Tuesday 24 February 2015

Tips for hiring an HVAC specialist

When your ventilation, heating, or air conditioning system needs to be repaired or replaced, you will probably have to hire an HVAC expert who has the license and specialization to work on the unit. It is important for the contractor to be properly insured, trained, and have certifications that conform to professional HVAC procedures, in addition to other qualifications.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing an HVAC specialist.


  1. Ask your friends, family or neighbors for referrals.

    Start your search by asking for advice from family and friends. Also, while requesting other people for referrals, make sure you ask them for the reason that required them to hire the HVAC expert in the first place. This should give you a better idea of whether the specific contractor will suit your needs or not. Apart from this, you can also search the local business directories for customer reviews. Do not make the mistake of choosing a specialist based only on an attractive website.

  2. Find out if the HVAC candidate has the certifications and licenses needed by the state or local area in which you live.

    If you don’t know about the certifications and licenses HVAC specialists are required to have, you can contact a government representative or official from your state or local area. You can also search online to find out about the licenses required in every state and also to confirm the authenticity of the licenses of a particular contractor.

  3. Verify whether the specialist has low volume of negative reviews and a decent rating in your local area.

    Visit the BBB website to research about the shortlisted HVAC contractors. You can also get in touch with the council of BBB for information on specific specialists or businesses.

  4. The specialists should have insurance.

    You should make sure the expert has worker's compensation insurance. If you let anyone work inside your premises and perform maintenances you become responsible for the cost of any damage or injury that may occur, even accidentally. But if you hire someone with a liability or worker’s compensation insurance you do not risk incidental damage of any kind.

  5. Choose an expert who is ready to inspect the system in your house before offering estimates or starting the repairs.

    HVAC specialists must measure air flow, inspect insulation and look for air leaks to make sure all components comply with the HVAC guidelines and the specifications laid down by the manufacturer before providing an estimate or starting the work.

  6. Get bids from at least three HVAC specialists to compare pricing and work before making your final decision.

    Some of the factors that should be taken into consideration when obtaining bids apart from the overall cost are installations to be done, energy savings during the repair work and the warranties offered.

As the technologies supporting the HVAC systems advance to newer levels, repairing these units has become all the more difficult for unlicensed individuals. This is particularly true now that so many machines have smart thermostats and other complex pieces of electronics. Hence, it is best to save money by hiring the right professional. Keep the aforementioned tips in mind and you will have no problem shortlisting a skilled and competent service provider.