It’s a good idea to keep your body maintained by doing regular exercise and eating mostly healthy foods.
The same goes for your HVAC system, you should try to keep it clean and maintained so that it can serve you well for a long time.
I don’t always eat healthy foods, but I would say that 85% of my diet consists of healthy fruits and vegetables and grains. I like to keep my HVAC system cleaned on a regular basis so that it doesn’t lose its efficiency. I have a reminder on my iPad telling me when it is time to clean it and it has worked very well because of that for many years. I think we can get another five years out of the central heating and air conditioner before we need to replace it. I have been putting some money aside each month so that when the time comes we won’t have to go on a rice and beans diet to afford a new system. We live near the beach and the salt air does a number on the AC compressors, rusting them within a year or two of getting them installed. We like to rinse the unit with fresh water from the garden hose to help slow down the rusting but it eventually happens and needs to be replaced. Our air handler is still the same one from a couple of HVAC units ago and the local contractor told me it will need to be replaced when we replace the system next time. I trust his judgment as he has been my friend for a long time.