Proper heating and air conditioning makes life in much of the United States comfortable. At least 66% of all American households have air conditioning units or systems. These systems are responsible for about 5% of the annual energy usage in the nation. This translates into bills totally more than $11 billion. If you have a problem with your heating or air conditioning system, it never happens at a good time. Finding a local heating and air conditioning repair company before you have a big problem can save you a lot of time and money. Here are some tips to finding the right heating and air conditioning repair services company.
- Ask the people you know who they use for these repairs. If you know people who own their homes, you probably know people who have used a heating and air conditioning repair company. Talk to your friends, neighbors, family members and coworkers. The best way to find great products and services is to get referrals from people you know and trust. Ask people who they found the heating and air conditioning service and what they thought about working with them.
- Get a company with the right insurance and licenses. Each state has its own requirements for the licenses and insurance that a heating and air conditioning repair company needs to have to operate legally. Look into the requirements for your state and ask each heating and air conditioning repair company if they have what they need. Make sure you verify whatever they tell you. It is easy to fake this sort of thing. Only reputable companies will have the right licenses. If someone is injured or something else goes wrong, you can be held liable if they do not have the correct insurance so you need to make sure that have what they are required to have.
- Ask to speak to current and former clients. The best way to learn what is is like to work with one heating and air conditioning repair company or another. Ask them if their projects were completed with the budget that you set and if it was done in the time frame the company gave you before they started. Ask the if they got the kind of service they wanted.
- Find a company that installs Energy Star rated products. Get appliances and systems that are rated by Energy Star. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets energy efficiency standards for appliances and systems. When you get an Energy Star rated product, you know that it meets all of the EPA guidelines. These products use a lot less energy to run and will save you a lot of money on your utility bills. When your heating and air conditioning repair company installs the most energy efficient products, they can pay for themselves over time.
- Hire the contractor that offers to evaluate your home. When you hire a heating and air conditioning repair company, you should go with one that offers to come to your home to evaluate your space and your needs to see how they can best help address them. When you are looking to get the best system for your home, getting a bigger system may not be what your home needs. The heating and air conditioning system needs to be one that is the best for the size of your home, the configuration, the level of insulation that has been put in and the kinds of windows you have. A good company will go through your home and look for problems in your ducts and measure the air flow. If a company is not willing to spend time evaluating your home, you should go with a different contracting company.
- Get at least three estimates in writing. It is a lot easier to compare and contrast different quotes you get from different heating and air conditioning companies. Make sure when you get the cost estimates, they have been itemized so you know exactly what you are paying for and what is included in each.
Finding the right heating and air conditioning repair company can make a big difference keeping your home comfortable.
