Miners - How To Choose a HVAC

Miners HVAC

Posted

How to

Important Points:

1. Recommendations and referrals from past and present customers are your first line of defense.

2. Your HVAC company should also service what it sells.

3. Make sure a company is fully licensed, bonded and insured.

4. Talk with your HVAC installer to determine the right size and model that will best get the job done.

Prevent equipment failure and prolong the life of your HVAC system by hiring a quality pro- fessional to service and maintain it.

also service what it sells. Find out if you need to buy a separate service contract or if routine maintenance and repairs are included in the price of the new installation. It’s very important to know if they provide around- the-clock emergency service.

Have a load calculation done before installing a new system
in any building. The company you hire should do this. The best ones don’t cut corners by using a general rule of thumb for sizing equipment rather than doing a thorough calculation. Don’t as- sume that a load calculation was done before the old system was installed. Buildings can change shape slightly over time due to foundations settling and cracks widening, affecting the efficien- cy of any equipment.

CHOOSE AN HVAC COMPANY

– Look for a contractor you will be comfortable using for years to come.

Heating and air condition-
ing are a modern luxury many people take for granted. You adjust the thermostat and settle in comfortably. That is, until your HVAC system fails, leaving you sweltering in the summer or freezing in the winter.

turers’ brands they use.
Your HVAC company should

permits are in place. Many of the better companies will file
the permits for you at the local building codes office. Don’t take this for granted. Check with the permitting office first, because any work performed without the proper permits could become a major headache for you.

Look for a contractor you will be comfortable using for years to come. The best HVAC contrac- tors are helpful and reliable, but a bad one can cost you a lot of money, cause you frequent head- aches and put you in uncomfort- able situations.

Make sure a company is fully licensed, bonded and insured. You may think this is being overly inquisitive, but it’s in your best interest. If a worker is injured or causes any damage on your property, you’ll want his employer’s insurance to cover it. Otherwise, you may have to file a claim on your homeowner’s insurance, which could result in increased premiums.

Recommendations and re- ferrals from past and present customers are your first line of defense. Ask neighbors, relatives and friends who they recom- mend.

Reputable HVAC companies will usually belong to recog- nized professional and trade organizations. Some well-known organizations include the Ameri- can Society of Mechanical Engi- neers, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Condi- tioning Engineers. Membership in one of these organizations is not automatic. Applicants are required to have certain certifi- cations, meet professional stan- dards and meet or exceed other requirements before they are admitted.

The HVAC company shouldn’t automatically replace the old unit with a new one of the same size. If your old unit didn’t heat or cool your home adequately, you will want to install a new one that does. And a system that’s too big will be inefficient.

Once you’ve developed a short list of likely candidates, check out their reputations with the Better Business Bureau, your state’s board of contractors or builders’ association and perhaps your town’s building inspection office. Avoid companies that have a long list of complaints lodged against them.

Talk with your HVAC install- er to determine the right size and model that will best get the job done.

After you’ve eliminated the potential problem HVAC shops, call the remaining ones to ask about pricing, guarantees and warranties, their average time to complete a job and the manufac-

Follow up by having your HVAC contractor check over the system yearly to make sure it’s running at peak efficiency.

Before your HVAC company starts a project, check to insure that all the required building

With these guidelines, you can select a quality HVAC business you can rely on for years.