Questions to Raise About Home Air Conditioning Repairs

Most of us remember two types of teachers: the ones who would say they liked questions, and meant it, and those who would say they did but seemed to grimace each time they were interrupted with one. At Experts In Your Home, we model ourselves after the former type. When it comes to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, our technicians regard themselves as teachers, too – educating our customers during every service call. Questions are integral to learning, and we encourage them because:

• We want our customers to feel supremely confident that they are in expert hands with us
• We want to impart information that will help our customers better maintain their HVAC system
• We want our customers to know exactly what we're doing during a service call and why
• We want our customers to understand how their HVAC system functions and, when it requires a repair, why it's necessary

During a home air conditioning repair call – when customer anxiety can run high – it's understandable that many people forget or “blank out” on the questions they had intended to ask. Knowing this, we thought it would be helpful to compile a list of questions that you might want to ask during a home air conditioning repair.

Make a mental note of this online list or print a copy so that you can have a copy ready when your service company arrives. Either way, Experts In Your Home groups these questions into three categories: questions about the company, questions about the repair and questions moving forward.

Questions about the company

• How long has your company been in business?
• What is its permanent address?
• What is your state license number?
• Does your company carry general liability and workers compensation insurance? Can you produce the appropriate certification?
• Do your technicians carry North American Technical Excellence certification (a status attained by only the most skilled and experienced technicians)?
• Are your technicians certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to handle Freon?
• Do your technicians have experience working on my particular HVAC system (particularly important with older systems and geothermal systems)?
• Of which national trade associations (such as the Air Conditioning Contractors of America) is your company a member?
• Does your company have any unresolved complaints with the Better Business Bureau?
• Can you give me the names and contact information of at least three satisfied customers?

Questions about the repair

• Can you show me – not just tell me, but show me – exactly why this repair is necessary?
• Can you provide a breakdown of the costs of this repair, including parts and labor?
• Which do you guarantee: parts, labor or both? For how long?
• What happens if, by some chance, I have to call you back to my home in a day or two? Will you charge me for a service call?
• Does your company help in any way with financing?

Questions moving forward

• What, if anything, could I have done to prevent this repair?
• What types of regular maintenance – aside from an annual air conditioner tune-up – do you recommend? (If you're unsure about how to check your HVAC filter – a key component to air conditioning efficiency – now is a great time to ask.)
• Based on your experience and the current condition of my HVAC system, what is your best guess about its projected lifespan?