Leonard J. Brown Plumbing Inc.
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Question: A plumbing-heating contractor that I've dealt with several times has proposed selling me a service contract for routine maintenance and repairs such as furnace cleaning in the fall and other checkups and tune-ups. Is this common practice? What are the advantages? What services should be included in the contract, and what's a reasonable price to pay?

Reply: Service contracts are more common for commercial-industrial work than residential, and more common for heating and cooling systems than plumbing. However, there is no reason why a good service plan can't work just as well for the home as a business or why plumbing shouldn't be included.

The biggest advantage to the homeowner is the convenience and security of knowing that preventive maintenance that should be done will be done. Rodding a drain, for instance, is not something most people think of doing until it backs up. And doesn't it always seem to happen on the night that you host a dinner party!

Service contracts also can be advantageous to the contractor by giving him a steadier workload, and the lump sum billing improves his cash flow. Thus, the overall price for the various services performed should be less than if contracted individually.

There is no standard format for a service contract. They must be customized for individual homes based upon the scope of work covered and the age, models and conditions of household plumbing-heating-cooling systems, as well as the service firm's capabilities. At a minimum, I recommend including the following items:

Furnace/boiler cleaning & tune-up

Check for gas leaks, loose electrical connections, cracked heat exchangers and duct or venting problems that could lead to the escape of the toxic gases. Check for duct leaks and clean or replace furnace filters as needed.

With boilers, oil-fired systems should be cleaned and tuned at least once a year. Gas-fired boilers can get by with full tune-ups every other year. The contractor also should bleed the air out of radiators once or twice a heating season.

Homes with heat pumps ought to have the units fully serviced at least every two or three years.

Air Conditioning

General cleaning and maintenance each year helps increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption. Also, inspect for leaks in ductwork. Central A/C units should be thoroughly inspected and tuned at least once every three years.

Plumbing & drainage

Check for leaks in faucets and toilets. A barely perceptible leak in the toilet tank can waste 5 gallons a day or more, costing money and wasting a precious resource. Water heaters too should be checked for leaks and, even more important, clogged flueways that could present a safety hazard. Likewise, be sure to include inspection of the water heater's temperature and pressure relief valve.

As springtime approaches, be sure sump pumps or other flood control devices are free of blockage and in good working order. A preventive maintenance contract might also include provisions for rodding all household drain lines periodically.

There are so many variables it's hard to say how much you ought to pay for a household service contract, but this rule of thumb is in order: Add up all the costs you incurred for minor plumbing, heating and air conditioning maintenance and repairs in a year's time, plus an estimate for all the work you should have had done. If a service contract proves to be significantly less, the price is right.