10 Tips for Hiring the Best HVAC Technician
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Posted November 9, 2018
It’s not every day you have an HVAC issue arise in your home, but, this isn’t exactly something you can wait to repair! An HVAC problem will only get worse the longer that you let this complication linger.
Waiting to fix an HVAC issue is basically asking for unnecessary stress and discomfort in your home. It can even lead to health problems if you’re not careful. Not to mention, the cost of fixing your HVAC unit is likely to go up the more you put off hiring an HVAC technician.
Stop making excuses to get this done and start your search for a professional technician now. This doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult. All you have to do is use the tips listed below to find the best HVAC technician in town.
1. Ask for Recommendations
You don’t have to search for a reputable technician all on your own. The best way to begin your search is to reach out to friends and family members who live in your area.
Ask them who they go to when they need HVAC support, and more importantly, ask why. You want to find out as much as you can about a technician and the services they offer. It’s good to get a feel for their level of professionalism, their pricing rates, and their overall quality of work.
Who better to be your resource for this information than people you already trust?
Reaching out to friends and family means you can let your guard down a bit. You can tell them all about the HVAC issues you’re having without worrying about them trying to upsell you or rip you off.
Loved ones will give you their honest opinion of which HVAC technician they think you should call, without any strings attached. From there, you can gather all the recommendations you get and start to narrow down your options for an HVAC technician to hire in Nashville.
2. Do a General Search
As valuable as recommendations from friends and family are, you do have to do your own follow-up research, too. Look up all the HVAC company names you were given and check if they service your area of town.
Take your time to explore their website and see if the information you were given by a loved one matches what the company says. You never know, a company could have changed their rates or possibly gone out of business since your loved one hired them to service their home. They could have also hired new technicians or downsized.
Whatever condition the company is in now, you need to know about it. Exploring the website of each recommended repair company will ensure you get the most current, accurate information.
Look at what kind of services are offered and how much you can expect to pay for them. See if a company is running any service promotions at the moment to help you save on HVAC repair expenses.
This will help you start to narrow down your list – and it may even put a different HVAC technician on your radar than what all of your recommendations said.
3. Read Client Reviews and Testimonials
One more way to check and double check that you’re on the right track is to read client reviews. This will help you understand if the service you’re expecting from a certain technician is what you’ll really get.
Reviews share the good, the bad, and the ugly about HVAC companies. It’s where previous clients tell other people looking for HVAC services what it’s actually like to work with a certain company. They’ll share everything from how professional and prompt a technician was to the quality of work completed, and more.
Keep in mind that reviews are not the same as testimonials.
The testimonials on a company’s website typically share the best of the best feedback from clients. These are the clients who are blown away by a technician. While their insight is valuable to you, you also want to check third-party reviews on Google and social media to see what clients with less-than-average experiences have to say.
4. Check for Licensing
Your next step to take when looking for an HVAC technician is to check for licensing. This should be pretty straightforward. Most HVAC companies clearly display licensing information on their website, business cards, and even their trucks!
You shouldn’t have to second guess whether you’re working with a reputable professional or a potential scammer. But, it is on you to clarify whether an HVAC company is licensed or not. At Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, & Electrical, we are up to date on all of our state and local licenses.
If the company is recognized for awards or has additional licenses in other areas, that’s an even better sign that your search is headed in the right direction.
5. See How Long an HVAC Company Has Been in Business
Would you hire a lawyer who just passed the BAR Exam to present your case? Would you want a doctor who just graduated from medical school to perform surgery on you?
Probably not.
Similarly, you don’t want to hire an HVAC company who recently opened for business. This isn’t to say that such a business isn’t trustworthy, but, it definitely doesn’t have the same HVAC expertise as technicians who have been doing this for a long time. We first opened our doors 30 years ago, meaning we have over 28 years of experience.
It’s the safer bet to go with the more experienced option. This gives you a better sense of confidence and peace of mind when it’s time for a technician to get to work and fix your home’s HVAC issues.
6. Look for Any Additional Home Repair Services
Speaking of experience, take the time to explore if the technicians you’re thinking about hiring have any other repair skills. It’s a good sign when a company can offer more than just HVAC work.
They may also be specialized in things like plumbing, electricity, and gas services for your home. Or, they might have experience with commercial and residential properties.
Even if you aren’t in need of such services at the moment, knowing that an HVAC technician is trained and experienced in these other areas of repair services means they really know what they’re doing. It says that they’re the kind of professional who is willing to go above and beyond to fix all the problems in your home.
Not to mention, it gives you a good resource to keep in mind for future needs.
When a company is able to offer multiple services like this, you’re able to create a stronger relationship with them in the long-run. Instead of having a different HVAC guy, plumbing person, and an electrical technician, you can just have one go-to resource for all your home’s repair needs.
7. Get a Quote for the Services You Need
Just when you think all of your research has lead you to the ideal HVAC technician, take a second to pick up the phone. Reach out to the company you’re thinking of hiring and set up a diagnostic visit.
This is your chance to get a better feel for the technicians who may be working on your HVAC unit. It’s an opportunity to see how much you can trust them and gauge just how well prepared they are to handle your HVAC issues.
8. Talk Specifics and Ask Questions
Remember, a consultation with an HVAC technician is your time to ask all the questions you need. It’s when you can fill in the gaps that your research may not have been able to cover.
For example, maybe an HVAC company has been around for over 20 years, but the technician who visits your home is clearly too young to have been doing this that long. You want to find out how experienced the person who will actually be servicing your home is.
Additionally, you want to determine how knowledgeable they are about the situation in your home and what the best way to fix it is. Even if you know nothing about HVAC, asking specifics about the problem at hand and the solutions available helps you understand a technician’s ability to fix everything.
Plus, you might learn a thing or two about better HVAC care and problem prevention!
9. Bring Up Brands
This is a detail that you don’t want to overlook. Say your HVAC unit needs a specific part in order to be repaired, or that you discover it has to be replaced entirely.
You don’t want to end up looking for an HVAC technician all over again just because the one you hire doesn’t have the parts you need. Double check that they’re knowledgeable about the kind of HVAC unit you have and that they’re able to supply all the necessary parts to make repairs.
You’ll have to pay for these parts, of course. But, it’s better to take care of everything with one HVAC company than to end up acting as the middleman between who’s doing the actual repairs and who’s supplying the parts.
10. Get Everything in Writing
Last but not least, get everything in writing.
Ask for a list or form of some sort before each technician leaves from their consultation. This helps you keep track of all the numbers when you go to make your comparisons.
More so, they’re the documents you can refer back to in case you do experience an upcharge or an accidental double charge. The initial quote is what you can refer back to throughout the course of all the repairs being done. It’s the proof that backs you up if you end up having to call an HVAC company and dispute your bill.
While the likelihood of this happening is low, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Keep track of all the documents you get from an HVAC company and save your receipts after the service is complete, too.
Signs It’s Time to Hire an HVAC Technician
It’s one thing to know how to find the best HVAC technician to service your home, and another to tell whether your home needs HVAC service in the first place!
It’s your responsibility as a homeowner to detect the early signs of HVAC issues. This prevents bigger problems from damaging your home’s AC unit and makes fixing it much easier.
Some common signs that you need HVAC repairs are:
- insufficient airflow
- high humidity
- water leaks
- bad odors
- unusual noises
Don’t wait any longer to hire an HVAC technician if you notice any of these signs.
Click here to set up a consultation with one of our professionals today!
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