You’ve done the responsible thing. You signed up for an annual maintenance program, paid your dues, and scheduled your two visits—summer for air conditioning and winter for heating. You’re feeling good about protecting your system and extending its lifespan.
But then the “maintenance” visit happens.
Your tech arrives for the winter check-up, disappears into your attic for about 25 minutes to take a few readings, comes back down to say, “Everything looks good,” and heads for the door. If that sounds familiar, you may not have received a full maintenance visit—you likely got something closer to a diagnostic check-up.
And there’s a big difference between the two.
Put simply: a diagnostic visit checks whether your system is working right now. A true maintenance visit is proactive—it’s designed to clean, test, and tune your system to help prevent problems before they happen.
The 25-Minute “Drive-By” Maintenance Visit
A diagnostic service visit is essentially a health check. The technician is looking to see whether the system is currently running or if something is broken. It’s a point-in-time snapshot.
Diagnostic visits are valuable when your AC suddenly stops blowing cold air in July or your heater won’t turn on in January. But that’s not what most homeowners think they’re paying for when they sign up for a semi-annual maintenance agreement.
A real maintenance service visit takes time. It’s about cleaning, tuning, and stress-testing your equipment so small issues don’t turn into a 2 a.m. emergency on the coldest night of the year.
What Real HVAC Maintenance Looks Like
If your technician never steps outside, never opens your furnace or air handler cabinet, and never gets “under the hood,” you’re probably not getting your money’s worth.
A proper maintenance visit involves hands-on work. For example, during a winter maintenance visit for a heat pump, your technician should be doing things like:
- Testing the reversing valve to confirm the system can switch properly from cooling to heating.
- Washing the outdoor coils so dirt and debris aren’t forcing the system to work harder than necessary
- Checking system temperatures to determine refrigerant levels are within factory specifications
- Inspecting moving components such as the blower motor and inducer fan for wear and tear
This kind of preventive maintenance helps improve efficiency, reduce utility bills, and extend the life of your system.
The “Bang for Your Buck” HVAC Maintenance Checklist
Don’t be afraid to ask your technician for their maintenance checklist and have them go over any symptoms that may require attention. A high-quality HVAC maintenance visit should cover 20+ key items, depending on your system type. If a technician is in and out in under half an hour, many of these steps were likely skipped.
Electrical & Controls
- Check thermostat calibration
- Tighten electrical connections
- Measure motor voltage and amperage
- Test capacitors
- Inspect contactors for pitting
- Monitor starting capabilities
Mechanical & Cleaning
- Wash outdoor condenser coils
- Inspect the primary drain line for proper draining
- Inspect and lubricate motors
- Check the evaporator coil
- Inspect ductwork for leaks
- Check and replace the air filter if needed
Safety & Performance
- Test carbon monoxide levels
- Inspect the furnace heat exchanger
- Test system safety switches
- Test emergency heat strips
- Inspect the reversing valve
- Record temperature split
- Check the defrost cycle
- Monitor refrigerant pressures
- Inspect gas piping and valves (for gas systems)
That’s what thorough HVAC maintenance actually looks like.
Read the Fine Print on Your Maintenance Agreement
Every homeowner should take five minutes to read their annual maintenance agreement. Does it clearly list cleaning and component testing? Or does it only promise a quick “inspection”?
You’re paying for peace of mind, better efficiency, and fewer surprise breakdowns. If your so-called maintenance visit feels more like a quick peek, you’re probably not getting the value you deserve. True HVAC maintenance takes time, proper tools, and a little elbow grease.
Tired of the 20-minute “drive-by” maintenance visit? At Cypress Heating & Air Conditioning, we believe HVAC maintenance should actually involve… well, maintenance. We take the time to make sure your system is truly ready for the season—not just quickly looked at. Contact us today.
