If you call an HVAC maintenance service, get the technician to do more than just seasonal maintenance. After all, you have him or her right there, and he/she is capable of doing a lot of the annual maintenance you need. To help you remember all of the maintenance tasks you want the technician to do, here is a little reminder/cheat sheet.
It is fall. The air conditioner needs to be "put to bed," so to speak. That means that the technician will clean, check, and fill your air conditioner so that it is ready for use next summer. Then the A/C unit outside has to be covered and/or wrapped to prevent it from getting clogged up with leaves and debris, and also to keep snow and ice out of it.
You are also about to turn your furnace on for the season. The technician can check this for you as well. Change the filter, clean the ducts, and check the electrical components are just a few of the maintenance tasks. If your furnace is fueled by anything other than electricity, the technician can check all the ports and connections to make sure that the ports and connections are clean and clear. Valves, if present, are also checked to make sure they turn easily and still provide a solid seal against leaks.
Yes, even the water heater should be serviced annually. Sediment in your water can block up the water heater's plumbing, so it is important to drain the water heater once a year to relieve the appliance of excess sediment. If you do not have floor drains, be sure to provide the technician with large drip pans, as at least a gallon of hot water has to be drained from the bottom release valve during this maintenance process.
Finally, all of your vents and ducts should be cleaned. This increases heating and cooling efficiency and removes a lot of dust and allergens from the ducts that can make you sick. If you have never had the ducts and vents cleaned before, tack an extra hour onto your maintenance service call as it will take this long to clean out a decade or more of dirt. If you do this service annually as well, the service time is shorter every year because you will not have extensive build-up in your ducts and vents.
For more information, contact companies like Dalton Heating & Air Conditioning.