Manufacturers of modern air conditioners take extreme care to see that their product provides customers with years of service. However, there is a point in time when mechanical or electronic parts will fail. If you have the same luck as me, this failure will occur at the most inopportune time. Typically on the hottest weekend of the summer. This article discusses some of the key points to consider when searching for the best air conditioning repair company.
Haste is Waste
Don’t resort to blindly contacting the first company you find in Google or other search engines. Instead, spend some time to view their websites and see if they appear to be a professional or just some “chuck in a truck” operating out of their garage.
The following is a checklist to consider before hiring the services of any air conditioning repair company.
- Check the number of years the company has been in this business. It makes sense to select a company that has been around the block a few times! Their experience will help them to quickly trace the fault and fix it.
- Check their pricing. Get suspicious if the company quotes a ridiculously low price. Also, ensure whether they are using manufacturer parts for the job and if they offer a warrantee on the parts they replace.
- Get a written quote. Never depend on verbal quotes. No two repairs are the same and you should never accept a price over the phone. Be sure that the company sends a technician to survey the damage and to provide a written estimate for the cost of fixing it.
- Check for the proper license and insurance. Be sure to check that the company has a license to service air conditioners in your state. You should also check to make sure they are insured. This covers the cost of fees incurred in case of a physical injury or damages caused to your property during the A/C repair process.
- Availability. Most air conditioning companies remain closed during the weekend. Can you imagine the scenario where your AC breaks down on a Friday night after work? It is better to contact a company that offers 24/7 emergency air conditioning repair services.
- References. Did you know that word of mouth is always one of the best methods to find a contractor. Therefore, contact your neighbors, friends, family or colleagues for a referral.
- Consider a maintenance contract. Be proactive and sign up for a maintenance contract for your air conditioning. These contracts typical include an annual tune-up where the technician can identify potential problems before they occur. Additionally, these contracts oftentimes have preferential pricing and response times.
Tips for selecting the best contractors
The following is a video that discusses more tips on how to find a contractor. While the video talks about hiring contractors in a general sense, the points discussed in this video apply to hiring heating and cooling contractors.
For more information about air conditioning repairs and options available at Wilcox Energy, contact us at (860) 399-6218. We offer a full line of air conditioning repair services and installations.