Questions to Ask a HVAC Company Before You Hire Them
If your furnace is giving you grief, it’s probably time to hire a HVAC service provider to help get it working properly. If you’re a new homeowner and you’ve never needed to hire a HVAC repair company before, or it’s been years since you’ve needed to have someone service your equipment, you’ll want to make sure you do some due diligence.
For this post, we wanted to cover some of the things you’ll want to ask potential candidates before you make a hire.
How long have you been in business?
We’re not suggesting that hiring a newer business is a bad decision, but we are suggesting you take your time to research the company. If the startup was founded by someone who has years of experience in the heating and cooling industry, you’re likely in safe hands. However, if you’re speaking with a franchise employee, and the owner of the franchise has zero prior experience in HVAC repair, you may want to hire a company that’s more experienced.
Do you have experience in working on the equipment I have?
There are dozens of HVAC manufacturers, and each manufacturer has a number of different models under their equippment umbrella. As such, you’ll want to make sure you’re working with a technician that has experience in working on what you have. Much like you wouldn’t let a Ford mechanic repair the engine of your Lexus, you shouldn’t hire a technician that only has experience in working with equipment that’s made by Company X, if you have a furnace that’s built by Company Z.
Are you licensed and insured?
Most people know the dangers that are associated with hiring an unlicensed, uninsured roofer to repair or replace their roofing system. Yet they don’t realize that there are just as many dangers associated with hiring an unlicensed, uninsured HVAC company.
First, if the technician doesn’t fix the problem or they make the problem worse, you’ll likely have no legal recourse. If they don’t have a physical address, you’ll have a very hard time serving them with a small claim’s summons. Second, if they ask you to provide them with up-front cash so they can buy parts or equipment for the repair, there are no guarantees they won’t simply disappear with your money. Last, if the worker becomes injured while attempting to repair your system, you may be liable to cover their medical bills and/or compensate them for their recovery time. All in all, hiring an unlicensed contractor, regardless as to the industry they work in, simply isn’t worth the risk.
Heating and cooling experts you can trust
When you work with JM Heating & Cooling you can rest assured that you’ll be working with a company that’s licensed, insured and experienced. Our technicians know what it takes to fix all types of HVAC systems, including all makes and models. If you need help with furnace repair or furnace replacement this winter, call us today to schedule a free, no-hassle estimate.
165 COMMENTS
Adrian Jones
March 6, 2019, 7:48 am REPLYI like how the article stresses the importance of asking all the right questions before looking for a professional HVAC contractor since it’s important to get the equipment repaired by nothing less than the experts, and one of the questions that frequently come up is whether or not if the contractor is insured and licensed since this is important household equipment you would be putting in their care. It also helps to ask whether the repairman has experience with working on a specific kind of equipment since they would know how to best address the problem in a short amount of time. If I had the chance to look for an HVAC contractor I would make sure to find a licensed one who’s got the know-how of fixing a particular brand of heater / cooling system.
Liv Smith
March 11, 2019, 7:45 pm REPLYI agree that it’s important to ask if the HVAC contractor has experience with the kind of HVAC I need repair on. I’ve been needing my heater to be fixed since it’s pretty cold where I live, but I wanted to know what kind of questions I should ask my contractor before hiring them. Thank you for the tips on what to ask, I’ll make sure to use them.
Braden Bills
March 20, 2019, 3:21 pm REPLYI want to make sure that I get the right HVAC company. It makes sense that I would want to get one that has been in business for a while! That way I can rest easy knowing that they will know how to handle the problems I’ve been having.
Nathan Carter
March 21, 2019, 4:42 pm REPLYI like that you include the question, "Do you have experience working on the equipment I have?" I would be worried that the company I call in might not know how to work with my specific item. These are great questions to keep in mind!
Nathan Carter
March 22, 2019, 1:22 pm REPLYI like that you have included that question, "Do you have experience working on the equipment I have?". I would feel a lot more comfortable know what types of manufacturer/model my air conditioning service has skills at fixing. Thanks for giving me some questions to ask!