Before you hire a HVAC technician to work on your home’s system, it is necessary to be certain about the answers to some questions. Some of these questions may seem trivial, but they are actually very important for you to know before entrusting your indoor environment and health with someone else. This is because you need to be sure that the HVAC technician is trustworthy and capable of properly doing their job.
Here are some important questions that you need to ask:
1) Is your company licensed and accredited
Asking if your contractor is accredited will help assure you that he follows proper safety standards in his work. It will also tell you if he passed all required examinations related to the job. You can check at the Better Business Bureau or with other agencies concerning their accreditations by searching on their name online or through the yellow pages. Always remember that an HVAC professional should have a license which can be verified by the state where they work.
2) What is your company’s liability insurance
There are coverage limits out there for every type of work, and these limits vary by state. If you ever have to sue a contractor, it will be important that you know how much money the company has in liability protection. It’s always good to have more protection than necessary because if you run into any problems with your air conditioning or heating systems, you’d want to be protected by additional funds.
3) What kind of equipment do you plan on using
Make sure that they will use the equipment that will fit the size of your home and the needs that you have. If a technician recommends an HVAC system that is too small for your home, your heating and cooling systems will not work properly, because they will have to run constantly. On the other hand, if they recommend a system that is too large for your home, it will cost you much more than necessary and you will also lose energy efficiency. You need to know if the technician has any training in sizing ductless HVAC systems as well.
4) Ask about the insulation in the ducts and in the attic
It’s important that all of these areas are sealed tightly so heat or air conditioning can’t escape through them while still allowing fresh air to come in. Your ducts are responsible for moving air to different parts of your home, so if they are not insulated well, you could lose a lot of energy. You may also be able to solve some ventilation issues with your air conditioning by insulating the attic or other areas of the home where hot or cold air is escaping.
5) Ask about proper ventilation
If you plan on living in your home for a long time, you need to know if it has been properly ventilated. Improper ventilation can lead to mold problems and other indoor air quality issues. The duct system will not work properly without proper venting, so make sure that all vents that have grills are cleaned regularly. If you aren’t sure on how to tell if your vents are ventilating properly, ask the HVAC technician.
6) How long have they been doing this kind of work
You don’t want to hire a company that has just started in the industry. This could make your job much more expensive because they would have to hire subcontractors to do some of the work for them. It’s also important for you to know how much experience they have with ductless heating and cooling systems, because installing these units is very different from conventional HVAC installations.
7) Does your company have a strong customer service record
You can learn more about their customer service by checking online to see if previous customers were satisfied with their services. You can also stop by their office or get in touch with them to find out if they had any special offers currently available for customers in your area.
8) Do you have any special offers or deals
This will help you make the decision of who to hire on a more informed basis. If possible, try to get a better deal by comparing prices between several companies and negotiating with each of them. It’s also important to ask if they would be willing to renegotiate the price if there were problems with the system after installation or if they were unable to do a good job.
9) How long will it take for my job to be completed?
You want your HVAC technician to be realistic with his time line into how long it will take for your job to be completed. The worst thing that can happen is for them to be delayed in the middle of summer because they were too optimistic about how long it would take. You should always ask how long they think it will take, but set a deadline in case they are unable to meet it.
10) How often will I have to maintain my HVAC system?
It’s natural for your HVAC unit to break down at some point in time, and you want to know ahead of time if you are going to have to pay for those repairs as well. Any good technician will tell you about the kinds of things that may need maintenance and what the possible consequences are if these problems aren’t addressed soon enough. You may also be interested to know what the difference between maintenance and repair is.
The most important thing that you can do before entrusting your indoor environment and health with a HVAC technician is to make sure they are properly licensed and accredited. If they are not, that could lead to problems later on from the lack of quality work. There are several other questions you can ask a contractor to learn more about them before hiring them. Make sure that you get these things out of the way before making your final decision.
Conclusion
Ductless heating and cooling systems are very popular, but it’s important to find a reputable HVAC contractor who is fully qualified and professional in this field. There are several companies out there which try to take advantage of people by offering unneeded equipment or services which you don’t need. This is something you want to avoid at all costs because it could end up costing you a lot of money. If a subcontractor who is not licensed will work on your home, that could lead to an expensive problem that has nothing to do with the HVAC technician you hired.
To avoid this from happening, you want to hire a technician who is properly licensed, insured and accredited for this specific field. Your HVAC technician should be able to provide you with all of these certifications when you ask for it. If they can’t, then you want to keep looking.
Spectrum Heating and Air Conditioning has been working in the HVAC trade for almost over a decade. They have shown to their clientele that they are the best when it comes to ductless heating and cooling system installation, repair and maintenance. If you want to take advantage of the wide range of services offered by Spectrum Heating and Air Conditioning, please call us today!
