Kentucky is home to over 1,100 AC companies, so how do you choose the right one to protect your home’s system?
Choosing a company to take care of your AC maintenance and repairs is a tricky but very important task. Louisville has hot and extremely humid summers, so if you don’t have your AC unit functioning as it should, you’ll be uncomfortable and potentially unsafe in your home.
Today, we’ll give you some tips for finding the right HVAC service. One of the best ways to separate the best AC companies from the rest is to understand what services you need and what each company offers. Keep reading and we’ll explain the most essential services you need to stay cool with air conditioning this summer.
What to Look for From an HVAC Service
There are essential services that all quality AC companies should provide. If they don’t offer installation, repairs, and preventative maintenance, keep looking until you find a company that does.
Installation Services
Whether or not you need a new air conditioner right now, your AC company should offer installations. What’s more, they should be able to help their customers with air conditioning design.
An HVAC system has a shelf life of around 20 years. Eventually, you will have to replace your system and you’ll want someone you trust to do it. Finding a company that offers installation services in addition to maintenance and repairs will let you stick with the same company for everything.
AC Repair
AC repairs are probably the most essential service an HVAC company should offer. They should be able to promptly diagnose and offer cost-effective fixes for a wide variety of HVAC systems.
AC Maintenance and Inspections
It’s important to have your air conditioner maintained regularly. Seasonal preventative maintenance will ensure your system works efficiently throughout the hottest months.
Inspections are a big part of the maintenance process as well. Regular professional inspections will catch small maintenance issues before they can become costly repairs. A good AC company will put you on a maintenance schedule so that you don’t have to remember to call every year.
Emergency Services
Ideally, your air conditioner won’t break down without warning, but it can happen if you don’t pay attention to the signs. The best HVAC companies will offer no questions asked 24/7 emergency service to help you in these times of need.
Knowing you can contact your HVAC company for emergency repairs provides peace of mind to homeowners. No matter what’s going on with your AC, you can contact a knowledgeable professional who can diagnose and solve the problem for you.
Other Services to Look For
The services mentioned above are the most essential, but there are other things you can look for as well. Some AC companies offer duct cleaning and repair – an essential aspect of maintaining indoor air quality.
Americans spend around 90% of their time indoors. If you don’t have good air quality, you’re putting yourself at risk of various airborne illnesses. Your AC system and ducts have a lot to do with the quality of your home’s air, so this is an important service to look out for from an AC company.
Other Criteria When Selecting AC Companies
Once you’ve ascertained that a company offers these essential services, you’re well on your way to finding your HVAC specialist. That being said, there’s still some due diligence you should do before making a final decision.
Reputation
To truly single out the best AC company, you need to get a sense of their reputation in the local community. The best way to do this is by looking at online ratings and reviews.
You can glean a huge amount of information about AC companies from their former customers. In particular, you can find out if there are any major red flags with their maintenance/repairs or customer service. Bad reviews often tell you a lot more valuable information than good ones.
Choose 3-5 of the AC companies with the best reputation and dig a bit deeper by looking at their company websites.
Experience and Expertise
Experience and expertise are both incredibly important. You always want the person looking at your air conditioner to have ample experience.
The more years the company has been in business, the more they’ve seen. A technician who has seen a lot will be able to diagnose and fix problems more efficiently than a younger technician.
Warranties and Insurance
It’s important to have peace of mind when you’re getting your HVAC system looked at. A company that offers service warranties is a company you can trust to work on your air conditioner.
A service warranty guarantees that if the company didn’t properly fix your AC unit, they’ll come back and deal with the issue free of charge. If the company you choose doesn’t offer this perk, you could end up paying twice to solve the same problem.
It never hurts to ask about insurance, either. Whenever you have someone working in your home, the company should have liability to protect you against the possibility of property damage or injury.
Financing
Lastly, you should always get quotes from multiple companies to get a better sense of how much the job will cost. It can be difficult for the average homeowner to determine what a fair price is for AC work. Getting several quotes will help you figure out an average.
Great companies will be considerate of financial restrictions customers might have. Financing is an important thing to look for when you’re on a budget. Being comfortable in your home shouldn’t bankrupt you – good AC companies understand this.
The Best AC Companies in Louisville
Taking all of this into account, you can find the best companies available in your area. As long as they offer the essential services mentioned above and satisfy the extra criteria, you’ll be able to keep your AC unit in good working order.
For those in Louisville, One Choice Mechanical is the best option for your AC needs. We offer a wide variety of HVAC services, including everything mentioned here. If you value HVAC efficiency and your home’s comfort, contact us today to schedule an inspection.
