What Can You Expect From Heating And Air Conditioning Contractors?

If you already have a HVAC system in place, you should have had some dealings with heating and air conditioning contractors. I hope the experience was a pleasant one but from what some people tell me; this might not have been the case.

As with all professionals, at the very least you should expect a professional and courteous service. If the company that services your heating and air conditioning systems doesn’t take their customer service responsibilities very seriously, it makes you wonder how good they are at completing residential air conditioning repairs.

Also if your heating and air conditioning contractor treat their customers simply as another meal ticket i.e. charges huge call out rates, considers any call after 4pm an “emergency” and charges accordingly etc, you can be sure that it is not your air conditioner repair that is their priority.

So what can you do? You can vote with your feet. There are companies out there such as Hatfield Heating and Air who believe in providing excellent service. They will spend time with new clients discussing their requirements for central heat and air systems or helping them decide which heating unit is the best for them. They know that most customers don’t fully understand how a heating and air conditioning system works which can make it difficult to decide on which system would suit their needs better.

Rather than adopt a one size fits all approach, Hatfield and their staff believe that by giving a personal service now, their clients will get the system they need and therefore will be much happier. But this special customer service isn’t just reserved for the new clients. Hatfield’s existing clients also benefit from the same customer service ethos.

Air conditioning appliances often break down, sometimes because the customer hasn’t followed the cleaning instructions and sometimes because the unit installed was faulty. This can happens with any electrical or electronic devices. A good heating and air conditioning contractor will respond to a client’s call in a reasonable time period and complete the air conditioning compressor repair in as quick a time as possible. They will not charge you excessive fees for doing these jobs either.

So how do you find a decent heating and air contractor? Well if you live in Sumter, SC, or the surrounding area, why not give Hatfield Heating and Air a try and see why their customers recommend them so highly. You can experience for yourself the difference between dealing with professional heating and air conditioning contractors and those others out there who perhaps should have followed a different trade.

If you don’t live in this area, the first thing you should do is to ask your friends or family for recommendations. Who do they use and why?

If you have recently bought the house, you could ask the previous owner who installed the current system and how they found dealing with that particular company. Then contact the company, make an appointment and see how it goes. A good heating and air contractor will come out to your home and evaluate the job that needs to be done before he starts quoting prices. If the prices come first, move onto the next contact on your list. The better HVAC contractors will evaluate your current system and see can it be upgraded or repaired to suit your requirements. The less reliable guys will be telling you need the latest and greatest model installed before they even look at the system already in place or discuss with you what you want to achieve i.e. better air quality, warmer home etc.

If you do decide to proceed, always first get a complete written breakdown of the costs of the project and the anticipated timescales to completion. Do not make your decision based on price alone although that is very tempting in these difficult economic times. But often the cheaper the contractor the more expensive the job will work out in the end as you may have to pay someone else to sort out a mess.

That is not to say that you should choose the most expensive either. Ideally you should talk to three engineers and see how they compare not just on price, but on recommendations they have made and their attitude. The other benefit of having three different opinions is that if they all recommend a similar solution, you will be more reassured about your decision to change or upgrade your HVAC system.

Trusting your own judgment is a huge factor in making these types of decisions. If the new contractor is late for appointments, appears disorganized and is unwilling to commit details to paper your instinct should be to avoid him even if his quote is a lot cheaper than the other heating and air conditioning contractors.

Before you proceed, it goes without saying that anyone you deal with to service, repair or install a heating and air conditioning system should have the correct insurance, licenses and be bonded in the State you live in. You should check these credentials and don’t just rely on assumptions. Only once you are satisfied should you put a written contract in place and hand over any cash to your preferred heating and air conditioning contractor.

Heating And Air Conditioning Systems – How Do They Work?

There are different forms of heating and air conditioning systems and the right one for you will depend on the size of your home, your location and your budget. The most common forms of heating systems are probably the forced air system with the next being the heat pump.  Some homes use a water based system while the minority may use resistance heaters.  Most cooling systems are either forced air or a ductless split system.

Different systems have their advantages and disadvantages.  The average man on the street doesn’t know enough about HVAC systems to work out which is best for his home and it is extremely easy to become confused. That is why it pays to have a company like Hatfield Heating and Air to look after things for you. Not only are you assured that you are dealing with professionals but they take their reputation for providing excellent customer service very seriously.  They will review your home and discuss your options with you to come up with the best system for your specific needs.

For example, some people are particularly worried about hvac indoor air quality particularly if their children or they themselves suffer from Asthma or other breathing problems.  If this is a concern of yours, discuss it with the heating contractor.

So how do you choose which heating and air conditioning system to install?  The most common system is probably the forced air system. If your home already has a HVAC system installed it is probably this one.

How does a forced air system work?  Well as the name implies, a fan forces air heated by a furnace through your home via a ducting system. You can easily add an air conditioning system as well giving you an all in one hvac system for your home. They are popular as they are very easy to operate.  But they are not particularly environmentally friendly as they can waste a lot of fuel especially if you have neglected to install a high efficiency unit. People who don’t like these systems say that they can spread mold and bacteria but if you keep the system properly maintained and cleaned this shouldn’t be an issue.

A lot of people will use a heat pump system because this is what all their friends have.   This is an all in one heating and cooling system so will keep your home cool during the hot summer months and warm in the winter ones.  Although if you live in an area with extreme winter temperatures, you may find that you need a supplemental heating system as well.

So how does a heat pump system work?  It usually is powered by electricity and tends to be energy efficient as it moves the heat around rather than generating it.  The system works to heat or cool the house by compressing or decompressing gas. Effectively it is moving heat rather than generating it by taking heat from the warmer location and sending it to the cooler one. If it is the summer then it will be taking the heat from your home and vice versa in the winter.

The performance of the pump is measured by the ratio of heat that is outputted compared to the amount of power, usually electric, consumed. All heat pumps will have two ratings being the  HSPF – Heating Seasonable Performance Factor which measures the heating ability of the unit and the SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating which measures the cooling one.  When you are comparing pumps make sure you are doing so on a like for like basis.  You want to aim for the best ratings you can afford but some makes will have a higher rating for cooling air than for heating it.

There are various types of heat pumps and the technology is changing all the time. Your heating contractor will discuss the various options with you and see which would suit your needs best if this is the type of heating and cooling system you want to use. Your contractor will also discuss the size of pump you should get based on the size of your home and also your location as the local weather conditions will have an impact.  It is important to discuss your requirements with a heating and air conditioning system specialist as they know the best products on the market and will be able to give you proper guidance. Always use a good company such as Hatfield Heating and Air as putting any system of this type into your home can be an expensive exercise. You do not want to trust just anybody.

Regardless of which of the various types of heating and air conditioning systems you decide to install, be sure to carry out regular maintenance to keep it in tip top condition and working at its optimum levels.  A poorly maintained system will eventually break down but before that happens; it will cost you more money to run.  So listen to the advice of the hvac contractor and make sure you apply it.

Central Heat and Air Systems

The central heat and air system in your home or your office is very important. If it doesn’t work efficiently you will face higher fuel bills never mind the discomfort of being too hot in summer and too cold in winter.  Every home is different not just in size and shape but also in the number and age of occupants and their requirements and expectations of what they want from a central heating and air conditioning  (HVAC) system.

You will need to contact a heating and air conditioning contractor when dealing with central heat and air troubleshooting.  Most people do not understand enough about how these systems work to fix them when something goes wrong.  But before you call in the experts, there are certain things you can check. For example you need to ensure that the central heat and air filters are properly maintained. Have you cleaned or replaced them as often as advised by your HVAC contractor?

Your furnace should be inspected at least once a year when the HVAC contractor will probably also clean the ducts.  Depending on the system you have installed, you may need to change filters every month.  If you don’t follow the proper maintenance regime, your system will not work efficiently.  You could be polluting your home with dust and debris via the air conditioning system.  Rather than improving the air quality you are destroying it.

It doesn’t matter if you have a central forced air heat system or one that uses a heat pump; they need to be regularly serviced.  Failure to have at least an annual service done will result in a system that doesn’t work at optimum levels. What you are saving on servicing costs, you will end up paying in higher fuel bills and perhaps the replacement of the central heat and air conditioning system in your home. In other words it is a false economy.

You need to deal with professional heating and air conditioning contractors as there are a lot of cowboys in this industry.  These people may provide you with cheap quotes but the damage they could do to your system may end up costing you a lot of dollars. They are best avoided.  Using an established company such as Hatfield Heating and Air in SC, you don’t need to worry about being ripped off or sold a HVAC system that you don’t need.

Most homes these days have some form of central heat and air conditioning system in place.  Often it just needs to be upgraded rather than completely replaced but it takes an experienced professional to help you make that decision. They will conduct a full review of your current system and discuss with you what you are hoping to achieve or improve.  Some old HVAC systems don’t carry an energy star rating and tend to be very heavy consumers of fuel. Also the older the system, the more likely there is dirty filters and clogged vents that may not be easily accessible so cannot be properly maintained and serviced.

The professionals will  be able to advise you whether installing one of the more modern systems will help you to become more environmentally friendly while at the same time reducing your fuel consumption leading to cheaper bills.  For example, you could upgrade to a programmable thermostat which could result in savings.  If like most people you forget to switch on and off the air conditioning or the heating, you can end up wasting a lot of fuel. When the system automatically does this for you, you don’t need to worry about being absent minded anymore. They are not expensive – typically costing less than $100 which you should recover quite quickly from lower heating bills.

If the heating and air conditioning contractor you are dealing with isn’t prepared to put the time in to discuss these options with you, then try someone else.  They should be giving you ideas like installing an on demand hot water heater rather than relying on keeping an old huge tank of water hot all day long. If you have a huge family you may need constant hot water but the majority of us only use it at certain times of the day. Heating water 24/7 is one way that most consumers waste money on heating costs.

Installing or upgrading any form of heating system be it a heat pump central air unit or other type can involve  a lot of money so you deserve a good service.

While not all companies share the customer service values that Hatfield Heating and Air strive to put in place for every client they deal with, if you are not based near the SC area you can find similar companies elsewhere. You may just have to look at little bit harder.