As a homeowner, you will likely need to talk to an HVAC company at some point. HVAC means heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
These companies will send representatives to look at your furnace, ductwork, or air conditioner. They can replace the furnace or AC unit, repair some ductwork, and do some other things for you that should help you to be more comfortable in your house.
There are a few questions you might want to ask your HVAC company representative, and we’ll talk about some of them now.
How Much Does a Service Call Cost?
Let’s say you contact a company like Comfort Complete Air Heating Plumbing. You need a representative to take a look at your furnace. It’s late fall, and you know you’ll need the furnace to be operating at full capacity when the cold weather comes.
One of the key things you’ll want to ask is how much a service call costs. A service call is one where the HVAC company representative comes to your home and looks at your furnace, air conditioner, ductwork, or anything else about which that particular company is knowledgeable.
You want to know how much that service call will cost before the company sends anyone to your home. If they quote a price to you that seems reasonable, you can move forward. If what they’re asking for a simple service call is much more than what other area HVAC companies charge, you might want to go with someone else.
Do I Need a New Air Conditioner or Furnace?
If you get someone from an HVAC company to come to your house, they will likely be an expert in this field. They will have received extensive training that tells them what condition your furnace or air conditioner is in when they examine it.
If you are having trouble with an older air conditioner or furnace, you might feel like the time has come to replace either one with an entirely new unit. That is a costly purchase, though, which will set you back thousands of dollars.
You won’t want to spend that money unless you have no choice. If it’s possible to fix either the furnace or air conditioner instead of replacing it, that will always be the more palatable option.
The HVAC repair person the company sends over should be able to give you an assessment regarding whether you should replace your air conditioner or furnace. They can take a look at its age and whatever is wrong with it and tell you whether you’re better off replacing the unit or whether you can get another couple of years out of it.
Does It Make Sense to Install an Air Conditioner in My Home?
Sometimes, you might live in a region that gets hot in the summer, but not unbearably so. It might get up to ninety degrees only a couple of times during the year.
If so, you might want to install a window air conditioner unit in a couple of rooms instead of getting central air for the house. Central air is nice to have, but installing the unit and the ductwork necessary to accommodate it costs several thousand dollars, at a minimum.
If you ask the opinion of an HVAC company representative, they should be able to help you in this area. If they feel like your home is well suited for the installation of a central air unit, they will tell you. If they think it’s not worth it and you’re better off sticking with a couple of window units instead, they’ll tell you that as well.
Of course, if you live in Arizona or anywhere else that gets extremely hot in the summers, you will be much more inclined to install a central air unit. The summers will be nearly intolerable without one.
Do You Have Yearly HVAC Coverage Plans?
You may want to ask the HVAC company representative who comes to your home whether the company offers yearly coverage plans. These plans are similar to insurance plans, and many HVAC companies offer them.
If you pay for one of these plans, you get a yearly air conditioner and furnace checkup, and you also get preferential treatment over other customers. Your house will be first on the list if you ever need service. These plans also usually come with discounts if you ever need any work done to your ductwork, air conditioner, or furnace.
You can pay for these plans as a yearly cost, or you can pay for them monthly or quarterly. If the HVAC company you’re using offers them, it’s at least worth your time to consider getting one.
Do You Help with Plumbing Needs as Well?
Some HVAC companies can also help you with plumbing, but not all of them do. That’s something you might find out by looking at the company’s website, but you can also ask the representative you speak to over the phone.
An HVAC company that also covers plumbing might be able to assist you if you have something going on with your HVAC system that needs attention, but you also have a plumbing situation happening that you’d like the company rep to investigate. Maybe your furnace is in need of repair, but you have also noticed the odor of sewage coming from the drain in your laundry room. Perhaps you have a toilet that won’t flush properly.
Finding an HVAC company that also does plumbing is often to your benefit. They can take care of multiple problems in your home with a single visit.
There may be some additional questions that you’ll want to ask your HVAC company representative that are not on this list. You can ask them over the phone by calling the company, or you might wait until the representative comes to your home before asking. In either case, make sure you get a satisfactory answer to your question. If you don’t, you can always use a different company.
