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8 Questions to Ask Before You Hire an HVAC Technician

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HVAC technician working on a capacitor part for condensing unit.
Before you hire an HVAC technician, ask the right questions. Here are eight HVAC technician questions to assure good, effective service.

Do you need an HVAC technician for your home or office? If so, you’ve got a lot of options – there are more than 300,000 HVAC technicians working in the U.S.

With so many to choose from, how can you know you hired the right person? One of the best ways is to make sure you ask the right questions.

Why Hire an HVAC Technician?

An HVAC technician can solve all kinds of problems in your home or office.

Although some people might be tempted to address HVAC system issues on their own, it’s definitely better to call in a professional.

Here are the greatest benefits to hiring an HVAC technician:

  • Stay safe. A professional has the training and experience to safely repair your system
  • Save time. You have more time to focus on other aspects of your home life or business
  • Meet requirements. A pro knows local requirements and assures your system will meet municipal code
  • Peace of mind. You’re able to rest easy knowing any issues are professionally addressed

Essential Questions to Ask

Here are eight questions you should ask each candidate to assure you hire the most qualified person or company:

  1. Are you licensed and insured?

Ask if they are licensed and insured contractors. Find out what kind of license insurance they have, too. Ideally, they will have both workers compensation and liability insurance.

You may also want to verify their contractor license is up-to-date. Get the license number and contact the state contractor licensing board for details.

According to the www.hvacschool.org/nebraska/ website, while HVAC professionals must be state-licensed contractors, they actually get their HVAC operating licenses through the towns and cities they work in.

  1. What experience do you have?

Next, be sure to ask about the kind of experience the technician has.

Find out how long they worked in their field and what systems they’re trained in. Try to find someone with experience on your specific make of unit.

  1. Can you provide references?

When you consider an HVAC technician or any trades professional, make sure they can provide references. Anyone worth hiring will have a list of past clients to verify their good work. If they are hesitant to provide references, that’s a red flag.

Also look at online reviews. Check what other people’s experiences have been and whether there are consistent issues you need to consider.

  1. What are your rates?

Don’t be afraid to ask for a written estimate from each technician you consider. Compile these quotes so you can compare them and find someone whose rates are fair.

But it’s not always a good idea to automatically choose the lowest rate. If someone’s prices are extremely low, that might indicate inexperience or subpar work.

  1. Will you visit my home?

Be wary of anyone who won’t come to your home to make an inspection. If they’ll only talk to you on the phone until you commit to hiring them, that’s another big red flag.

They should be able to give a rough idea of the cost over the phone. But they’ll need to look at the system to tell you exactly how much everything will cost you.

  1. How soon can you get to me?

HVAC technicians may be in high demand, but they should still be able to get to you relatively soon. If someone can’t get to you for several days or weeks, you might want to look elsewhere.

  1. What’s your estimated completion date?

Look for someone who can give you an estimated date of completion once they inspect your unit. If they’re very vague or can’t give you an estimate at all, you might be better off working with someone else.

You don’t want to have a unit that’s out of commission for weeks, do you?

  1. Do you offer refunds, warranties or guarantees?

Finally, don’t forget to ask if they offer warranties on their services or guarantee them for a specific period of time.

If your system fails again within a specific timeframe, will they refund your money or repair your system for free?

Hire a Reputable HVAC Technician

Now you know the key questions you need to ask. It’s time to start interviewing potential candidates. If you’re in or near Omaha and want an HVAC technician who checks all these boxes, we’re here to help at Eyman Plumbing Heating and Air.  Call (402) 731-2727 to schedule an appointment today.

We’ll have your home or office’s HVAC system working right again both quickly and at a fair price.