Just like your car, your home's heating and cooling system needs  regular maintenance to keep it purring. Without regular servicing, heating and cooling systems burn more fuel and are more likely to break down. With the proper attention, however, they will operate at peek performance and keep you safe and comfortable all year round.

As a rule, it's best to have your HVAC equipment checked annually. Different types of equipment will require different types of maintenance and/or service. In general, however, the annual checkup should inspect for leaks of all kinds, general wear & tear, corroded electrical contacts and/or frayed wires, pipes, dampers, valves, pumps, blowers, fans, registers or radiators—as well as all the internal parts of the furnace, air conditioner, or boiler.

The system should be run through a complete cycle to ensure that it (and your thermostat) is operating safely and efficiently.

Indoor Air Quality Systems, such as humidifiers and air cleaners, also require routine maintenance. Left neglected, these systems become very inefficient. Regular cleaning and filter changes are a must.

Also having to do with air quality, your ductwork should be inspected every 3-5 years and here's the reason. When your heating and cooling systems are operating, the supply ducts (running throughout your house) are blowing air into the rooms while the return ducts are inhaling air and airborne dust and sucking it back toward the blower. Moisture to this confined area, via humidifiers, creates a perfect breeding ground for allergy-inducing molds, mites and bacteria. Many commonly-used filters are not sufficient to keep dust and debris from getting into your ductwork and, overtime, becoming a problem.

Without a doubt, properly maintained HVAC systems give you the most bang for your buck. Improved efficiently, lower energy costs, longer equipment life, and fewer service and repair bills are just a few of the obvious benefits. The comfort and safety of you and your family, however, is the biggest payoff by far.