Follow Furnace Repair Recommendations To Get Good Service
The middle of winter isn’t the ideal time to have a heating system serviced. However, sometimes it’s necessary, even though it can mean a long wait and higher prices. Whether time is ideal or urgent, it’s best to heed furnace repair recommendations to get good air conditioner service.
Selecting a qualified, reliable furnace repair service can be simpler by heeding these tips.
For starters, always refuse any telephone solicitation that promises to clean or maintain your home furnace for free. Often these calls are nothing more than a way to get a con man into the home to bilk the homeowner for bogus repairs. In addition, sometimes these air conditioner companies are actually fronts for professional burglars who use them to find out how to re-enter the home and steal valuables.
Also beware of anyone who’s going door to door, offering to clean furnace ducts using a “shop-vac” type of machine. No ordinary vacuum cleaner has sufficient power to remove all the dust and dirt from heating ducts. Often a steam-cleaning process or a high-volume vacuum machine is required for proper maintenance.
Another key piece of advice: Don’t panic if an inspector for a furnace repair company you’ve called says you have to replace your heater immediately, or else. Unless you’ve dealt with this firm before and trust them implicitly, this kind of doom-saying inspection is almost always the lead-in to a scam. Yes, they may replace your furnace and do a good job (for a lot of money), but the question still remains whether you needed the replacement to begin with. Whenever anybody gives you this kind of warning, request a written report and then go talk to your local utility company.
Get at least three estimates in writing from other heating service companies if a service technician tells you the furnace needs replacement or major repair. Be sure that each written report includes complete listings of what’s wrong with the furnace and what it will take to fix or replace it, especially the total price with all service charges, fees and labor. Also ask for the energy efficiency rating on a new unit, if required.
Homeowners also can reduce the likelihood of needing emergency repairs by keeping up furnace maintenance themselves. Change the filters each month, and regularly vacuum the dust and dirt from air returns.
If it turns out that the furnace really does need repair or replacement, check the original warranty to determine whether repairs are covered. Some warranties require that the furnace receive annual maintenance in order to keep the warranty valid. If you must buy a new furnace, don’t choose a unit that’s too big for your household needs. You’ll only waste money.
To keep the furnace in good working order, as well as keeping the warranty in force, get the unit cleaned and tested on a yearly basis. Gas heating systems should be cleaned at least every other year, while units that run on fuel oil must be cleaned annually.
If you don’t have an annual service contract with a reputable home maintenance and repair company, ask for recommendations from neighbors, family members or co-workers. Then check out their recommendations with local authorities such as the Better Business Bureau or even the public records of small claims court. One woman who served as a bailiff in local courts once hired a heating repair service because, as she told them later, “you’re the only company who’s never been through our court.”
If you must choose a repair firm, be sure to ask specific questions about the required service. Write down the make, year, model and special features of your home heating unit. Then ask the company for a full estimate, including the total price, for repairing or replacing your unit.
Follow these furnace repair recommendations and you’ll be not only warm, but happy with your heating service.
Air conditioner Toronto provider that sells, installs and services heating and air conditioning Toronto products.