If you are facing any trouble with your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system(s)—for example, if it is underperforming or not working at all—then it is time that you give it an HVAC repair. The need for an HVAC repair could arise from an issue with ventilation, cooling, heating, or any other component that may require replacement or repair.
How to find a reliable HVAC professional?
An HVAC professional is responsible for the servicing of your HVAC systems, and carry out tasks such as cleaning, repair, maintenance, and periodical checks. We understand that it might be a bit daunting to find yourself a knowledgeable and trustworthy HVAC professional who can efficiently carry out all of these duties and more. In order to ease this stress, we have come up with a bunch of suggestions that will help you in finding the right HVAC professional for a smooth service. Here are a few tips to identify a reliable local company that can perform the requisite HVAC repair work.
- Seek referrals
The first and foremost step in finding yourself a reliable local HVAC company is seeking referrals from people around you. Ask your neighbors, friends, or family members if they have had positive experiences with an HVAC company and get connected to it. You can ask them for additional suggestions and, based on their experiences, get a fair idea about which repair service you should avoid delegating the work to.
- Conduct online research
In case you do not know anyone who has recently used an HVAC repair service, you can always turn to the internet for help. Depending on your requirements, you will come across a wide range of HVAC repair services, right from AC and furnace repair to maintenance and much more. Your search online should be able to provide you with details of all HVAC companies operating in your area.
- Check an online directory
Online directories are also an effective way to look for an expert for HVAC repair. Some of the directories where you can look for an HVAC professional include:
- Yellow Pages
- Yelp
- Better Business Bureau
- Dexknows
- Angie’s List
- White Pages
- Craigslist
- Call a chamber of commerce
In case none of these options work out, you can contact a chamber of commerce, which can recommend a few good HVAC repair service providers to you.
Making the right choice
Assuming that you have had a successful search and have put together a few companies whose services you might want to use, you are now faced with the task of filtering this list down further. How do you do so? Let’s find out:
- Browse through their websites
The first step in the process of vetting an HVAC company is visiting its official website for all that you need to know. You can check its memberships in order to know of its industry associations. Try and find out answers to questions such as: “Has the contractor been lauded for its services? What are its work ethics like?” etc. Having a look at its client testimonials, too, can help you get an idea about its work. Make a note of all the services it offers. Repeat this process for all companies for an efficient, fruitful comparison afterwards.
- Look them up on social media
Simply going through websites may not be enough. We are aware that websites, in most cases, are directly managed by the contractor or company, and hence may involve some form of manipulation. Hence, alternatively, you can check their social media profiles, wherein their overall brand presence and engagement with consumers might help you derive quite a bit about their philosophies.
- Check reviews on online directories
Another good way to assess the companies and their offerings is to see what others have written about them on local online directories such as Angie’s List, the Better Business Bureau, Yelp, etc.
The above-mentioned steps can help you smoothly eliminate companies from your first list, thereby leaving you with a select few that you should actually reach out to.
Preparing for the arrival of the HVAC repair worker
Start by placing a call to all the HVAC repair professionals that you have shortlisted so far. Below is a list of questions that you can ask the company, followed by booking a time for a site visit. While these questions may come in handy, please make sure to add more specific ones (according to your requirements) to this list.
- Questions to ask the HVAC company on call
For an HVAC repair contractor to either start the repairs or replace equipment, they will have to visit your home or office. However, before this is done, it is advisable to ask them a few questions over the phone to ensure your and your family’s security. They are:
- Does the company conduct a background/criminal check on all its employees?
- Does every technician hold an authorization license?
- Has the company been insured?
- Are technicians made to take regular drug tests?
- Has the company been operating for over five years?
The visit by the HVAC professional does not bind you in any manner to avail of the repair services of that particular company. So keep your options open and have all the shortlisted HVAC repair professionals visit you. You can ask them to inspect the site and check all the work that needs to be done. Once they have inspected the space thoroughly, you can ask them for a quotation.
Please note that on the day of the contractor’s visit, you should call the company and confirm the visit. If they have a bunch of technicians working with them, ask them to provide you with the name of the technician who will be visiting your place.
Now, when the HVAC professional visits you, you need to be extremely careful about a few things:
- The technician must be in a company uniform
- They should visit your premise in a company vehicle or a vehicle that has a label of the company on it
- The technician should carry a valid identity card with them. Carefully look at the photo on their ID card and ensure that it matches with their face to ascertain their identity.
- Questions to ask the HVAC professional on the day of the visit:
- Is there a warranty on the material and labor?
- If yes, what is its duration?
- Are there any specific limitations or conditions on the warranty?
- What does the ‘money-back’ guarantee entail? (If stated by the company)
- Will they perform a manual J load calculation?
- Are any permits needed to do the job?
- If yes, will they be secured by the company?
- Will the company ensure that the system post service functions well?
Understanding guarantees
Before getting started on the actual work, it is important to keep yourself abreast of the guarantees for equipment and labor, which are offered by the chosen HVAC repair company. You can inquire about these guarantees on call or at the time of the visit. It is only after you are absolutely satisfied about the terms and conditions and other details, that you should go ahead with any of the three vendors.
It is also advisable to ask for more details of the guarantees, which typically cover everything from furnace and air conditioner repair plus replacement to installation of new furnaces and ductwork repair plus replacement, among others.
Many a time, consumers believe that the equipment, which would be freshly installed will work just fine, or that the HVAC repair technician may never go wrong. However, mistakes are made, and that is when the warranties and guarantees become helpful. They cover you in situations like the malfunctioning of new equipment or the HVAC professional facing a glitch.
Thus, remember to thoroughly understand the money-back clause of the contractor and know all the parameters with regards to the guarantee. Do they ever expire? If something untoward happens, then will you get the entire money back or only a chunk of it? If you thoroughly understand what these guarantees mean, it gets easier for you to modify or alter the terms in your initial negotiation with the contractor.
Furthermore, you also need to ensure that the equipment that is used is of the right size for your space. In case a wrong-sized equipment is accidentally installed by the technician, then inquire about a guarantee that covers the replacement units at zero additional cost. Moreover, the newly installed equipment should work in tandem with temperatures specified by the manufacturer. In any case, if the HVAC system is underperforming, then you should report it and the same should be replaced by the company at no additional cost. In this manner, every possible confirmation, with regards to the equipment, service, and guarantees, should be taken well in advance from the company.
Additional tips to ensure that you choose right
Before finally settling for one HVAC repair service, here are a few other miscellaneous considerations that can be made:
- Keep away if they ask for a prepayment
It is imperative to note that no reputed HVAC repair technician or company will ever ask for a prepayment. So before zeroing in on one company, be informed about the payment conditions that they lay out.
- Are some pages of the contract in fine print?
It is a red flag if the contract that has been made between the company and you has a bunch of pages with fine print. The company may include certain clauses in fine print, which might give them the rights to alter parts of it without any prior notice to you. Hence, the existence of fine print in a contract may be a serious cause for caution.
- Where does the company house its inventory?
Ask the company where its inventory of spare parts and other material is housed. Do they stock everything at the shop or are some parts sourced from another vendor? It is also important to ensure that your contractor has 24/7 access to the spare parts to keep you covered. This is especially helpful if there is an emergency or if the service is required at odd hours.
- Ensure that the HVAC company pays for the new equipment
It is best to avail of a company’s services only after the complete payment of the equipment has been made from their end. In case the complete payment isn’t made, you might be held liable to pay for the same post the installation of the equipment.
- Keep yourself informed about the HVAC basics
It might be a bit confusing to understand the HVAC system since there is a range of sub-systems associated with it—heating, ventilation, as well as cooling. Moreover, the power sources of every heating system, too, are variable. Although you do not need to be aware of the micro-workings of the HVAC equipment, it helps to a great extent if you keep yourself informed about the basics. For instance, it is advisable to know about the types of units that are being installed or when you last got them serviced. Truth be told, those—everyone from property managers to homeowners—who have just the working knowledge of their installed HVAC system have a low chance of being misguided or taken advantage of by the HVAC repair company. As they rightly say, it is better to be safe than sorry.
