Things You Should Know Before Calling an HVAC Contractor

With temperatures regularly breaking all known records, heating and air conditioning problems abound. When your system breaks down under these stressful conditions, you call an HVAC repair company in hopes of fast, professional repairs at a fair price. Is there any way to ensure the quality of service you and your system desperately need?

Protect yourself against incompetent or dishonest contractors
In just the 5 months from May through September of 2014, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) received over 700 complaints against commercial and residential HVAC companies. To ensure you are working with a trustworthy hvac repair technician, BBB offers the following advice:

• Before making a call, consult your owner’s manual.
  Your system – or some of its components – may still be covered under factory warranty.
• Hire a professional.
  This does not include your neighbor, a “friend-of-a-friend,” or yourself, wearing your DIY-hat. You should also avoid those offering rock-bottom prices, those that offer a firm estimate over the phone without looking at your system, or new-kids-on-the-block who are not yet proven and may go out of business before your replacement parts come in. Look for an established heating repair contractor with an upstanding BBB membership, whose technicians hold NATE certification and receive positive word-of-mouth from the community.
• Get references…
  From actual customers, not just their website or random message boards.
• Verify licensing.
  Contact your state licensing board and ask to see a copy of their current license before air conditioning or heating system repair service start.
• Compare prices.
  Shop around, gleaning quotes from at least 3 different companies. Ensure they are comprehensive, with a written description of all services offered and materials used so you can compare apples to apples.

Before you do call, make certain you have…

• Ensured your air filter is clean and properly installed.
• Checked the switch/breaker – including the on/off switch on the outdoor unit, which can occasionally get bumped. Ditto with gas: Is it on?
• Verified the thermostat batteries don’t need to be replaced.
• Triple-checked the setting on the thermostat, including the clock on programmable models.

Still not working? Have the following information on-hand:

• A thorough description of what your system is - or is not - doing.
• How long the probably has been going on.
• The age of the system, heater or AC brand, and system type (gas or electric; heat pump, AC, furnace, etc.).
• The last time your system underwent routine maintenance or repairs.
• Any strange noises your system makes during startup, shutdown, or operation, such as screeches, pops, thuds, clanging, or hissing, including if the system is overly loud when it runs.
• Any off-smells when the blower comes on.
• If you have rooms in your home that are frequently too hot or too cold.
• If the lights dim when the system turns on.

Don’t get burned by bad service. Get friendly, BBB certified, professional ac installation, replacement, repair, service and maintenance contractors. Protect your wallet and your system. Contact us today.

Some Common Air Conditioning problems

In recent years, record-breaking summer temperatures have been taking their toll nationwide, resulting in many whose air conditioners aren’t quite at their prime scrambling for service before they melt into a puddle of goo. In many of these cases, the problem can be simply or easily solved with a little detective work, most of which should take far less time than waiting on the repairman – and forking over for a repair bill.

Before you call for air conditioning repair service, see if you can solve these common AC problems:

• Poor airflow.
  This is almost always due to a dirty, clogged air filter, but is occasionally due to faulty blower motor. Nasty filters are probably the number one reason for service calls. Most air filters must be changed every 3 months at a minimum, and will get quite gross in that timespan. Air filter maintenance is a cheap way to prevent the untimely death of a system struggling to breathe and function. (And how embarrassing for you to pay for a repair over an inexpensive filter you forgot to replace!)
• System won’t turn on.
  Make sure the thermostat batteries don’t need to be replaced, then verify power to the heating and cooling system at the breaker box. Ensure the blower door on the air handler (the part inside your home) is closed, then check the “on” switch on your outside unit. Sometimes they get bumped.
• System cycles on and off repeatedly.
  Check for a dirty filter, then check the outdoor unit for debris. Blockage by grass and other detritus must be carefully and gently removed without damaging the fins. If those are not the problem, turn it down 5-10 degrees – you could be freezing the coil, and it needs to thaw. If it’s 100 degrees outside, 68 isn’t going to happen. Grab a fan and be happy it’s 78-80 in your home.
• System is not cooling properly.
  “Operator error” is a frequent cause of hvac system repair– so make sure your thermostat is set properly. Again, check the filter and the outside unit for blockage. Check that the drain line is not blocked by algae/buried in the dirt. Your system will also turn off when the condensate overflow tray needs to be emptied.

When to call a pro
Some situations are not meant for amateurs. Call trusted air conditioning contractors  if:

• You checked everything above and your system is still not cooling properly.
  This may indicate low refrigerant, coils that need cleaning, or system maintenance, which all require skills and tools you don’t possess.
• Your system went from turning on and off frequently - to not working at all.
  The compressor or fan may be worn out and need replacement.
• You heard a strange noise.
  Brief squeaks at startup maybe normal. However, hissing can indicate leaking refrigerant, which is bad for the environment. Also bad are clanking, bubbles, hisses, and screams, which could indicated everything from loose hardware to a bent fan or blown motor. Avoid the sharp and electrifying dangers housed within your unit – call a pro.

Don’t let your air conditioning problems boil over. Contact your local H & H Heating and Air Conditioning professional today.