What to Look for When Hiring an HVAC Company.
There are countless options when looking for contractors for any type of service work. HomeStars.com will provide you with a list that will take you a full day to read with testimonials that will take another week to go through. Radio and TV commercials are constantly advertising for many companies with cute jingles and endearing interactions between your happy neighbourhood families. How do you narrow it down??? Who is right for you and how do you know??? When deciding which company to go with to maintain your system or install a new one, look for one that regularly does the work you're looking to have done. Besides checking that liability insurance and workers’ compensation policies are in force (ours are and we can prove it!), ask for recommendations. New to the area? Online forums or websites like the previously mentioned HomeStars.com (shameless plug – read our reviews!) are both great options for honest testimonials from customers of a given company.
Although we have installed condo heat pumps in the past, we know that is not our specialty and will tell that to our customers right off the bat! Find a company that knows the system you are looking to maintain, service or install and has thorough knowledge and expertise. Ask questions! Lots of them. Questions to find out:
How well did the system run under the company’s care? If poorly, was it because of the HVAC contractor or was it a manufacturing problem out of the company in question’s control?
Did the technicians or installation team leave the working area clean?
How quickly did the contractor respond to emergencies?
Were the service people punctual and personable when you called with a problem?
Did the company provide written and itemized estimates for equipment installations?
A quality provider will have an emergency number that’s staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and enough technicians to respond when the weather is awful and the calls pile up. (And we do!) What NOT to do! 1. Never invite someone in to do work who knocks on the door on a whim. 2. Do your research! Don’t just take someone’s word for it when they say they can do a job. Make sure they belong to a reputable company and are capable. 3. Do not pay for work upfront, especially without a contract. (Deposits for large jobs are often required)
Make sure whatever company you hire is there to help YOU!