Air Conditioning and Heating Systems for Home Owners
Air conditioning and/or heating systems are complicated machines packed with engineering. Our homes are complex as well. Together they should provide shelter, safety and comfort three hundred sixty five days a year without fail. Accessing professionals to keep systems and components working is a necessity.
What a consumer needs to know when choosing that contractor is much easier.
There is no substitute for a referral. If you have a relative, friend or acquaintance that is happy with the service, repair or installation they had done, you can move in that direction. We will not take the time to try to educate homeowners in air conditioning 101. We will point a consumer in a direction that should give you confidence in contractors they might invite into their home.
#1 Professionalism- If the contractor or company doesn’t present a professional image beware. From the uniform they wear to the vehicle they drive a general feel of confidence should be present. Even a small time owner operator will take the time to earn your trust with their general manner of presentation and courtesy. If a contractor is short on conversation or pushes back at questions, bow out graciously and let them sell their wares elsewhere.
#2 A complete picture- The sales staff should assess your home in its entirety. That is they should look at the complete system and all supporting components. The sales staff should know and ask a battery of questions to make sure he / she is providing you with the solutions you need. You may not be aware of issues without the correct question being asked. If sales staff walks in from checking an outdoor unit and proceeds to sit at the kitchen table to write-up a bid for that component or an entire system let them do so. When they are finished, thank them, tell them you will call them later and let them be on their way. Do not try to convince them they overlooked the furnace or air handler or failed to assess the duct system. By the way, 80 percent of HVAC systems in the US have duct issues and do not perform as they should. Some systems produce less than half their rated capacity.
#3 A comprehensive bid- The bid should include the complete make and model of each component you have agreed to purchase. Indoor and outdoor sections of a heat pump will not operate mismatched. If a component is replace in a system a rating sheet should be available that lists each component and gives efficiency ratings on that match up. The air conditioning industry is fast-paced and moving to better technology each year. The bid should include warranty information and describe whether labor is included and how long parts are covered.
#4 References- A contractor should be able to provide you with references. Even if the job is a referral from someone you know a couple extra references shouldn’t be difficult.
#5 Contact information- A contractor or member of the business should leave business cards along with the proposal. A small company should return a call within four hours. Larger companies should take your call immediately.
#6 Payments- Do not pay for services you have not received. In some instances when a complete system is installed a partial payment may be required. Never pay over half the money down and do not pay the balance until the job is complete.
#7 Service – An annual service tune up from a legitimate company generally pays for itself. Beware of companies that tell you refrigerant levels must be adjusted seasonally. A properly functioning system can and should run without refrigerant adjustments for years. There are no additives for refrigerant that are worth spending money on.
#8 Follow your intuition- If you are collecting multiple bids, work with the company that seems best fitted for you and the job. If a company meets all the criteria in bullets #1 thru #5 generally speaking you should happy with the end result.
#9 Pricing- Remember to push price to a secondary category. You will seldom get a professional job bottom fishing.
#10 Value- The appliance you are shopping for is responsible for keeping your family comfortable, safe and healthy at an economical monthly price. That appliance does it’s work 365 days a year 24 hours a day and we seldom give it a thought. You have probably spent three to four times the money staying connected and being entertained with satellite or cable than we spend on our indoor comfort every 12 to 15 years.
The above items should lead a consumer down a path to finding a competent contractor to take care of HVAC needs. As stated in the second paragraph, a referral is worth a great deal. Good contractors are aware of that fact as well.