So I quit calling the professionals for a few seasons and eventually my HVAC broke down.
My father drilled it into my head that I needed regular HVAC maintenance when I eventually moved out on my own. He actually gave me chores working on the HVAC. He showed me how to change the air filters and how to clean the outdoor AC condenser unit. He also showed me how to clean the HVAC unit indoors, but he stressed the power had to be shut off when working on any part of the HVAC or I could be electrocuted and killed. I was always careful about that since I never wanted to die at a young age. The air filters were a breeze, but the cleaning of the inner components was tough, but I became pretty good at it. He said that if you work on the HVAC carefully like that, you only have to worry about getting AC and heating system tune-ups and hardly any breakdowns. So I did that when I moved out into my first apartment. I called for regular HVAC maintenance from the pros, but I felt skeptical about having to pay all that money. So I quit calling the professionals for a few seasons and eventually my HVAC broke down. So I called the HVAC experts again and they told me my HVAC would have been fine if I got regular maintenance. I never should have quit with the HVAC maintenance, I thought I could do it all on my own. Of course, the professionals go to school for this type of thing, and HVAC systems are complicated. After that lesson, I will never miss out on my important HVAC system maintenance again!