If you’ve heard about annual inspection plans for your plumbing, HVAC, or electrical system, you may be wondering if it’s worth the cost. From a straight economics standpoint, it may seem odd to pay for inspecting a system that isn’t broken, rather than simply waiting for it to break down and paying for the repairs at that point.

But if you think about it another way, paying a little to maintain a system each year is far less expensive than paying for major repairs – especially in an emergency situation! Add to that the misery of trying to deal with a flooded house or a broken air conditioner during the hottest months, and suddenly neglecting your home’s major systems until they break isn’t quite so economical after all.

Let’s take a closer look at the different ways that annual inspections can save you money and give you greater peace of mind.

Lower Monthly Bills

One of the main ways that regular system inspections can help save you money is by lowering your monthly bills. For example, an air conditioning unit or furnace that is correctly maintained will work much more efficiently, leading to lower utility bills throughout the year.

The same thing is true of your plumbing and electrical systems. If you think about all of the small ways that water and electricity are wasted when small leaks or electrical problems are ignored, it becomes clear that doing small repairs and maintenance throughout the year ultimately leads to lower costs in the long term.

Longer Lifespan

Your home’s major systems come with an expected lifespan. Like anything else, your plumbing lines, toilets, HVAC unit, wiring, and so on will wear out and need to be replaced. Replacement costs for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC units can run into the thousands of dollars (if not more), making the cost of neglect very high.

Delaying replacement as long as possible by maintaining your systems in one way to save money on home repairs. In fact, HVAC units and other parts of your home that get regular professional maintenance can often last years longer than systems that aren’t maintained, which means you’ll pay those expensive replacement costs far less often through the years. Regular inspections can give you peace of mind by helping things work efficiently for longer, not to mention offering detailed information about your systems and advance warning should problems arise.

Related Topic: The Effect of Maintenance (or Lack Thereof) on Home Value

Reduced Long-Term Repair Costs

Having annual inspections done can also help you avoid unnecessary long-term repair costs. This is because when small problems are discovered and addressed right away, larger problems tend not to develop. It just makes sense: a burst pipe or electrical outage will cost you a lot more to fix than a small leak or simple wiring issue.

In fact, knowing about developing issues before they become an emergency repair situation can save you a lot of money. This is because you will have time to schedule the right company to take care of your replacement or upgrade, rather than hiring anyone who can do the work right away – and usually at a premium, too. When thinking about the costs of home maintenance and repairs, it is helpful to take a long view. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Less Damage

When thinking about the cost of repairs, it’s also important to include damage to other parts of the house, as well. For example, water leaks don’t just damage the plumbing where the leak occurs. Depending on how much water leaks out, it could damage your floors, walls, furniture, cabinets, and much more. If your furnace fails just as the weather dips into freezing temperatures, not only will you have to face an emergency furnace repair, but also run the risk of frozen pipes and a flood, as well.

Finally, it’s sobering to think about how many electrical fires could be prevented if the homeowner had simply chosen to have their electrical system inspected just once a year. By simply having your electrical and plumbing systems inspected each year, your risk of these issues is significantly reduced.

Bonus – Safety Issues

In fact, safety is a major concern whenever the subject of your home’s major systems arises. We rely on correctly functioning plumbing, electrical, and HVAC every single day. But neglected systems can and will turn small problems into major safety concerns. We’ve already mentioned electrical fires, which are often a direct result of unknown electrical issues in the house that, if caught early, could have been fixed easily.

But your wastewater system, as well as heating and cooling, can become serious health hazards if they break down or stop working as they should. From this perspective, annual inspections are not just about the money. They are a way to keep you and your loved ones safe from harm.

Learn More About Annual Inspections

As these examples show, annual inspections simply save you money in the long run. But to get that total peace of mind an inspection should bring, you need the right professionals for each job. That’s why the professionals at Mr. Electric, Mr. Rooter, and Aire Serv are here to help! To learn more about the great services we offer or to schedule an inspection, visit the links above or go to Neighborly.com.