It is best to have your system maintained at least once a year.
Your utility company probably has this recommendation on their web site and they are not affiliated with any a/c company. Energystar.gov also recommends this.

A/C companies do not make money from maintenance's.
It just a break even deal or actually they lose money on maintenance's do to the costs it takes to send out a tech and truck to just clean/check a working system.
What maintenance's do is they do is keep your system running at it's best.
2. they help solve problems before they become a problem.

Hopefully the A/C maintenance contract has provisions in a maintenance program for priority service, waive service call fees and discount parts if need.

The main reason why A/C companies spend money on doing maintenance is to keep their business in touch with the customer.
You are their best references when it comes to their business.
Word of mouth to your friends, neighbors, associates.
Having their truck in your neighborhood is a benifit.

So would we rather spend money on our customer or on a newspaper, magazine, radio, mail out ads?

There are different levels of service, so be sure you understand what work will be performed.
a 39.00 check is not a maintenance cleaning.

A cost for a true maintenance check and cleaning may run from $75 to $140 per visit per system.

With decades of experience, I will disagree. Clean your filters yourself often, assess whether it appears to be operating properly or requires an initial setup adjustment, and be cognizant of how whether it seems to run an unusually long time, which would indicate there's a pressure leak, which means fixing the leak and recharging, not just recharging. Keep a spreadsheet of your monthly electricity usage in KWH, any abnormality will show up in the numbers.

I'm definitely wanting a vote on this issue. $100 per system per year is a chunk of change - $2000 per decade. If it does something worthwhile, I'd do it. I have new systems and they are working fine. But if there is cleaning that they do that is helpful... I doubt I need a pressure/leak check.

I can clean fins and do a basic visual check.

I can clean my own unit and do the visual check myself. I can do any electrical repair not requiring refrigerant handling. I can also check the charge, but currently lack the equipment to do that. I don't have an EPA card anyway.

I have heard and seen too many horror stories about people having working equipment serviced only to find that it no longer worked properly, or not at all. Some service techs just can't help themselves. They feel the need to adjust "something." Sometimes they do more harm than good.

There are also too many unqualified techs out there. My state does not require a license to service or install HVAC equipment, although some counties might. The owner or a single employee has to have a contractor's license to bid jobs larger than $25,000. In eight counties, a state home improvement license is required to bid HVAC jobs over $3,000 and less than $25,000. There is no test for this.

There is of course the federal refrigerant handler's card, but that is only concerned with refrigerant handling, not overall HVAC skills and knowledge.

It's a sealed system. It should not lose any refrigerant, unless something has failed, then it needs repair. It shouldn't need adjusting. Other than that, all it should need is cleaning and a visual inspection.

I take strong issue with Dave's statement that HVAC companies don't make money on service calls. We have a couple of major firms locally that virtually do nothing but service calls. One does not do any installation work at all, unless it is to change out a defective unit.

There are also a number of individuals running one man service shops.

I have to say the majority of the time that I work in the proximity of peoples homes and walk by units I see at least one that is either covered in cottonwood fuzz or spiderwebs and assorted yard clippings that are so thick it is hard to believe they work. With this in mind for the people who don't know or don't care it would be well worth the money spent on cleaning in energy savings. Usually the people who don't care or know won't spend the money for a yearly service anyway...

If you don't want to physically clean anything other than slip in a filter every now and then, the service may pay off especially if the unit gets really dirty.

If you are handy and pay attention to run times and how cool the air comes out of the vents and the appearance of the outdoor unit and are capable of doing the cleaning maintenance to either coil then the yearly service will probably end up being a waste of money.

I am going to do my cleaning and filter changing and have it serviced every 5 years unless something doesn't seem right.

hmm,
in my area
We have lawn service guys that cut grass they charge minimum of $40 per cut but will give a special of around $120 a month if you sign a year contract. With their professional equipment they are in and out in 15 minutes.
and down here it's hot! and a lot of people hire these guys to cut their lawn.
To those people you say cut your own grass!

There is weed control for your lawn that cost around $45 per application takes them max 15 minutes.
You tell those people(me included) go to lowe's and get weed and feed and do your own fertilization! or why not make the lawn guy that cuts grass do it! You pay him to cut he should do weed control and paint too!

and why would anyone hire a painter?

Then there is
Pest Control that will charge $60 to spray your home in 15 minutes to keep those bugs out.
To those customers you say buy a Fogger and do it yourself.
save some bucks! I mean how easy is it to fog your home?

Then there is people who may not have time to prepare breakfast, lunch or dinner. Some may not even make their own coffee in the morning.
To those people you say cook for yourself
Their should be no need for restaurants or Starbucks!

Grocery Stores sells food you can grow yourself!

If you grow your own food, cut your own grass, fertilize, and fog your own home then eat at home every night good for you. But some of us hire others for luxury, convenience and upkeep.

All of you are paying for internet and if that is not a luxury I don't know what is.

So to say don't get something that is recommend by utility companies, government agencies, and manufacture industries ect.. I guess you all are smarter than everyone.

For the original poster, they may do their own maintenance but there are lurkers here that may get the interpretation that they don't need to do anything and then their condensate line backs up and ruins their wooden floor.
so my question is

What do you all do for a living? I'm reading advice about what I do as a profession and the correct advice is to do maintenance whether you do it yourself or hire a guy like me.

2nd
Service work is not Maintenance.
Service is a priority call, maintenance is a scheduled call. Service is to fix, Maintenance is to maintain.
I'm telling you as a business, the cost of doing a correct maintenance is not a profit call for us in the HVAC business. If you think it is, write a book and show me how a maintenance is profitable by sending out a truck that has a payment, insurance, gas and then a man that you pay who has workman's comp and a 100 other things that goes with employees then supply the truck with supplies so the tech can spend an hour or 2 cleaning your system for only $100 anyone who thinks their profit write a book and I'll buy it because I like to know.

Dave calm down over there. If you perform maintenance and complete the work specified my hat is off to you and it is part of doing business and making a living. It is also part of making more revenue if you have business skills.

I worked in a dealership... the lube rack itself did not 'make money' by any means. The service got new oil and filter and all other fluids checked and topped off, tires checked and car vacuumed out for a very reasonable price.

Brakes got a glance depending on mileage, ball joints, tie rod ends belts and other items were inspected that might not have been on the 'inspection list'.

Other establishments quoted similar service for a similar price and you got new oil and a new filter.. and if you were lucky a splash of washer fluid so next time you hit them something would be sure to hit the windshield and they made money and some either didn't mind it or didn't realize they were getting reamed... probably the latter.

My point was for people who read this to make their own decision on how far they can do maintenance and draw the line and have a professional do the rest. First and foremost pull your head out and look at your outside unit that the lawn guys blow the clippings toward as they mow around it... or if you do it... STOP. If it is wrong to help bring to light that there are things that john Q public can do to save energy and be more comfortable like blowing the debris away from their unit with a leaf blower.. I guess I am wrong.

I guess I should have been angry at anyone that recommended checking their tire pressure when I had a tire pressure gauge in my tool box.

I spent over a decade in the automotive business and another with a utility since you asked.

Also I thought this was a forum for people to ask for advice....and it was provided and even I stated that I will get "MAINTENANCE" on my unit but not yearly. I do have one scheduled for next month since my unit was installed last October to make sure all is up to snuff.

There is also a lot of revenue that can be generated by a maintenance call especially if you purchase a infrared camera and get a group of subs that do windows insulation and general home sealing and offer to take images of their home while you are there for an evaluation so THEY can see. There is money to be made off the additional service along with money paid from the subs for getting the jobs.

Want a book? Think outside the box...and keep pushing forward doing honest work for honest pay and you will be rewarded.

hone your skills in home energy auditing and make that a sideline and offer it with the maintenance at a discounted rate. Contact and meet with home owners associations and give the HOA a discount per home that gets audited.

Like I said.. think outside of the box..I know someone who turned their business and life around and who has been in business for over 20 years.

countryboymo,

My post was ment to give light to maintenance costs and the cost to perform maintenance through a business and that is all.
I think we are saying the same thing.
my posts were not directed towards any one in particular.

I write to the forum for the many who lurk and never post.

When someone posts that money is made off maintenance all I stated is the facts of that it is a break even service. It is much easier to give up costs to keep regular costumers than it is to pay for advertising to get new customers. Further more keeping your regular customers will get you new customers by word of mouth.

Country,
You hit it on the head,
The lube rack is a prime example, It is ment to bring customers into the shop.
now if some one said to you, You car guys are rip offs, charging $40 to $60 to change oil when I can do it for 10 bucks. What would you think?
You then would go into explaining the cost it takes to change oil as a business.

Then, if someone says ah I get AMSOIL, I don't need to change my oil the thing can run for 25,000 miles and I can even run it to the shop when I lose my AMSOIL from a customer comment I read so I don't think you need to change oil every 3000 (6000synthetic) miles anyways, you will smell the oil burn when it's time to change it.

You're like What?
and think Ok, if that's what you think, good but don't give advice for grandma to read and then she will think it's ok not to change her oil in her vehicle.

It's different of what we do and what advice we give if it is not the recommended procedures based on the manufacture of a product.

We are saying the same thing, just check your air conditioning system.
Out of site out of mind is not a good way to think of your A/C and especially your gas furnace if you have one.
They get lonely being left outside, shut in a closet or left in an attic. :)