are HVAC maintenance plans worth it?

[Sunset]

I have a split personality:

I don't have it for my house, and only had the fellow in once to clean the furnace, which largely is vacuuming the grit around the burners, and sanding the flame sensor in 20 years.

My rental has a plan, so I don't get a phone call, the tenants can call about the furnace/AC which they have done about 4 times in the past 15 years. One call was about the AC, and that replacement of the coil was worth 4 years worth of fee.

 

[ncbill]

I have a split personality:

I don't have it for my house, and only had the fellow in once to clean the furnace, which largely is vacuuming the grit around the burners, and sanding the flame sensor in 20 years.

My rental has a plan, so I don't get a phone call, the tenants can call about the furnace/AC which they have done about 4 times in the past 15 years. One call was about the AC, and that replacement of the coil was worth 4 years worth of fee.

My HVAC provider offered just a maintenance plan, which I had to have to keep the 10 parts & labor warranty in effect...now up to $400/year (2 visits)

Now that all warranties are expired I'd pay full freight (parts & labor) to have the A-coil replaced whether or not I had their maintenance plan.

 

[Dash man]

I have a plan that covers our dual zone systems plus our tankless water heater. One system is in the attic and I can’t climb up there anymore, so having someone come out twice a year to service and change filters is fine with me. It’s not much money for checking out the systems to catch any problems before failure in the middle of winter or dog days of August.

 

[Midpack]

The plan costs $19.99/mo or $239.88/year - almost exactly the same as one AC and one furnace service per year with the folks we use, so I just pay as I go. The only reason I haven't signed up for the plan is they insist on paying monthly, if they'd let me pay once a year I'd do it. There are a couple very small other perks with "the plan" but in that we're a regular customer, I seriously doubt they wouldn't put a priority on serving us on short notice in a pinch.

• Two maintenance visits per year. You get an air conditioning and a heating maintenance visit throughout the year, scheduled at your convenience.
• FREE drain cabling services. When you have a clogged drain, call us and a Morris-Jenkins plumber will get you unclogged fast—for free!
• 10% off any repairs needed. This discount applies to both HVAC and plumbing repairs. As long as you’re a member, you enjoy exclusive discounted rates.
• $49 diagnostic fees (normally $89). Get $40 off your service call when you have an HVAC or plumbing issue.
• Priority service. Need our help? When you call us, you get front-of-the-line status, no matter the time of day/night.
• 24/7 member portal access. Just log in anytime to schedule service, update your information, check your service history and more.
• Safety inspections at every visit. We’ll test your home’s CO & smoke detectors for proper operation. And, if you have replacement batteries on-hand, we’ll install them for you.

 

[JoeWras]

My HVAC provider offered just a maintenance plan, which I had to have to keep the 10 parts & labor warranty in effect...now up to $400/year (2 visits)

This makes the warranty useless. I'm not sure this is legal either. The warranty may need to show "maintenance," but you have a right to the provider without a "tie-in sale." This is very clearly outlined in the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act, which many people think only applies to automobiles. It applies to all consumer items

$4k in fees for a warranty? That's a scam.

And here's a law firm calling out HVAC companies for violating this law.

https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/...-cover-all-products-or-prohibit-anything.html

Here’s an example of a prohibited tie-in provision under the Act:
To keep the warranty in effect on your new Premium Air Conditioner, you must purchase and use genuine Premium-brand filters. In addition, if you don’t have scheduled maintenance performed, at your expense, by the Premium Repair Company, the warranty is void.
The warrantor can, however, require you to use certain items or services if those items or services are free under the warranty. Also, a warrantor can include a tie-in provision if the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) gives the warrantor a waiver. The FTC gives a waiver only if the product won’t work properly without a specified item or service.

 

[Gallaher]

We had a MacMansion built in 2000. Had to have two heat pumps because of the square footage. Sold it in 2018.
Never had a single HVAC service or maintenance call. Never had a single problem.

 

[brett]

We have a contract on our furnace. Local, very reliable supplier.

One reason is that we snowbird most winters. Gone for 8-10 weeks more often than not to SE Asia. Australia. So we cannot get home quickly. We have the annual furnace checke in early/mid Jan. prior to leaving.

Another reason...it gives up priority service with our supplier. Six weeks ago, while we had 12 days of -20C (-4F). We woke up to a malfunctioning furnace. No heat. Other than the gas fireplace.

Entered an call request on their web site at 6:30AM. Call back at 7:30AM. Tech arrived at 7:45. As it happens he lives nearby. Our call was given priority. He said he had two days worth of calls (12-14hr days) to make...mostly non contract customers.

 

[Music Lover]

I live on the Canadian prairies. Reliable heating is crucial for 5 months every year. No one we know has a service contract for their furnace.

My current HE furnace is 20 years old. All I do is change the filter regularly.

 

[brett]

We live on the Canadian prairies. Right up against the mountains.

Our mtce plan is really a payment plan for a annual mtce check.

We live in a cul de sac. Our neighbours on both sides and accros the steet all a have similar plans. Some include the A/C, ours does not.

Very common in our area. And it was common when we lived on the other side of the country and heated with oil instead of natural gas.