Service Partner Plans
From the Latin manus tenere (to hold in the hand) comes the word maintenance and in this article I’m going to discuss what needs to be maintained around your house and how one of our Service Partner Plans (SPP’s) can help you take better care of the things that take care of you. We are going to focus on the big three systems in the home, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical. Let’s begin with air conditioning.
The air conditioner is one of the most expensive purchases a home owner needs to make every 12-15 years and it never ceases to amaze me how people do not properly maintain the system after it is installed. The big one of course is regularly changing the air conditioners filter. Useless trivia for the day, 1/32” of dust on the blower wheel of your system can reduce the efficiency by as much as 15%, so keeping the unit clean keeps it running as efficiently as possible. The other big thing all home owners should do is, at the same time you are changing your filter, pour some white vinegar down the drain line to help prevent drain line back-ups. The rest of the maintenance on your AC system should be left to us and this is where an Air Conditioning SPP comes into play.
The highlights of an AC SPP are:
- No service call fee
- 10% discount on needed repairs
- 1 or 2 tune-ups annually depending on the plan
- Coils cleaned in place
- Chemical cleaning of the drain line
- All electrical connections checked and tightened
- Warranty verification
Proper maintenance of the air conditioning system can help prevent unexpected repairs and expenses, now let’s move on to plumbing.
The plumbing system in your home is complex and consists of supply water and waste water removal systems. Piping runs all through the house and I can tell you from personal experience that water damage from a leaking or burst pipe can get very expensive very quickly. An annual plumbing inspection can detect little things before they become big disasters. Also if you stop to consider a dripping faucet or running toilet can waste thousands of gallons of water a year, proper maintenance of your home’s plumbing will save you money on those pesky water bills.
A plumbing SPP gets you the following:
- No service call fee
- 10% discount on needed repairs
- Annual inspection of entire system
- Flush and drain of water heater
- Toilet flappers changed
- Faucet aerators replaced
Okay, we have discussed air conditioning and plumbing. Let’s move on to the most dangerous part of your home, the electrical system.
Electricity is a part of everyday life that we sometimes I think take for granted and we forget how dangerous it can be. Every year thousands of home fires start from some kind of an electrical malfunction. We are all guilty of just flipping on a light, turning on a fan or microwaving something without thinking about what it takes to get the power from outside to whatever item we want to function. There are miles and miles of wire running through the walls starting at the outlets and switches connecting back to the indoor circuit breaker panel which then connects to the outside circuit breaker panel and then back to the power company. That makes for a lot of places that something could go horribly wrong and you’ve got a fire on your hands. On a side note, if you do experience an electrical fire DO NOT try to put it out with water. You should have a fire extinguisher that is electrical fire rated in your home in the event of an emergency. Trying to extinguish an electrical fire with water will only make it worse and end badly for you.
So, what is included with an Electric SPP you ask?
- No service call fee
- 10% discount on needed repairs
- Annual maintenance inspection
- All outlets tested
- All connections tightened
- All circuit breakers checked for weakness or corrosion
All our SPP plans are available a la carte, or for those who want the savings and the peace of mind in knowing the whole home is protected you can bundle them together with a whole home plan.
Alright my friends the time has come for me to get out and about, I’ve got a world to air condition one home at time. Until we cross paths again did you ever wonder what would happen if you got scared half to death twice? Hmmmm…
House Whisperer out!!
