Signs Your HVAC Repair Person Did a Good Job

With approximately 300,000 HVAC repair people offering their services in the U.S., you may wonder how to tell if your contracted person has completed the required work successfully. Whether you were in need of a complete system overhaul or a regular tune-up, the results can be difficult to judge if you are not familiar with the acceptable outcome. Most people do not recognize clues of a poorly executed service unless they suffer steam explosions, furnace-room flooding, or sub-zero indoor temperatures. If you have had work done on your HVAC system, we have some ways to gauge the quality of the job performed.

Thorough Maintenance

If your system has not been checked within the last year, your service person should offer to do the yearly maintenance. By overseeing the job, you can be sure it is being done properly. Maintenance involves inspecting all belts, and then replacing those showing wear. All equipment should be vacuumed, if possible. Filters should be replaced, and moving parts should be lubricated. If you witness your repair person dutifully taking each of these steps, you know you are probably going to be satisfied with the outcome, and your equipment should run beautifully for a long time.

Orderly Paperwork

Before your service person leaves, you should be treated to an impressive array of technical paperwork. You may find reading and signing it to be somewhat time consuming, but it should not be confusing. Quite the contrary, your repair person should take the time to explain exactly what services have been performed, what material costs were incurred, and the price the company charged for each.

This paperwork must include warranty information. A telltale sign of poor workmanship is a reluctance to completely guarantee the work. A company that is forthright, and readily provides a follow-up phone number with 24-hour service, free of service fees, is less likely to have something to hide.

Energy Expertise

One of the most important benefits of a new or improved HVAC system is energy savings. Your service person should offer an air conditioner (A/C) and a heat pump with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of at least 14, as long as the A/C unit is under 5 tons. In addition, you can expect natural gas heaters and fuel-oil burners to have an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) of 90% and 85%, respectively.

Along with these, your service person should show you calculations of how the upgrades or repairs will affect your energy use. By comparing these figures with your new utility bills, you can ascertain whether you are actually receiving the appropriate level of savings. A major upgrade can lower energy use by 25%, so in an extreme case, you should see your costs plummet dramatically. If you have had work done on your heating and air conditioning in Minneapolis, the final analysis depends on your physical and financial comfort after the job is done.