If your home cooling and heating unit needs fixing, you might feel like jumping on the Internet and searching for relevant contractors, choosing the first one who promises to arrive immediately. Regrettably, this way of selecting a contractor during a stressful period, while your furnace or air conditioner is malfunctioning, could be a disastrous move.

When you look for an HVAC contractor, you should take more things into account than simply how soon they can arrive! I’m not suggesting that this is an unimportant factor, particularly when you are cold or hot because your furnace or AC needs fixing. However, it can cost you lots of money, aggravation and stress over the long term.

Therefore, how do you establish whether you have selected a good contractor for air conditioning repair? Well, it begins with the first telephone call – and it does not end there.

Things to take into account:

• Note their ratings on sites like Angie’s List. Although Google is helpful, it can be gamed to display complimentary reviews and can not be trusted completely.

• Do they answer the telephone quickly and professionally during working hours? With after-hours service be less critical, because it is harder to supervise staff employed by out-of-hours answering services. If you are greeted by someone who is rude and unprofessional, make sure you inform the owner/management of the HVAC company.

• If you call out of hours, does it take a long time for someone to get back to you and estimate when they will arrive at your property?

• Are you given a realistic timeframe for the work, and are you told to expect a call before the contractor arrives at your home to confirm the appointment?

After the appointment is arranged:

• Do they call to confirm the appointment? If they do, is the contractor professional and courteous?

• Do they arrive at the agreed time? If they don’t, do they call ahead of time to say they will be late?

• Sometimes, HVAC repairs are complex procedures to carry out, so a contractor might spend more time at your property than specified. A reputable firm will waste as little of your time as possible and notify you in advance. This way, you will not wait too long for somebody to arrive when you could be doing more useful things.

After the contractor arrives:

• Does he arrive at the agreed time? If he doesn’t, did anyone from the office telephone you to tell you that he might be delayed? Your time is precious, so a reputable HVAC professional will try to save you time.

• Does he have a tidy appearance? Does he wear clean work clothes that reflect a professional attitude?

• Does he introduce himself to you in a courteous way? Does he explain why he is visiting you (“I am here to carry out maintenance tasks, fix your furnace or air conditioner, etc”)?

• Prior to entering your property, does he put covers on his shoes? Although some people might regard this as unnecessary, it’s the right thing for a contractor to do – and it shows he has received proper training to safeguard and respect your property.

• Does the contractor spend any time talking to you about what problems your system is having? Are you asked relevant questions about your HVAC system and are you listened to when giving your responses? A properly qualified contractor knows all about fixing your HVAC system but also understands the importance of listening to customers. As well as helping him to diagnose the problem, this might make him aware of other problems he can fix. These problems might be overlooked otherwise if he only focused on repairing your furnace or air conditioner.

• After the maintenance or diagnosis is finished, does he offer to show you what the issue/defect is, or does he show you a photo proving that repairs are necessary?

• Does he talk intelligently and professionally about the issue, so you comprehend what needs doing and why? Does he educate you and back up his findings with diagnostic tool readings and/or visual proof, or does he make a sales pitch?

• If you reject one of his suggestions, does he maintain a professional attitude? A reputable HVAC firm would not hire contractors who become rude or unruly when a customer refuses a repair.

• Does he ask for your permission, prior to carrying out work that is chargeable past the fee for diagnosis? All work should be carried out with your consent.

• Does he explain what proactive repairs are? — i.e. repairs that will stop future expensive breakdowns from occurring. The customer should always choose whether to have these repairs, and they should not be presented as compulsory! Notwithstanding, it is normally sensible to carry out these kinds of repairs if you can afford it  because they usually save you cash subsequently. Life Safety Repairs are carried out on systems that are malfunctioning, due to a faulty compressor for example. Or, they are performed on systems that might physically damage your property and its occupants — due to cracked a heat exchanger or bad wiring, for example. In addition, there are system improvements that might be offered, but these are just suggestions and you should only choose these if you feel they offer enough benefits.

• After finishing the maintenance or repair work, does he show the defective components to you?

• Does he clean up after himself, and is your property left in the same condition as when he arrived? Did he place screws into the furnace and air conditioner cabinets? Are they covered properly and left in a weather-resistant condition?

When it comes to heating and cooling in St. Louis, we’ve got you covered. We offer a variety of services including installation and repair for your HVAC system as well as ductwork and ventilation upgrades so that air is flowing smoothly through the entire home or office space.

You should have knowledge about certain aspects of air conditioning systems before trying to repair them in your office or home. Many people try to fix air conditioners themselves when their air conditioning system develops a fault or breaks down, without understanding the concepts involved fully. HVAC repair (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) is best left to professionals. However, once you understand the principles, it is feasible for you to carry out a simple air conditioner service.

The typical office or home air conditioner consists of two discrete units and works on the principles of simple physics. The two units involved in the office or home air conditioner are the evaporator and the condenser. Freon gas is put under pressure in the condenser, following which it then passes through a heat exchanger. This process removes heat from the gas and converts it into a liquid state. It then passes into the evaporating unit through an expansion valve. The liquefied Freon expands and evaporates to a gaseous state. The dormant heat needed for this comes from the environment that is then chilled when the cooled air gets blown into the room. The gas, whose temperature rises due to the higher air temperature of the room returns into the condenser in which the heat is removed. This is a continuous cycle.

Both the condenser and evaporator consist of sealed units that you cannot repair on your own and requires the attention of a trained professional. However, you can keep everything clean and clear of debris, which includes all the mesh guards and so on. Although you cannot undertake HVAC repair, you can do simple AC service yourself. Find below some basic air conditioner troubleshooting, repair, and service tips.

The system does not run

Check the circuit breakers and the fuses. If they are fine check whether the thermostat is set to an abnormally high level. You need a professional HVAC repair engineer if lowering the thermostat by five degrees fails.

No Chillin

Check the thermostat and try lowering it. Check the condenser air intake if that does not work. The filter might be blocked, especially during the fall season when there are lots of leaves flying about. Straighten the fins of the fan if they are not straight. Call a professional technician if nothing works.

Erratic Cooling

You can only clean the condenser as much as possible for this and all other faults, and call an engineer if that fails. It is quite common for units to be choked by one form of vegetation or the other. Make sure that the concrete pad on which the condenser is sitting is parallel with the ground level, as concrete can on occasions break apart and put the motor and the condenser out of level, affecting their operation.

Amateurs trying to carry out their own air conditioner repair should never attempt to repair the evaporator and condenser as they are sealed units. A dirty or blocked evaporator is the most common problem, which you can fix by yourself. You should not experience these problems except in extreme weather conditions when different types of debris including get blown into the unit if you seek the help of a professional to conduct regular air conditioner service.

You can clean the evaporator unit by first removing the insulation followed by the evaporator access plate. However, it is more effective and safer in the long run to have an annual maintenance contract with a professional HVAC technician to do these tasks for you on a regular basis.

Repairing HVAC units is a job for professionals if you want it done in a proper manner. Attempting to do it yourself not only requires of getting into the units, followed by the greater issue of conducting effecting a safe repair. It also means that you have to reassemble the unit in a safe fashion.

While you should opt for a professional air conditioner repair service, go for one that offers you a free estimate. Certain technicians charge for the estimate whether you accept it or not. Many companies that offer obligation-free estimates do a good job as well as are relatively inexpensive plus do a good job. Businesses cannot afford to provide obligation free estimates unless their prices are very competitive and they are good at what they do.

Make sure that the repairing costs include a guarantee for labor and parts they install. Confirm if they offer you a trade-in deal if your current system has to be replaced. The technician of the repair company will recommend you to opt for a 24 x 7 service deal because they do not want you to remain sweating when your HVAC unit breaks down; opt for it. Ask for a discount if you are a senior citizen. You never know when lady luck will smile on you.

It’s often said that blogging is a lot like writing, in that it requires persistence and patience. The greatest reward for me comes from hearing from you. I love to hear your questions and would be happy to answer them as best I can. But please read this first: my blog comments are moderated because I get lots of spam comments daily and don’t have time to delete all the junk! Also, if you’re looking for building tips or advice outside of my expertise (building science), please check my Resources page before leaving a comment here – there may be someone better suited to give the answer you need. And, if you’re looking for information in a language other than English, please visit my Services page to find a translation service.

To develop an effective plan for your home’s renovation or repair, it is necessary that all of your questions are answered before work begins. Asking the right questions about building science and inspection prior to choosing a contractor will save both you and the contractor time and money: both mistakes! Most local “home inspectors” are NOT building scientists; they usually have little or no training in building science. If they give you advice, it is a good idea to get a second opinion from an independent building scientist. Licensed engineering firms and licensed home inspectors can be found through the International Code Council and the National Association of Home Builders.

The questions I am most frequently asked are answered right here on my blog. You can search by keyword, category or subcategory in the sidebar. If you still have unanswered questions after reading through everything on this blog (and doing a search first), then by all means please contact me and I will do my best to answer your questions! Your home is unique and no one knows the specifics of it like you do.