Terms of Service

1. What we do and don't do

We provide routine home maintenance, depending on your plan: replacing HVAC air filters, refrigerator and other water filters, humidifier pads, and smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, and thermostat batteries; cleaning return vent grilles, dishwasher filters, metal range hood grease filters, refrigerator coils (from the front grille), and dryer lint trap housings; flushing AC condensate drain lines; rinsing outdoor AC units; turning outdoor faucets off for winter and back on in spring; setting the humidifier bypass damper for the season; changing hard-to-reach light bulbs; adding water softener salt; and basic checks such as testing smoke and CO alarms, accessible kitchen and bathroom GFCI outlets, and sump pumps, checking that the AC drip pan is dry, and looking at washing machine water hoses and a water heater for leaks, bulges, rust and drips.

We do not perform HVAC, electrical, plumbing, roofing, or appliance repairs or installations, including replacing light fixtures, ceiling fans, or hardwired alarms. We don't move large appliances or work on roofs.

Checks are not inspections. Our checks (such as testing smoke and CO alarms, reading their expiration dates, pressing the test button on accessible GFCI outlets, testing a sump pump, or looking at an AC drip pan, washing machine hoses, or a water heater) are quick, basic checks of what we can see and test without taking anything apart. Our washing machine hose and water heater checks are visual only: we look for leaks, bulges, rust and drips. They are not safety inspections, and we never test, adjust, turn valves on, or drain anything on a water heater or washing machine supply. If we notice something that looks wrong, we'll tell you and note it in your online account so you can contact a licensed professional. A check that finds nothing is not a guarantee that no problems exist.

2. Service area

We serve single-family homes in ZIP codes 22307 and 22308 in Alexandria, Virginia. We may accept other homes at our discretion.

3. First visit

The first visit costs $49. It includes locating and measuring your filters, recording your refrigerator model, replacing up to 2 standard 1-inch air filters, testing your smoke and CO alarms, and taking care of the every-visit basics (plus shutting off outdoor faucets in fall or turning them back on in spring). If you sign up for the plan, we take $20 off your next bill (your first plan visit or a prepaid year). There is no obligation to sign up for a plan afterward.

4. The plan and replacement schedules

We offer one plan, the Fort Hunt Plan, at the per-visit prices shown on our website at the time you sign up:

• The Fort Hunt Plan ($119 per visit, one visit about every 3 months): up to 2 standard 1-inch air filters every visit; and, every visit, return vent cleaning, the dishwasher filter cleaned, a check that the AC drip pan and float switch are dry, smoke and CO alarm testing, the date and airflow arrow written on each new filter, the old filters taken away, a card left with what we did and your filter sizes, and up to 3 hard-to-reach light bulbs changed (you supply the bulbs). Also: your refrigerator water filter changed every 6 months (you supply the filter; see below) and the coils cleaned once a year; the metal range hood grease filter cleaned twice a year (summer and winter); alarm and thermostat batteries replaced once a year and alarm expiration dates checked; the dryer lint trap housing cleaned and washing machine water hoses visually checked for bulges and drips once a year; accessible kitchen and bathroom GFCI outlets tested once a year; outdoor faucets shut off in fall (by November 15) and turned on in spring (once hard freezes have passed); each spring, the outdoor AC unit rinsed (once temperatures are 55°F or warmer) and a sump pump test (if you have one); and the AC condensate drain line flushed each spring and again each summer, when it clogs most.
• Twice a year ($149 per visit, one visit in April or May and one between October 1 and November 15): the same plan in two visits. The spring visit includes the spring and summer tasks (with one condensate drain line flush) and the fall visit the fall and winter tasks. At each visit we also leave a spare of each standard air filter, dated 3 months out, for you to put in yourself, and we email you when it's time.
• Larger-home option (add $60 per visit to either): covers up to 2 heating and cooling systems (up to 4 standard filters every visit, or up to 2 thick 4–5 inch media filters every 6 months; on visits between thick-filter changes we inspect the filter and vacuum the cabinet slot; a system with a thick filter doesn't also get standard filters), plus 1 whole-house humidifier pad once a year (we supply it) with the humidifier bypass damper and water supply valve set for the season; changing under-sink, reverse-osmosis and air purifier cartridges on their recommended schedule (you buy the cartridges; we tell you exactly which); carrying in and adding up to 2 bags of water softener salt each visit if you have a softener (you supply the salt); and, each winter (or at the fall visit on twice a year), a visual check of the water heater for leaks, rust and drips (not a safety inspection). We add this option when your home has 2 systems or thick filters, and tell you before it applies. Additional systems, thick filters, or pads are billed as extras.

Seasonal tasks are done at the visit that falls in that season (spring: March–May; summer: June–August; fall: September–November; winter: December–February). We book fall visits by November 15 so outdoor faucets are off before freezing weather. On twice a year, we book the spring visit in April or May and the fall visit between October 1 and November 15; if one has to move, a visit from March to August counts as the spring visit and one from September to February as the fall visit. If a visit is skipped, its seasonal tasks wait until that season comes around again, with two exceptions: if we missed your fall visit, at your winter visit we check that your outdoor faucets are off (and email you how to shut them off yourself if we haven't been out by mid-November) and replace any due alarm and thermostat batteries.

What you buy. You supply your refrigerator water filter, any under-sink, reverse-osmosis or air purifier cartridges, water softener salt, and light bulbs; their prices vary too widely from home to home for us to include them. You order and pay for these parts yourself, from any store; we don't buy or resell them. We tell you the exact part to buy, your online account shows it and when it's next due, and about 10 days before a visit where one is due we email you the part to order (or you can set a 6-month auto-delivery with your store so it is always on hand). If a part you buy isn't on hand when we arrive, we'll change it at your next visit. We supply the air filters, batteries, humidifier pads and sealed alarms described here, and their cost is included in the plan or add-on price.

Alarms that are hardwired without backup batteries or that have sealed long-life batteries are not included in battery replacement.

5. Extra items and upgrades

• Additional air filter changes beyond your plan: $25 each for standard filters, $65 each for thick 4–5 inch filters
• MERV 13 allergy filters, where your system supports them: +$10 per filter change
• Changing a refrigerator water filter you supply: $15 (included in the plan)
• Dryer vent duct cleaning: $129 (only vents we can reach from the ground or a short ladder)
• Sealed 10-year smoke alarm installation, alarm included: $45 each; smoke and CO combination alarm: $79 each (battery-powered alarms only)
• Light bulb changes beyond 3 per visit: $5 each (you provide the bulbs)
• Changing under-sink, reverse-osmosis or air purifier cartridges that you supply: $15 per cartridge (included with the larger-home option)

Our prices include any materials we supply. We'll always tell you about extra charges before we install anything that isn't included in your plan.

6. Payment

You are billed after each completed visit, and payment is due when you receive your invoice. You can pay by card, check, or cash.

Card on file. If you save a card (on the secure page of our payment processor, Stripe), you authorize us to charge that card after each completed visit for your plan's per-visit price (or the $49 first visit) plus any extras from Section 5 that we told you about before installing them, until you remove the card or cancel. You'll receive a receipt. You can replace or remove your card at any time from your online account or by contacting us. If a charge fails, we'll send you a payment link, or you can pay by check or cash.

Prepaying. If you choose to prepay for a year, you pay for your next 4 visits (2 on twice a year) up front at 10% off. If you cancel a prepaid year early, we refund what you paid minus the regular per-visit price of the visits already completed (if that's more than you paid, no refund is due).

7. Price changes

We may change plan prices. We'll tell you at least 30 days before a new price applies to your next visit, and you can cancel before then.

8. Scheduling, skipping, and cancelling

There is no long-term contract. You can switch between every 3 months and twice a year at any time in your online account, or by asking us: the change takes effect at your next visit, where both the checklist and the price follow the new plan, and we never charge a fee for changing. If you have prepaid a year, call or text us and we'll sort the difference out with you. You can pause, skip a visit, or cancel at any time by calling, texting, or emailing us. Please give us at least 24 hours' notice if you need to reschedule a visit. If nobody is home (or we can't get in) and we didn't get that notice, we charge a $30 missed-visit fee. We waive it the first time. We may reschedule if weather, illness, or safety requires it, and we'll let you know as early as we can.

Cancelling a signed Service Agreement. If you sign our Service Agreement at your home, you may cancel it within 3 business days after signing, for a full refund of anything you paid under it. Call, text, or email us, or give us the signed cancellation notice from your copy. After that, you can still cancel at any time as described above.

9. Access and safety

• An adult (18 or older) should be home during the visit, or you must arrange access with us in advance.
• Please secure pets and clear a safe path to your filters, attic access, and refrigerator.
• We may decline to work in areas we believe are unsafe (for example, attics without safe footing, or areas with pests, mold, or exposed wiring). We'll tell you why.
• We rinse outdoor AC units only with the power switched off and a garden hose, never a pressure washer, and we turn the power back on when we're done.
• If you give us a gate code, lockbox code, alarm code, or key, we keep it private, use it only for your visits, and delete it (or return the key) when you stop service.
• We are not an emergency service. For a gas smell, fire, carbon monoxide alarm, water leak, or any other emergency, call 911, your utility company, or a licensed professional right away.

10. Smoke and CO alarms

Replacing a battery does not guarantee that an alarm works or will work in the future. Please test your alarms monthly and replace alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions (usually every 10 years for smoke alarms). When we install a 10-year sealed alarm, we mount and test it; we don't install, replace, or rewire hardwired alarms.

11. Limitation of liability

We take care in your home. If our work damages your home or belongings, tell us within 30 days and we'll make it right by repairing the damage or paying the reasonable cost to repair it.

To the fullest extent permitted by Virginia law, we are not responsible for pre-existing conditions, normal wear and tear, the performance or failure of equipment or appliances we did not repair, or indirect or consequential damages (such as lost time or wages). Other than damage our work causes, our total liability for any claim related to a visit is limited to the amount you paid for that visit. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under law.

12. Communications

We contact you by phone or email about your visits, and by text message only if you've agreed to receive texts. Any text comes from a person, not an automated system, and you can tell us to stop at any time. See our Privacy Policy for details.

13. Online account

We may invite you to set up an online account where you can see your equipment, visits, and invoices. Keep your password private and don't share the login links we email you. Only choose "Keep me logged in on this device" on your own device, not on a shared or public computer. Let us know right away if you think someone else has used your account. We may suspend an account to protect you or our systems.

14. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Any dispute will be handled in the courts of Fairfax County, Virginia.

15. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. We'll post the new version here and update the date at the top. Changes don't apply to visits already completed. If we make a significant change, we'll tell you before it applies to you.

16. Contact us

Fort Hunt Filters (ILYSTICS LLC)
Alexandria, VA
Phone: (703) 791-9184
Email: forthuntfilters@ilystics.com