5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an AC Contractor

With the scorching weather in Lake Placid, FL, in full swing, it’s important to properly resolve any air conditioning issues that you may experience. You’ll need an excellent AC contractor to get you through your trouble, but it isn’t always easy to determine which to hire. To help you find your way, here are five questions that we recommend asking every AC contractor before you decide to work with them:

Would You Show Me a Copy of Your Contractor’s License?

To operate legally in the state of Florida, AC contractors must have a license that specifies the kind of work they may perform. Class B licenses place some restrictions on the size of the air conditioners that a contractor may work on, while Class A licenses authorize the provision of unrestricted services.

However, asking this question will do more than show that a purported AC contractor is complying with the law. It can also establish the contractor’s legitimacy in a way that even those without knowledge of the HVAC industry can understand. Even if you don’t know anything about how AC systems work, once you see a license, you can be more confident that you’re dealing with a competent team.

What Sort of Liability Insurance Do You Have?

Accidents can happen, and preparing for them is a matter of simple prudence. Before agreeing to work with any HVAC company, you should ask to see its liability insurance policy. Don’t hesitate to ask detailed follow-up questions about the policy, and be sure to find out exactly what the policy does and doesn’t cover.

Do You Perform Manual J Load Calculations?

If you’re in the market for AC installation services, this question is absolutely essential. The purpose of a Manual J load calculation is to determine what the correct air conditioner size is for your home. This is so important that you can safely dismiss any contractor who doesn’t perform this calculation.

Any contractor who either carries out this calculation incorrectly or refuses to do it at all can cause you grave problems down the road. An AC system that’s too large will be more likely to short cycle, which can shorten the system’s lifespan and increase its chances of breaking down. An AC system that’s too small may end up using excess energy or outright not cycling after you put it to work.

Do You Offer Maintenance?

If you’re looking for a contractor to either install a new AC system for you or fix a major issue with your old one, it makes sense to also ask about maintenance. To keep your AC system in the best shape possible, maximize its lifespan and guarantee that its warranty remains usable, you’ll need to supply it with professional maintenance at least once per year. Getting maintenance twice per year is even better.

Therefore, if you decide to get AC repair or installation services from a contractor who also offers maintenance, you’ll easily be able to kill two birds with one stone. It’ll be much easier to set up a long-term relationship with the same contractor than to go to a different one for each specific service.

What Do You Think Is Wrong With My AC System?

It isn’t always possible to precisely diagnose every problem and propose a solution to it prior to an explicit examination. Nevertheless, competent HVAC service technicians should be able to come up with a broad idea of what’s wrong with your AC system after you describe its behavior. For example, they should know what various smells or noises mean, what happens when refrigerant leaks from an air conditioner and how to spot compressor issues.

The answers that you get to the foregoing questions will go a long way toward showing you which AC contractors are worth dealing with and which ones are not. Of course, no matter their questions, all residents of Lake Placid, FL, can turn to our team for help. Call Miller’s Central Air, Inc. today when you need AC services.

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