Your air conditioner is most likely the most expensive appliance in your home. And, it can be a bit demanding when it comes to maintenance and service. If small problems aren’t fixed right way, they can turn into expensive repairs or even necessitate the replacement of the air conditioning unit. That’s a BIG expense! Your heater is another appliance that is a necessity for your comfort. Again, you want to make sure it gets the service it needs to operate correctly and to keep your family safe. When it comes to air conditioning and heating service and repair, it pays for you to find one expert HVAC contractor and to stick with them. Here are what you want to look for in an A/C and heating company and why you want to be a loyal customer.
What You Want in an Air Conditioning and Heating Contractor
- If your heater quits working during a deep freeze or your air conditioner goes on the blink just when the temperature rises about 100 degrees F, it’s a comfort – and safety – emergency. That’s true even if it’s Christmas Day or the 4th of July. You want a contractor who is available 24/7 every day of the year. Hopefully, you’ll never need to make that weekend or Holiday call, but we all know Murphy’s Law so make sure when you need them, your air conditioning and heating contractor will answer your call for help.
- Cost Considerations. If you call your contractor for maintenance or a repair, you should pay for the work – not for the trip or a diagnostic fee as long as you have them do the work. It’s only fair. If they’re working for you, they shouldn’t charge you for coming to your home or finding the problem. You might check to see if they will waive overtime or Holiday extra charges. Most communities have HVAC contractors who don’t charge extra just because they’re working after hours or it’s a weekend or Holiday. It’s a question worth asking; it could keep money in your pocket.
- Licensed, Insured And Bonded? Make sure that the companies you are considering all meet all the requirements of your city and state. Ask about how their technicians are trained. You want to hire a professional; you want to hire an expert.
- Longevity And References. You’re looking for a HVAC company that has staying power and has a proven track record. A company that’s been in business for a decade or two has to be doing something right – like keeping their customers satisfied. Ask how long a company has been in business and, while you’re at it, ask for references and be sure to check them!
Why You Want to Stick with the Company You Choose
- You Build A Relationship. When you “invite” someone into your home to do work, you want to feel comfortable. You want to know that they will respect you and your things and clean-up after themselves. If the company you chose doesn’t meet those requirements, keep looking, but when you find a company that shows you that respect, hang on to them.
- They’ll Know Your Equipment. If you can, request the same technician. But, even if you can’t, continue to use the same company. They’ll have your records and they’ll get to know your equipment. They may be able to spot problems quicker and get them fixed before they get bigger. That’s a real money saver. Plus, when they know your equipment, they should be able to give you good advice on what to fix and when to fix it. And, you should be able to trust the advice they give you. When you have a long-term relationship with a company, you are less likely to feel like they’re taking advantage of you or just trying to sell you something.
- They’ll Be Ready To Serve You. When it gets really hot or really cold, HVAC service calls are going to go up and contractors are going to be very busy. If you are a regular, loyal customer, it’s more likely that the company will try to answer your call for help as quickly as possible.
- Price Is A Consideration. It seems so simple to check the newspaper or Internet to find a “special” pre-season service, but jumping from one company to another to find the lowest price really doesn’t pay off. You’re not building that relationship and you’re at the mercy of what different people may suggest. Do you really need that repair? Instead, if you find a lower price, ask your “regular” company to meet it. If you’ve been a loyal customer, they should value your business and accommodate your request – or, at the very least, come very close! The same is true when it’s time to find a replacement air conditioner or furnace.
Your heating and cooling systems are critical to your comfort and well-being. You want an Air Conditioning Service Phoenix company that will respond quickly, give you excellent service and expert maintenance and repair. By sticking with one, proven company, you will become – and be treated like – a valued customer. It’s a very good thing!
It is interesting to learn a little bit about heating contractors. Finding the right contractor can be difficult. I feel like these tips would really be able to help me figure out how to find the right contractor.
I agree that having a consistent HVAC contractor is important because they will already know your system. I also think that the more specific that you can get with describing the problem the easier it will be for them to identify what went wrong. I think staying with the same company is a great idea.
I definitely agree that sometimes we think the grass is greener on the other side and hire a new hvac contractor even when we have a great one, which isn’t a great idea. I imagine that losing the relationship you have with a good contractor is not something you want to give up. However, like you mentioned it is important to find a good one in the first place, and a great way to do that is through reviews and references. Thanks for sharing these tips!
I don’t know why, but for some reason, my furnace isn’t heating all of the rooms in my house evenly. Some of the rooms are hotter than others, which is slightly annoying. I’ve been thinking about calling a furnace repair company, but I wasn’t sure how I could tell if the company was good or not. I liked that you mentioned how I should look for a repair company that is highly rated, has been around for a long time, and has references available. I think that if I read a few reviews about the companies in my area, I’ll be able to find one that matches all of these criteria! Thank you for the great idea!
I never think about asking or making sure that companies are licensed, insured and bonded. I always just assume they are good to go if they are a company and provide a service. I guess I should think about that kind of stuff more. Thanks for all of this info!
Thank you for the help. I have had several issues with my heater over this winter, so I am going to look for a heating contractor to help me out. I definitely want someone that is licensed and insured, as you mentioned. But, I am not familiar with what it means to be bonded. Can you explain that to me?
This can’t be stressed enough! This is a service business not retail – customer service, workmanship, knowledge, quality, etc play an important role in the outcome of the service you receive. Not all contractors are created equal! Yet too many customers base their choice of contractor on who has the lowest price. This will eventually bite you and cause you to pay more than what it would’ve cost with a better qualified costlier contractor in the first place.
Showing loyalty to a business goes a long way and don’t think they don’t notice.
I like that you add a section on why you should stick to one heating and AC company. Relationships are important to me and I like that I can work with the same people every time I need help. Additionally, they will become familiar with me and my house. Even my kids know who the heating and AC guys are!
I like that you said that a heater is necessary for your comfort. Not that you consciously forget this, but sometimes I get a little annoyed at the maintenance that I have to do, especially when it needs repair. This is a really important thing in a home, and even a privilege to have, and keeping this in mind will help me not to take it for granted. Thank you for the helpful tips and applicable information on finding good contractor!
Sometimes I avoid hiring a new contractor for my home because I am uncomfortable with them being in my home. I like how you mention that you should find a company where you can build a relationship with a contractor and then stick with them. If I got to know them better, I’m sure I would feel more comfortable with them doing repairs in our house.
I like your idea of sticking with an HVAC contractor because you will build a relationship. I would imagine that finding someone who is reliable and sticking with them for the years would be helpful. My husband and I are looking for someone to repair our air conditioning so we’ll be sure to find someone who is reliable and stick with them.
I have dealt with many different HVAC contractors since owning a home and it took a long time to find one that I liked. I really liked that you talk about building a relationship with your contractor. Since building a relationship with my HVAC contractor I feel he is more willing to work with me. I really feel that this advice is perfect for finding and keeping a great HVAC contractor.
I agree with what you said about sticking with an HVAC contractor because of the fact that they will get familiar with your unit and how it’s set up in your house. If you are going to stick with the same company, though, you need to make sure you find the best company available for you, like you said. I figure, whoever we get to install the HVAC system in the house we’re building will probably become our go-to company for any repairs needed later on. If they installed the system, it will be much easier for them to fix problems that arise.
I agree that you would want to find a long standing HVAC contractor to do an AC installation. I would imagine that finding someone who has been in business for a long time would mean they are very experienced. My husband and I are looking for someone to install an air conditioning unit in our new home so we’ll have to be sure to find someone who is experienced to do the job.
A friend of mine has been having troubles with his heating system, and they wanted to find a contractor to help them out. I really like that you say to look for a company that has a proven track record. It would be nice to make sure that they have been in a good business for a while now.
I really like what was said about how HVAC contractors know your equipment if they are good. I have never had a bad experience with an HVAC contractor in my life but I can see why you would want to take price and relationships into consideration. I have a friend who is looking for an HVAC contractor right now and so I will pass this information on to him.
I like that you said that we need to make sure that we hire a professional. If you are hiring someone to do something for you, I would imagine that you would want them to do it right. When my brother was finding someone to install his HVAC he eventually found the professional that he needed. It might be a good idea to do some research on what needs to happen to get the job done.
In your article, you suggested that people should make sure that the companies you are considering all meet all the requirements of your city and state. When I came home from work last night our heating unit started making some really loud noises and stopped working. I wonder how different the requirements are from state to state or city to city.
I agree that when hiring an HVAC contractor you should always check for certifications. I can see that doing this can help you find someone who knows what they are doing. It makes sense that choosing someone you trust and who is easy to talk to can help you find what you are looking for.
My sister recently moved into an older home with her husband. They noticed that the furnace makes a lot of loud noises when it is running, and they are looking for an HVAC service to take a look. I didn’t realize how important it is to build a relationship with a company or contractor to ensure you feel comfortable with them being in your house. I’ll be sure my wife knows about this consideration.
Thanks for pointing out that a malfunctioning heater or air conditioner is not just a comfort problem, but also a safety issue. I imagine that this is just one of many reasons why you would want to hire a qualified contractor to handle that issue for you. It would make sense to me to always have the phone number for someone on hand in case your appliances shut down unexpectedly.
It is good to know that one should find an HVAC contractor who is successful in keeping their customers satisfied. Finding out how long their business has been around would also be beneficial. Interviewing potential contractors would be intelligent to ensure they have the experience for your HVAC needs.
In my small town, I haven’t had much luck with contractors, but I’d love it if I met someone that was honest and just cut out the unnecessary steps when doing deals. This article makes a good point about building relationships. I’ve mostly been searching by price, but I should try to make an effort to keep a relationship with a company.
Thanks for the tips for choosing an HVAC company. My wife and I need to get our AC repaired ASAP, because there is a heat wave coming. I like what you said about making sure you choose a company who will give you good references. Hearing from past clients can be a good way to gauge how a company will handle your job. I will be sure to ask about this.
Our heater doesn’t seem to be working properly. It’s been making strange noises, and we’re not sure what is wrong. We’re looking for an HVAC contractor that can help us. Like you said, we’ll be sure to ask how the company’s technicians are trained. Thanks for sharing!
Cost is definitely important but make sure to read reviews and do your research to find a quality contractor for a good value.
It’s interesting to me that you suggest using references when finding an HVAC contractor. You stated that this is a good indicator as to whether or not the contractor can provide satisfactory service. I have read that checking on at least 3 references is the best way to accurately determine this. Is that true?
Finding a good HVAC professional is something that you should be thorough with if you have the time. Cost is usually a big factor and some companies will sneak in all sorts of additional charges so you try to ensure you’re only paying for the work they do. Proper licenses and insurance are a must. Keeping a good business’s name and number somewhere safe will save you a lot of time down the road.
My wife and I have been needing to get some central air conditioner work done in our home, and I think that being able to find a good contractor would be key for us. I’m glad that you mentioned considering price when looking for a central air contractor, and how you want to make sure that you start to build a relationship with the company so that they want to accommodate you. I think that if we can find a fairly priced contractor to help us fix our central air conditioning system, we’d be a lot happier than just choosing the cheapest option!
Thanks for your tip to only hire HVAC contractors who are licensed and insured. I like how you said that you should hire contractors who can help you as soon as you need it. My husband and I need our air conditioning system repaired, so we are looking into skilled and helpful contractors for the job.
My favorite part of this article is when you say to look for an HVAC company that has quality references from previous customers who were satisfied with their services. I need to get my air conditioner repaired and I think that good reviews show that the company provides good customer service as well as quality repairs. Also, I will make sure to find a company that is insured because this will give me peace of mind that I will not be liable if there is an accident during the repair process.
I’m looking into hiring an HVAC contractor in the near future to tune up my furnace before it gets too cold. I appreciate how you suggest taking the time to ask for references of an HVAC company before deciding to work with them. How many references would you suggest I check up on before deciding on who to hire?
Thank you for sharing the advice that when looking for an HVAC contractor you should look for a company that is licensed and insured. I need to get my air conditioner repaired because it is blowing warm air on each setting and finding a contractor who is insured would give me peace of mind that I would be compensated if there is any damage during the repair. Also, I think it would be great to find a company that has been in business for many years because, in my opinion, this shows that they are reputable in the community and that they have a lot of experience.
I really appreciate your tip to try and find a technician who meets all of the requirements for your city and state. My wife and I have been thinking of getting a new air conditioning unit since we live in an area that can get very hot. I will be sure to do some research online and find a technician who is qualified in our city!
My husband and I are needing to get a new AC unit installed and want to make sure we find the right contractor to do it. Thank you for pointing out that the contractor we hire should be insured and have the right licenses. I’ll have to do some research and find the best contractor in our area.