American Home Shield Pros Share Expert Advice for Springing HVAC Systems into Shape

Contractor Network Shares Tips to Cool #DIYSpringFever Ahead of
Rising Temps

MEMPHIS, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With warm spring weather comes a renewed motivation to tackle cleaning
and maintenance projects in and around the house. According to American
Home Shield, the nation’s largest provider of home warranties,
cleaning and checking air conditioning units should be at the top of
every homeowner’s spring to-do list.

While homeowners can handle some simple upkeep tasks on their own, there
are a few projects that even the most experienced “do-it-yourselfers”
should leave to a service professional.

In fact, the central heating and air conditioning system is the number
one system contractors say they wish homeowners would stop trying to fix
on their own and leave to trained experts to service, according to a
recent national survey of American Home Shield’s contractor network. The
survey also found that HVAC systems end up being one of the most common
and expensive repairs for homeowners.

“Sometimes a do-it-yourself fix can do more harm than good,” says Dave
Quandt, vice president of field services at American Home Shield, a
business unit of ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV). “When a homeowner is
dealing with an expensive, intricate or critical home system like a
home’s heating and cooling system, calling a professional is the best
way to avoid a potentially bigger issue down the road.”

Of nearly 4 million service requests placed by American Home Shield
customers last year, more than 30 percent were related to breakdowns of
heating and air conditioning systems.

With temperatures already on the rise across the nation, the company is
urging homeowners to take action now to get their air conditioning
systems ready for summer. Not sure what to do? Here’s a list of tips
that will help make sure you keep your cool when the summer heat settles
in:

HVAC Tips: Do-it-Yourself

• Turn it on now before temperatures climb any higher, and let it run
  for 30 minutes or more. If it’s not cooling properly, call a
  professional to help get your unit in shape before you really need it.
• Inspect the area around your unit’s condenser and clear off any leaves
  or debris.
• Make sure there is good air flow around the unit.
• Give
  the exterior portion of the unit a good rinse with a garden hose.
• Don’t forget to change or clean your unit’s filter once per month.
• To keep your unit running efficiently, adjust
  your programmable thermostat no more than 2 or 3 degrees at a time.
• Schedule
  regular maintenance on your unit, including having the indoor coil
  and blower professionally cleaned before each cooling season.

HVAC Tips: Leave it to the Pros

• Check refrigerant levels and top off with fluid, if needed.
• Clean the intricate portions on the inside of the unit, including the
  indoor coil or blower.

For more information and helpful spring
maintenance tips and videos from American Home Shield, visit www.ahs.com
or the Home
Matters blog and YouTube
channel, which have hundreds of tips, videos and content to help
homeowners protect their homes from the inside out.

About American Home Shield

American Home Shield founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and
remains the industry leader. American Home Shield, together with its
wholly-owned subsidiaries, services 1.6 million customers in all 50
states. The companies operate four customer service centers, employ
approximately 1,800 employees and have a national contractor network
made up of over 12,000 independent home service contractors and more
than 45,000 service technicians. American Home Shield is a business unit
of ServiceMaster
Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), one of the world’s largest
residential and commercial service networks. Go to www.ahs.com for
more information about American Home Shield or follow the company online
at www.facebook.com/team.ahs or www.twitter.com/AHS_Warranty.

About ServiceMaster

ServiceMaster (NYSE: SERV) solves the homeowner’s dilemma. Every day, we
visit more than 75,000 homes and businesses through our extensive
service network of expert professionals. Technology powers our trusted
experts to engage with customers so they can order, buy and receive
services when, where and how they want them. Our well-recognized brands
includes American Home Shield (home warranties), AmeriSpec (home
inspections), Furniture Medic (furniture repair), Merry Maids
(residential cleaning), ServiceMaster Clean (janitorial and residential
floor cleaning), ServiceMaster Restore (disaster restoration) and
Terminix (termite and pest control). Like, follow or visit us at facebook.com/ServiceMaster,
linkedin.com/ServiceMaster,
twitter.com/ServiceMaster,
or servicemaster.com.

Survey Methodology

The 2016 AHS National Contractor Survey presents the findings of an
online survey conducted from November 29-December 31, 2016 among a
sample of 902 contractors in the American Home Shield network.

Contacts

ServiceMaster
Alison Bishop, 901-597-8978
Alison.Bishop@servicemaster.com
or
Molly
Odre, 617-939-8321
modre@conecomm.com