We have a Lennox gas furnace and central air conditioning. A failing furnace blower motor capacitor recently inspired me to order a spare so I can swap it if the new one fails. There's a similar capacitor on the outside central air unit, so that's another capacitor to have around.

I change the furnace filter every few months and that seems to work well.

What other maintenance tasks and parts make sense?

The contactor should probably be replaced at the same time as a capacitor. Its a $12-$20 part on Amazon

A bottle of Zoom Spout Turbine oil .

I have the HVAC installer come every spring and fall and he does a complete check of the system for AC in spring and heat in fall, cleans and adjusts things as needed. Lennox system here as well.

The wife has started to bitch lately about paying $250 for this and I told her “do you want to pay $250 and have documented service for the warranty or do you want to skip it and something major breaks and they refuse to fix it because we weren’t doing our part and then we are paying thousands”.

If you have any sort of ground cover or shrubbery around your outside unit, cut it back and make sure you have good airflow.

The HVAC guy pointed out that my pachysandra was starting to get too close and advised I trim it back which I did and keep that way now.

When it comes to capacitors, buy Amrad. The only ones i know of with a great warranty, and made in America.

A suck the drain out with a shop vac once in a while and change the filters.

One part that hasn’t been mentioned is a spare circuit breaker. Probably a rarity, but I had it happen to me once.

Between houses and rentals with AC and pool heat pumps, here is what I’ve seen:
Clogged drain lines a dozen times
Capacitors three times
Contactor once
Circuit breaker once

Every other issue wasn’t DIY.

The repair guys never seem to have the parts needed on hand and the supply houses are never open when the AC quits working.

My annual service plan includes:
--check outdoor unit capacitor for mFD.
--clean outdoor unit coils with a vile-smelling liquid
--pour a drain cleaner down the condensate drain and run a small tubular brush through the tubes.
--check the condensing and evaporating temperatures
--check the humidifier panel, solenoid
--check the giant Aprilaire filters
--document findings

I keep a spare contactor and capacitor. I’ve had both go out and need replacing. I also clean my condenser every year and paint the condenser housing to prevent corrosion.

Take a picture of your condenser wiring too, it comes in handy when you can’t find the wiring diagram and wiring burns up with the capacitor/contactor.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I have the HVAC installer come every spring and fall and he does a complete check of the system for AC in spring and heat in fall, cleans and adjusts things as needed. Lennox system here as well.

A complete waste of money.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
The wife has started to bitch lately about paying $250 for this and I told her “do you want to pay $250 and have documented service for the warranty or do you want to skip it and something major breaks and they refuse to fix it because we weren’t doing our part and then we are paying thousands”.

Why, why, WHY do you continue to offer inaccurate advice?
I just don't understand people whom offer advice on a subject which they don't understand the in and outs of themselves. Is it too feel like your helping or is it just boosting a post count/presence?

Now for the facts...

I know of NO manufacture which will refuse to back their warranty due to lack of maintenance.

HVAC companies refusing to due warranty work on equipment they didn't install, yes.
HVAC companies telling you such in order to make money on maintenance contracts, yes.

Installing HVAC companies refusing warranty work on their systems, no.

Crappy HVAC companies not wanting to stand behind anything, sure.

But let's stop spreading inaccurate information. It does nothing to better help the HVAC or any other industry. It only helps in backing up the BS stories, in which the crappy companies tell their customers. Since most people can't simply get a simple no BS reply.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
My annual service plan includes:
--check outdoor unit capacitor for mFD.
--clean outdoor unit coils with a vile-smelling liquid
--pour a drain cleaner down the condensate drain and run a small tubular brush through the tubes.
--check the condensing and evaporating temperatures
--check the humidifier panel, solenoid
--check the giant Aprilaire filters
--document findings

3 of the wife's nephews are commercial AC techs. The above is inline with one's of their maintenance recommendations. The only thing I thought excessive was his recommended to change out the capacitor every year preventatively. He said that is the most common part to fail and when it begin to fail, it will cause other problems that will need to be fixed. He said they are mostly Chinisium junk and is an inexpensive parts.

quote:

Originally posted by TXLe:
The only thing I thought excessive was his recommended to change out the capacitor every year preventatively. He said that is the most common part to fail and when it begin to fail, it will cause other problems that will need to be fixed. He said they are mostly Chinisium junk

Mars still offers US-made HVAC capacitors in their upper tier line (model numbers usually starting with 14xxx). Just pay attention to the box markings. Mars' other lower-tier capacitors are made in Mexico, not the US. But those are typically branded "Jard by Mars" or "Mars2", rather than just "Mars".

However, you're looking at $30-$50 for those US-made capacitors, as opposed to $12-$20 for a China or Mexico capacitor.

Having a spare capacitor for your system on hand is a good idea. But swapping it out annually seems a bit overkill, though I guess you could view it as comparatively cheap prevention.


My basic maintenance practice is:
-Replace filters on the 1st of each month
-Rinse coils on the outside unit annually in the later spring, after peak pollen season and before heading into summer. (Also check the outside unit for other debris inside, though I've never found any major debris.)
-Pour a couple cups of vinegar down the condensate drain every spring, at the same time as rinsing the coil

And now, I'm going to be adding in checking the capacitor's capacitance with a multimeter annually as well.

Oh, that reminds me. You’ll want a multimeter that can measure capacitance and it just so happens RogueJSK started a thread on that here: https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...0601935/m/4470018105.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

My basic maintenance practice is:
-Replace filters on the 1st of each month
-Rinse coils on the outside unit annually in the later spring, after peak pollen season and before heading into summer. (Also check the outside unit for other debris inside, though I've never found any major debris.)
-Pour a couple cups of vinegar down the condensate drain every spring, at the same time as rinsing the coil

I pour some vinegar into the drain line each time I change the filter, usually every month or two. It's easy to remember to do it, that way.

I've never had algae buildup in any of my houses' condensate lines, despite only flushing with vinegar once a year. But I could see how doing it more often might be necessary in the far South.

I never had an issue either until I moved to Florida. I don’t know what the stuff is that clogs the pipe, but sucking the pipe out with a shop vac works for me.

No way in hell am I going to change out a capacitor on an annual basis . I have my spares and I'll replace as needed which has been very seldom .

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:


Why, why, WHY do you continue to offer inaccurate advice?

Right from Lennox, pal:

quote:

The new Lennox unit must be properly installed, operated and maintained by a licensed professional installer (or equivalent), or by a service agency in accordance with the unit installation, operation and maintenance instructions provided with each Lennox unit. Failure to provide maintenance per Lennox instructions will void the warranty. You may be asked to provide written documentation of annual and other periodic preventive maintenance. Proof of original installation may be required. Visit Lennox.com/WarrantyYourWay for more details.

Link

I am not a lawyer, or a doctor, but I am a HVAC contractor, and Mr Ex is correct in that no warranty claim can be disputed on a lack of preventative maintenance. The Lennox info quoted is to increase service revenues and has no bearing on warranty claim acceptance in practice. But hey, you do you, it’s your money and it’s your AC, do whatever makes you happy.

quote:

Originally posted by Stlhead:
I am not a lawyer, or a doctor, but I am a HVAC contractor, and Mr Ex is correct in that no warranty claim can be disputed on a lack of preventative maintenance. The Lennox info quoted is to increase service revenues and has no bearing on warranty claim acceptance in practice. But hey, you do you, it’s your money and it’s your AC, do whatever makes you happy.

Yeah, but remember PA is an expert in every field there is too be imagined.

No need to take an actual professional's advice when it comes to their field of expertice.

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:


Yeah, but remember PA is an expert in every field there is too be imagined.

No need to take an actual professional's advice when it comes to their field of expertice.

Oh screw you

If I’m wrong about stuff I post then I’ll shut up and go away.

But you seem to like going out of your way going after me like this, you’re still butthurt about that whole Pex vs Sharkbite thread no matter how you try to say otherwise it would seem.

Congrats on being the first person to earn a spot on the ignore list since 2007, feel free to do the same buddy.