4 Questions When Hiring an HVAC Contractor in Orange, CA

HVAC work can have serious and long-lasting consequences for you and your home. Therefore, it’s important to do your due diligence before hiring an HVAC contractor in Orange, CA. Even if you aren’t an HVAC expert, asking a few basic questions can help you separate those who are worth your time and money.

What Do You Think Is Wrong With My System?

With this question, you can quickly test a prospective contractor’s competence, and you can do so even without having much detailed HVAC knowledge yourself. The key thing to pay attention to after asking this question is what questions the contractor proceeds to ask you in return.

For example, he should ask you how old your system is and should request that you describe the exact nature of your problem to him in as much detail as possible. This can include what smells or noises (if any) are coming from your system, whether it cools or heats effectively, how often it turns on and off, etc.

The purpose of these questions is to gather as much information about your system as possible and to make the most accurate diagnosis of the problem. Ideally, your answers to his questions should lead to even more questions because this indicates a commitment to thoroughness. An even better sign of competence is that the HVAC contractor still asks to personally examine your system, even after asking many questions.

If a prospective contractor immediately suggests the kind of work he believes to be necessary without asking probing questions, you should look the other way. It’s simply impossible for anyone to accurately perceive the causes of such technical problems without at least some knowledge of the state of your system.

May I See Your HVAC License and Liability Insurance Policy?

This question is also meant to quickly ascertain basic competence. Even if you don’t understand the details of HVAC licensure, you can be sure that the possession of a license means that the HVAC contractor has at least some minimal level of skill and training. Similarly, without even knowing how HVAC insurance works, the existence of a policy at least shows that you’re talking to a legitimate business.

Run in the opposite direction if you encounter any HVAC contractors who refuse to respond to these queries. On the issue of insurance, you should ask some additional questions about the policy to learn what falls under its umbrella.

Do You Offer Maintenance Plans?

Even if your immediate business with the prospective contractor doesn’t concern HVAC maintenance, it is still prudent to inquire about this because sooner or later you will need this service. Industry professionals recommend scheduling professional maintenance at least once per year to maintain functionality and efficiency, and nearly all system manufacturers demand proof of maintenance from those who wish to use their warranties. If you deal with an HVAC contractor who does offer maintenance, you won’t have to go elsewhere in search of it.

Do You Perform Manual J Load Calculations?

You only need to ask this question if you are in the market for HVAC installation services. However, the question is so important that you can safely ignore any contractor who doesn’t immediately answer in the affirmative.

A manual J load calculation is a process meant to determine the correct HVAC system size for your home. Without it, you risk having an improperly sized system and will have to deal with endless headaches stemming from that. Don’t agree to let anyone install any HVAC equipment for you who won’t immediately agree to perform this calculation.

Using the above questions as guides, no resident of Orange, CA, needs to feel lost when on the hunt for an HVAC contractor. In fact, all you really need to do is call Metz Air Control, and we’ll set you up with every form and fashion of HVAC services.

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