What You Should Look for in a Quality Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor?

Most people take for granted the comfort of their central air conditioning and heating pump until something goes wrong and the unit needs to be serviced or replaced. When this happens, you need a quality heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVACR) contractor who is knowledgeable, skilled and qualified to do the job.

A quality contractor:

• Complies with applicable state and local codes and regulations.
• Is prompt and courteous and provides fast, safe and reliable service---attempting to perform service at your convenience.
• Is up-to-date on the newest developments in equipment, technology and design procedures in order to choose or service a system which will be most efficient and most reliable-- the right system for you.

An HVACR system is designed to suit your home, your climate and your life style. Your contractor selects each part of the system individually so that everything works at top efficiency and gives you the comfort you need and expect. All the system components are matched-- the furnace, the condensing unit, fans and blowers, air conditioning coil, the duct work and controls-- to produce a heating and cooling system that will work best for you.

A quality contractor listens to your problems and cares about your comfort. He attempts to find out if any rooms are too drafty or dry during the winter or too hot or damp during the summer.

A quality contractor can help determine if your home is prone to indoor air pollution problems due to organic resins or vapors, poor air turnover or high humidity conditions. If you suffer from allergies, a quality contractor can properly service your heating and air conditioning system or heat pump and recommend the proper system accessories that may help prevent conditions which adversely affect your health and comfort.

A good contractor is concerned about protecting the environment. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)-- used as refrigerant in air conditioning systems-- have been linked to the depletion of the earth's ozone layer and will be phased out of production by the year 2000. The Clean Air Act of 1990 prohibits-- beginning July 1, 1992-- venting of both CFC's and HCFC's during the servicing of any heat pump or air conditioning equipment. A quality contractor is trained in the proper techniques for recovering, recycling and/or reclaiming (reprocessing), and safe disposal of used refrigerant.

A quality contractor will show you how to care for your system on a day-to-day basis-- for example, how to change the filter and how the thermostat works. He also will advise you about symptoms, awareness, which could signal that there might be a problem with the equipment. After the equipment is serviced, your contractor will let you know when you should have it serviced again.

If a new system is in order, a quality contractor will perform a load calculation and explain any changes which might be necessary to your existing duct system. He will present options to help you make the best decision regarding replacing your old system. When consulting an HVACR contractor you should ask the contractor for references-- find out if other customers were satisfied with his work. You should also ask about his license. If a license is required in your area, he will be happy to give you his license number.