of summer heat. Each half of the system gets checked before it has to work hardest.
What Every Plan Visit Covers
- Furnace safety and combustion check
- We inspect the heat exchanger for cracks and rust, clean the flame sensor, check the hot surface ignitor and test the draft inducer and pressure switch. We also check gas pressure and look for carbon monoxide at the supply side, because a cracked exchanger is the failure that matters most on an older furnace.
- AC and heat pump tune-up
- We clean the outdoor coil, test the run capacitor against its rated microfarads, inspect the contactor for pitted points and read refrigerant pressures. On heat pumps we also run the system through a defrost cycle and confirm the reversing valve shifts cleanly.
- Electrical and airflow
- Loose terminals heat up and fail, so we tighten connections and measure amp draw on the blower and compressor motors. We change or check your filter, clean the blower wheel when it is coated and confirm the system is moving the air it should.
- Drains and moisture
- We flush the condensate line and check the trap and pan. A clogged line on a high-efficiency furnace or air handler can trip the float switch or leak into a finished basement.
- A written report with photos
- After each visit you get a plain list of what we tested, the readings and photos of anything worn. If a part is on its way out, we say so and tell you how much life it likely has left.
- Repair discounts and priority scheduling
- Plan members pay less for repairs and get booked ahead of others when something does fail. Ductless mini-split heads can be added so their filters and coils get cleaned on the same visit.
Signs Your System Needs Regular Maintenance
No service records
If you bought the house and nobody can say when the furnace was last cleaned, assume it has been years. A first plan visit sets a baseline.
Patchwork past repairs
Universal capacitors zip-tied in place, wire nuts outside the panel or a bypassed limit switch tell us someone kept the system running without fixing the cause.
Short cycling
A furnace that lights, runs a minute and shuts off often has a dirty flame sensor or an overheating limit. Caught early, that is a cleaning, not a new control board.
Rising bills with no change in use
Dirty coils and a weak capacitor make motors work harder and run longer. The meter shows it before you feel it.
Ice on the AC lines
Frost on the refrigerant line or indoor coil points to low airflow or low charge, and running it that way strains the compressor.
How a Plan Visit Runs
- 1
We set your two visits
When you sign up by phone, we book a fall heating visit and a spring cooling visit. Priority scheduling means plan members get first pick of times.
- 2
We protect the work area
Our technician lays down drop cloths at the furnace or air handler and shoe covers go on before entering your home. Outside, we keep the area around the condenser clear.
- 3
Testing, cleaning and readings
We work through the checklist for your equipment type and record every reading. On older units we compare numbers to the last visit to spot a part that is drifting.
- 4
Honest findings and a written quote
We walk you through the report and photos. If something needs repair, you get a written quote before any work begins, at your plan discount, and you decide whether to go ahead.
What Sets the Price of a Plan
A plan is priced on the equipment in your home and the time it takes to service it properly. Tell us what you have on the phone, and we will match you to the right plan and quote it up front, with nothing tacked on later.
- Number of systems
- A single furnace and AC is one visit's work. A second system, or a furnace upstairs and a heat pump down, adds time.
- Equipment type
- Heat pumps need defrost and reversing valve checks, and each mini-split head needs its own filter and coil cleaning.
- Access
- Equipment in a tight crawlspace or a hot attic takes longer to reach and service safely than a unit in a basement.
- Starting condition
- A system that has gone years without cleaning may need a deeper first visit, especially on badly coated coils or blower wheels.
Maintenance Plan Questions
Something not covered here? (509) 512-2814
Is a plan worth it on a furnace that is 20 years old?
Often it is. Older furnaces are where heat exchanger cracks and failing inducer motors show up, and regular inspection is how you catch them. If we think replacement makes more sense than continued repair, we will tell you plainly and explain why.
Does the plan cover the cost of repairs?
The plan covers the tune-up visits and gives you discounted repair pricing. Parts and repair labor are quoted separately, in writing, before we start, so you always know the number first.
What happens if my system breaks between visits?
Phone us any hour, since we offer 24/7 emergency HVAC repair. As a plan member, your call moves ahead in our schedule. We charge no emergency or after-hours fees to anyone, plan or no plan.
Can you maintain a heat pump or mini-split, not just a furnace?
Yes. Heat pumps get a full heating and cooling check, and mini-split heads get their filters, coils and blower wheels cleaned. Tell us what equipment you have when you call so we quote the right plan.
How long does a visit take?
A typical visit on one system takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Older or heavily soiled equipment, or tight access, can add time, and we will mention that when we schedule.
Start Catching Problems Before They Stop You
Give us the make and rough age of your furnace, AC or heat pump, and we will build a plan around that equipment. If something has already quit, we fix that too, day or night.