When your heater stops working in the middle of winter, you need to find a qualified heater repair and installation company as soon as possible. However, with so many choices available, how do you choose the right one for your needs? Here are the top 10 tips to help you make the best decision for your home.
- Find a company with experience
A reputable heating and cooling company will have more than 5 years of experience. If you don’t see that claim on the company’s website, either they’re too new to be trustworthy or they’re hiding something by pretending to be more experienced than they are.
- See if there is any coverage under the warranty
Many companies offer extended warranties. If you find one that does, keep in mind that if the company goes out of business or your heater fails for some other reason, you won’t be getting any assistance from the warranty.
- Verify if the company is qualified and certified
Even though it’s unlikely to happen, sometimes a poorly trained contractor can cause extensive damage by mishandling their work on your property. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, verify whether they are certified professional HVAC contractors with proven track records.
- Know exactly what kind of services they offer
Reputable companies will not try to sell something more than what is needed for your heating system during the installation/repair process because most often it creates more problems than it solves.
- Ask about the installation and repair process
The best companies won’t send an inexperienced technician to do an installation or a repair on your property. They should be able to give you all the details of the process, including things like pricing and warranty information so you know exactly what’s involved in the job they’re doing for you.
- Make sure there is no up-selling done during the estimate process
Not every company will try to sell something that doesn’t need fixing or replacing just because they can make more money from that sale than by performing necessary repairs, but some do. When hiring a company, never agree to anything until you get everything in writing with complete details of their services and the total cost for each.
- Get the service contract in writing before signing it
Any reputable company will be upfront about their terms and conditions of services, but some may surprise you with hidden costs after the work is done. Before hiring a contractor, get all the information you need to make an informed decision in writing so there are no surprises later on.
- Find out if they’re bonded and insured
Since any damage caused by mishandling your heater will be at your expense, you’ll want to make sure that your repair and installation technicians don’t have any legal issues or problems with their insurance coverage before letting them into your property.
- Ask for referrals from past customers who had similar heating/cooling needs as yours
By talking to people who had their furnaces or AC units serviced or replaced by these companies, you can get first-hand advice about the services they provide and find out what kind of price tags are associated with them.
- Get it all in writing
Any company that asks for payment before agreeing to a service is not trustworthy. Make sure to get everything you want from your contractor in writing, including costs for installation/repair, warranty information, and terms & conditions of service before signing any contracts or paying anything.
Bonus Tip: If the repair is minor enough, make sure the company offers an option where you do some of the labor yourself! This will save you money on labor costs which are typically charged at over $100 per hour but be careful if you’re not experienced with the equipment.
What are the risks of hiring an inexperienced for heater repair and installation?
When it comes to repairing or installing a heater, most people would assume that hiring an experienced professional is the way to go. However, what if you can’t afford or don’t have the time to hire a pro? Is there another option? In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the risks of hiring an inexperienced professional for heater repair and installation.
- Hiring an inexperienced contractor will not be as productive.
- The installation can cost more than it would hire a professional, especially if you need to repair the heaters again after hiring nonprofessionals.
- You run the risk of getting injured or receiving poor service and this could end up costing your money and time.
- The work may not be done the way it’s supposed to, which could make your house less safe.
- You could end up paying more for heating when you hire inexperienced contractors.
- The contractor may use poor quality material in the repair or installation of your heater, which could cause another problem in the future.
- Your warranty on your heater might become void if you don’t hire a professional to do these repairs or installations.
- You risk hiring someone that is not insured or licensed to install heaters since you are doing this at home yourself instead of hiring a qualified professional.
- An inexperienced contractor might fail to give you estimates or quotes before starting the job due to time constraints or inexperience, leaving you with no recourse after the job is finished.
If you don’t have a lot of skills or time to do your heating repair and installation work, it’s best to hire a professional. The money you save will be worth every penny. Keep in mind that good contractors are licensed, insured, and experienced at what they do so they can get all necessary permits required for this type of work before starting the project. An inexperienced contractor might not have these requirements by law already because they’re not used to doing this particular kind of work yet.
With these tips, you should have no problems choosing a well-qualified and reliable company to service your heating/cooling system and will be confident that they’ll do a good job for you!
