Have You Wondered Who You Should Hire When Hiring an HVAC Service Expert? Comfort Solutions Answers These HVAC Questions and more!
Whether you are getting a new HVAC system, just consulting, or getting an old system repaired, the most important HVAC Question is “Who Should I Hire?” Hiring the right company, or the right person, can set a wonderful trend of HVAC service from trusted professionals for years to come. Hiring the wrong company, or the wrong person, can be dangerous for you and your HVAC system.
To set your mind at ease, here are a few HVAC questions you should ask anyone you’re considering hiring:
- Are you licensed? - Perhaps the most important thing to know is whether your service person is licensed to do the work you require. Many state governments legally require experts to carry a license to work, so you need to check to see what your state requires. Some states also require that the expert has insurance, which is a good idea, whether or not it’s required by local administration. If anything goes wrong at the work site, and damages your home, yourself, your people, or the people you hired to work, you’ll want to know that you’re covered.
- Can you provide references? - Let someone else hire the wrong people first! References are VERY important. You shouldn’t just rely on references that the service expert provides, though. You should ask around, or check out companies that specialize in service professional ratings and referrals, to see if anyone you know, or anyone you can trust, has used them before. You should look online to find reviews from sites like the Better Business Bureau, Home Advisors, Angie’s List, etc. Find out if they did their work efficiently, affordably, and in a timely fashion. Find out if the HVAC system worked well after he left, and how well he responded to any emergencies or unforeseen problems that cropped back up.
- How much experience do you have? - The “expert” should have experience with whatever specific system you have in your house. Similar systems may be the same in theory, but trying to find someone who’s worked on your exact model, with great results, will often procure the best possible HVAC service.
- What brands do you carry? - If you’re getting a new HVAC installed, don’t just research the technicians you are thinking of using. Research what new system you think you’ll want, before and after any possible consultation, using various reviews and consumer reports as guides. Then, when you get around to comparing service professionals and companies, you can find out if they carry whatever systems you’re considering purchasing. Of course, you can, and should, ask the professionals for recommendations. They are the experts, after all! But you should always do research independently so you know the technician is not trying to sell you something more expensive than you need.
- Can you do a detailed load calculation? - As previously mentioned, your service professional should be able to help you through technical decisions, like finding a new HVAC system that can match your home’s needs. Specifically, that means finding one that’s up to capacity, which takes some calculations that an average handyman might not feel comfortable making.
- Can you provide an estimate? - Any professional should be willing to give you an estimate so you won’t get hit with hidden fees later on. It’s generally a good idea to get estimates from several companies so you can compare prices as you’re considering the benefits of various companies.
- Do you provide service contracts? - No matter how reliable the system is, any HVAC system can break down over time, which is why regular maintenance is necessary and repairs are often inevitable. That means that you should consider getting an HVAC service contract with the company that you hire for installation so that you have someone on call when trouble arises or when your system just needs routine maintenance services.