When your central air conditioner breaks down, or your heat pump seems to be losing efficiency, or you need to replace your 15-year-old furnace, you don't want just anybody visiting your home to address the issue. You want an HVAC technician who knows what he (or she's) doing, who behaves professionally, who won't rip you off.
So how can you make sure you can trust the HVAC technician who comes to your home? Follow these guidelines:
- Ask friends, coworkers or neighbors for their recommendations for a quality HVAC contractor/service. If a business has provided a friend with quality service over a long period of time, chances are you can trust them to do the same for you.
- Ask the HVAC business for references and testimonials. If they've provided good service, they'll be happy to show off their credentials. Membership in professional trade groups is another good sign, including North American Technician Excellence. NATE certifies HVAC technicians who can show expertise and knowledge in general and specific HVAC areas.
- At your home, the HVAC technician should look and act professionally. They should ask detailed questions about the particular issue you're having, and about your household's energy use and habits. They should ask to look at your energy bills over the past year or two.
- Be wary if the HVAC contractor offers to provide an estimate for a major repair or installation over the phone. They should insist upon coming to your home and investigating the situation before quoting a price.
- Similarly, don't trust an HVAC technician who resists putting time and effort into sizing a new cooling or heating system. It's not like they're plugging in a TV; an under- or over-sized furnace or A/C will short-change you over the long term with both comfort and energy costs.
- When you're upgrading an HVAC system, the technician should discuss your options with regard to energy efficiency and advanced features. How a system matches your particular climate is also essential information.
To hire a quality, trustworthy HVAC technician for work in your Silicon Valley home, please contact us at Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the South Bay Peninsula and Santa Cruz areas of California about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).