Boris Dzhingarov

What to Look For When Hiring an AC Repair Service

AC repair, Air conditioning

Your AC is acting funny. It’s not producing cold air in the way that you expect. It’s become obvious at this point: you need the help of an AC repair service.

Now, you’re just wondering what to look for when choosing one. Fortunately, we can help with that. Here are the things to consider when picking an AC repair company.

Sufficient Experience

An AC unit is an expensive machine. As such, you don’t want just anyone trying to repair it. You want a seasoned professional.

For this reason, when searching for an air conditioning repair service, you need to find one with sufficient experience. Generally speaking, the more experience a company has, the better level of service it will provide.

Not only will it have had the time to work through its mistakes and hone its skills, but it will also have had the time to fine-tune its business processes. This equals a more complete repair and a more seamless experience.

We recommend choosing a company with at least two years of experience in the field. If a company has maintained a positive reputation for that length of time, it likely has the goods to give you what you want.

A Positive Reputation

Experience alone isn’t enough. Even a bad service could stick around for a while. For this reason, it’s also important to assess the company’s reputation.

Now, how do you assess a company’s reputation? You could try asking around but that’s time-consuming, and might not even yield any results. This is why we instead recommend looking at review sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp.

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These sites contain reviews for essentially every business in existence. These reviews come from real-life customers and can help to paint a picture of what each company provides.

Comb through these reviews as a means of getting a consensus opinion on the company. See if the reviews answer any of your questions. Then, use this information to inform yourself on whether this company would be a good choice.

Licensure

In most states throughout America, AC replacement and repair specialists are required to be licensed. This licensure indicates that a company knows what it’s doing and that it’s racked up the training and experience necessary to provide HVAC services professionally.

Before hiring any AC repair service, make sure that it has this license. Also, make sure that it has a general business license.

Wondering how to verify this licensure? The best option is to use your state’s license lookup tool.

For example, let’s say you were looking up Larsen Heating and Air, located in the state of Utah. In this case, you would use the Utah license lookup tool.

This tool can be found here. Simply type in the name of the business you’re searching for and see what pops up. If there’s a license, that business is a solid choice.

Insurance

In addition to licensure, you should also look out for insurance coverage. This is vital, as it will protect you in the event that the company does damage to your property, or in the event that one of the company’s employees is injured on your property.

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If one of these things were to happen with an uninsured company, that company would be much less likely to pay for the damages. As such, you might be put in a position where you have to file a lawsuit. That’s not something that you want to get into.

As such, prior to signing any contracts, you should see proof of both general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. If a company has both, it’s good to go.

The Types of Services You Require

Not all air conditioner repair specialists are capable of the same repairs. Some focus on specific types of repairs (like duct cleaning, for instance) while others are capable of anything under the sun.

Some focus on residential systems while others focus on commercial systems. Others are capable of fixing both residential and commercial systems.

When seeking a company out, you need to make sure that it can accommodate your specific needs. Generally speaking, you can find all relevant information on the company’s website. It’s usually found under the “services” tab, though this can vary from website to website.

If you can’t find this information on the company’s website, you’ll just have to make a call and ask. In any case, make sure that the company has provided the service you require. You want an experienced and skilled person to fix your AC, not someone who’s still in the process of learning.

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Reasonable Rates

You’re also going to want to inquire about costs. Different companies charge different rates, and there could be hundreds of dollars in difference from company to company. You want to ensure that you’re getting a decent deal.

How do you go about determining each company’s rates? By calling each company and asking it for an estimate. Any reputable company will give you an estimate featuring itemized costs.

If a company doesn’t give you an estimate, it’s hiding something and should be avoided. It might even be trying to scam you.

As far as comparing rates goes, focus on those that hover around the average. Sure, you might be tempted to opt for the low offer but doing so is risky. Low costs, in many cases, indicate below-average service.

Picking the Right AC Repair Service Is Easy

In truth, picking the right AC repair service is easy. Just follow the tips above and you’re sure to land an AC repair company that can serve you for years to come.

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