Having an air conditioner is less of a luxury and more of a necessity today. Considering how important an AC is to your comfort, especially in the summer months, its breakdown can be daunting. Usually, it is better to employ AC repair services from renowned dealers rather than independent handymen.
Tips to select the best AC repair service
- Seek references
Though checking online reviews is certainly an effective way to look for AC repair services, these reviews might not always be reliable. However, you can still use online reviews to gauge the efficiency of AC repair services by their ratings. Using these reviews you can gauge the professionalism and quality of work of various AC repair services. On the other hand, you can simply call an AC repair service and ask for clients they have worked with in the past. You can contact these clients and ask them directly about the quality of service delivered by the company. Additionally, you can also contact the local distribution center of your AC’s brand and ask them for a list of AC repair services that they recommend.
- Check referrals
One of the most effective ways to look for a reputed AC repair company in your area is to ask your neighbors, friends, colleagues, or family members for a referral. Their feedback comes from direct and personal experience with an AC repair service, making the reference more trustworthy. Moreover, you also stand a chance of getting some discount or service rates since the reference comes from a long time customer.
- Check credentials
While shortlisting AC repair services, ensure that you choose companies or contractors that have the necessary certifications, insurance, and license required as per the law. Hiring an AC repair company that has insurance is important because in case its workers cause an injury or damage any part of your property, then the company is liable. Insurance ensures that the company is capable of reimbursing you. Additionally, it also puts the onus on the AC repair company to be more careful while they carry out repairs. Apart from these, collect information regarding work experience of the AC repair company or contractor, how long they have been in this business, and what preventive measures they take in order to protect your house and the AC unit in cases of accidents. An AC repair company that provides complete details and is insured should naturally be your top pick.
- Ensure that they carry out a detailed inspection
Reputed and top-rated home ventilation and air conditioning repair companies will perform thorough diagnostic tests and inspection of the AC unit before suggesting repairs. Additionally, apart from the actual problem with the AC, they will also inspect your air ducts and the energy efficiency of the unit itself. If the AC repair service you choose does not conduct these inspections and directly quotes a price for a recommended repair job, then it is better to get a second opinion.
- Compare repair rates
Price is an important factor while choosing the right AC repair service; however, it shouldn’t be the only basis of your consideration. Steer away from companies that quote extremely low prices as this may either result in hidden costs charged after the repair or shoddy quality of work. Prices for a particular repair job varies from one AC repair company to another. However, the onus is on you to ensure that you do not compromise on the quality of work for a lesser price. The quality of work and experience of the company indicate the AC repair service experience you may get if you hire them. Additionally, do remember that reputed AC repair companies though charge a bit higher but also give you service warranty and may offer to conduct complete maintenance to ensure the longevity of your AC unit.
Always look out for AC repair companies that offer a discount or special rates. You can easily find this information on their website. Mostly, companies offer a substantial discount if you opt for a yearly maintenance contract right after the repair job. This not only ensures that you enjoy discounted rates and get quality work, but also ensures that your AC is serviced at regular intervals. Also, ensure that the AC repair companies use notable and branded spare parts. Not every AC repair company uses OEM parts, making it important to ensure that you get warranties on replaced parts of your AC.
- Check energy efficiency of the AC unit
If your AC is beyond repair, and you need a new one, ensure that you get one that has good energy ratings. Electronic appliances are ranked as energy efficient by the energy stars on their label. Higher the number of stars, the more environment-friendly and energy-efficient the AC unit. This ensures that your AC unit won’t result in high electricity bills. Hence, even if it’s your first AC unit, ensure that you invest in one that has higher energy efficiency.
- Get written estimates
Since pricing usually varies from one company to another, ensure that you get written quotes from AC repair services. If you accept a quotation orally and have no written proof, then it could lead to miscommunication, hidden costs, or a larger than expected bill. Furthermore, you should opt for an AC repair company that gives you a free quote. It is important to keep in mind that a quotation does not guarantee quality repair service. Also, ensure that the written estimates are made only after the AC repair company conducts a thorough inspection of the AC. Once you have the written estimates from different AC repair companies, compare them in terms of prices, references on their work quality, and online reviews. Also, include factors such as the time suggested for completion of work, quality of spare parts if suggested, and warranty of repair job. Comparing based on these factors will help you choose the best AC repair service possible.
- Check the contract
Before an AC repair company starts work, ensure that you get a contract highlighting the kind of repairs that’ll be made along with its associated cost. Having a detailed contract will be helpful as it will lower the chance of any misunderstandings or inflated costs after the repair job.
- Ask for AC maintenance
Though you might not be worried about the maintenance of your AC while looking for an AC repair service, it is a critical aspect that shouldn’t be ignored. As far as AC repair is concerned, prominent AC repair companies will always offer you maintenance contracts. These maintenance contracts would probably have quarterly, half-yearly, or even yearly service calls. Acquiring a maintenance contract, helps you spot a problem before and carry out necessary repairs before they turn into pricey affairs.
- Determine the availability
Unfortunately, several HVAC companies do not give you emergency services. Some do not even work on the weekends. Your AC might stop working any time of the day, making it important to look for an AC repair company that’s easily available as per your requirement.
- Check for supplementary services
While searching for AC repair companies, shortlist companies that have a supplementary service list. A company with a detailed supplementary service list indicates work experience and overall high quality of work. Additionally, such companies offer a comprehensive repair service that will take care of any other problem with your AC than the one reported. For instance, good AC repair companies offer maintenance programs along with the requested repair service. This helps ensure that your system works at an optimal level and delivers quality performance. Apart from this, prominent AC repair companies provide you with necessary information regarding the maintenance of the AC unit, tips on how to use your AC unit efficiently, and basic troubleshooting that you can do in case the AC gives you minor troubles. Furthermore, renowned AC repair companies also offer adequate and useful information regarding a programmable thermostat and how to keep your AC filters and ducts clean.
Important AC repair tips to help you stay cool
Though it is best to call an AC repair technician in case you have trouble with your AC, there are certain problems that you can solve yourself. Here is a list of some common problems you might encounter with your AC and how to resolve them yourself.
- There was a storm, and now the AC doesn’t Turn ON
At times, the AC does not restart after you are hit by a storm. Even if the rest of your home’s electricity is restored, the AC just doesn’t turn on. During such instances, you can follow the steps given below and your AC might turn on without having to call a technician.
- First, switch off the thermostat.
- At times, the surge in power once the electricity comes back can overload the AC’s circuit, causing it to stop working. To resolve this look for your circuit breaker in the basement or the garage of your house. In there, look for a switch labeled HVAC or AC, and toggle it off and then on. If there is no label, the switch is probably the one that is neither on nor off.
- Once you have toggled the AC switch in the circuit breaker, then the AC will reset its internal circuit breaker.
- However, ensure that your thermostat is switched off. Even if your AC does not turn on immediately, wait for at least half an hour.
- Later, you can switch the thermostat on and set it to cool, and that should make the air conditioner work like before.
- AC is not sufficiently cooling your home
Now, if your AC is not providing sufficient cooling, then first you should check its filters. To ensure that you do not face this issue, clean your AC filters at regular intervals. If you change your AC filters recently, then you need to check if it is clogged by materials such as debris, pet hair, dust, and so on. When the filter is clogged, the AC is unable to provide sufficient cooling. Therefore, if the AC is not cooling adequately, before calling a technician, check its filters.
- A particular room does not cool enough
If there’s a particular room in the house that has windows and allows the sun inside, your AC will have a hard time cooling the room, especially during the afternoon. In this case, you could consider shutting the windows and drawing the curtains or blinds. Furthermore, you can also plant shrubs or trees outside the window to ensure that it provides shade in the room and keeps it cooler naturally.
- The electricity bill is always high
Your electricity bills can be persistently high because of an underlying problem. At times, wide gaps or open doors and windows prevent the room from cooling sufficiently. As a result, your AC has to work harder to reach the number set on the AC’s thermostat. This results in the AC consuming more electricity, resulting in a massive bill. At other times, inadequate insulation in the attic or the walls fail to keep hot air out. If this is the case, you could consider sealing these gaps with weather stripping to keep a check on the house’s insulation strength.
