"Prevention is better than cure."
-Desiderius Erasmus
This sentiment is as timely today as it was when it was coined between the years 1466-1536 when Desiderius Erasmus coined it during his lifetime. We know this to be true because many of us practice the tenants of the idea that “Prevention is better than the cure” on a regular basis. When you get the oil in your car changed every 3,000 miles (or 10,000 miles if you own a hybrid), or you get a mammogram once a year or your teeth cleaned and have an oral cancer check every 6 months, or visit your doctor for a physical every year around the same time; you are practicing the art of prevention (or at the very least early detection) because you know that prevention is better than the cure.
These particular actions can be thought of as prevention. The idea is that you are attempting to ‘take care’ of yourself or the things you own. You are trying to do what you can to make your car’s engine run more efficiently and effectively for a longer period of time. When you go to the doctor, you are making sure that your eating habits and exercising habits (or lack thereof) has or has not made a significant impact on your health to the point that more medical intervention is required. If you run or jog or do any kind of exercise a few times a week, you are doing what is within your power to try to stay fit, to burn calories, to build muscle, lower cholesterol and ultimately, to ward off disease, and the possibility of invasive surgeries and maintain your current state of health.
You need your car to get you to work or to drive the kids to their activities or to give you the freedom to come and go as you please. This desire to be able to get into your car, turn a key (or press a button) and go at will is important. You may even take it for granted. So you do what you can to maintain your car by changing the oil, the filter and the tires when required. Your car is one of the 4 most expensive things you probably own and it is a wise decision that you make every 3,000 miles, when you to take the car in to have the oil changed.
Did you know that your air conditioner and your furnace are in the top 4 of the most expensive items in your home to replace? Taking the time to call and have your yearly maintenance inspection and cleaning done on your Heating and cooling equipment is just as important as replacing the oil in your car! The most effective way for you to make sure this very important task gets done is to become a Preferred Customer and get a Service Agreement. A service agreement will ensure that your equipment is checked and maintained twice a year.
This preventive action will extend the life of your equipment (which will cost thousands of dollars to replace depending on the size of your home and your needs and requirements) and will detect potential complications before they become expensive repairs or replacements.
Prevention is always better than the cure. When it comes to your Heating and Cooling Equipment, a service agreement ensures that your equipment will be running efficiently and effectively when you need it the most.
A lot of homeowners put off doing the maintenance they need to that will save them time and money in the long run. I like the examples you use. I had no idea that my air conditioner and furnace were in the top 5 of my expenses. When you put it that way, it makes more sense to pay attention to the upkeep.
Being in remodeling I see a lot people not maintaining their equipment that they use everyday. I do the same type of preventive maintenance for home exteriors and painting so I know the payoff of maintaining things versus having to replace them sooner that a homeowner would have thought.
I think the same principle applies to most businesses. If you maintain it- it lasts longer and if you fix it when the problem first comes up, it costs less. That's the way it is in our concrete raising company, most definitely.
I like the use of the example of dental cleanings. Since that is my profession I see this all the time. Adults also will take care of their kids needs before their own. Maintaining anything you own that you want to last and has value to you is important. I see this too many times in a dental practice. The longer you wait, the more expensive it can be.
I can see the value of this. It would be great if homeowners could make a list of all the routine yearly maintenance they need to be scheduling, and then put all the tasks on a calendar and spread them out so they could budget accordingly, their equipment and their health, would be properly maintained and last longer!