Furnaces and air conditioners are big-ticket, must-have items in most American households. In order to justify the expense involved, you must buy units that work reliably and help you keep your home comfortable for years to come. However, certain mistakes can potentially lead to disaster when it’s time to purchase a new furnace or AC. Familiarity with these pitfalls can save you both money and long periods of unnecessary regret.
Buying a Unit with Too Little or Too Much Capacity
All furnaces and ACs have a minimum and maximum operating capacity, and are only fit for use in homes within a certain range of layouts and square footage totals. Many people shopping for a new heating or cooling system don’t know which units work best for their needs and end up installing underpowered or overpowered models in their homes. If you fail to avoid this pitfall, you leave yourself open to problems such as premature AC or furnace component damage, an inability to keep your household comfortable and needlessly high utility costs.
Making Price Your Only Consideration
Everybody loves a bargain. Unfortunately, when it comes to buying a heating or cooling system, a purchase that initially seems like a bargain may cost you both money and peace of mind in the long run. Simply put, a contractor who will install a furnace or AC for a rock-bottom price may rely on cheap materials and/or shoddy workmanship to make that price a reality.
Forgetting to Consider Energy Efficiency
When reviewing your options, you may be tempted to avoid highly efficient furnaces and air conditioners, since these units often come with an upfront price premium. However, by paying that extra bit of money at purchase time, you may provide your household with a long-term reduction in energy costs that actually saves you money over the working life of the unit.
Not Checking Out Multiple Contractors
You may be tempted to take the path of least resistance and only explore the options provided by a single HVAC contractor. However, for a number of reasons, another contractor may offer the same types of options at a significantly lower price. You’ll never know if you fail to check out multiple contractors before making your final decision.
Not Probing Your Contractor’s Background
Like any other industry, the HVAC industry has its share of untrustworthy and downright fraudulent providers. Unless you get verifiable information on your contractor’s background, you leave yourself vulnerable to the occasional unscrupulous or incompetent HVAC practitioner.
Not Specifying Your Contract Details
Even after verifying your contractor’s reputation, you can easily run into trouble if you fail to get a clear, detailed contract in writing. In addition to giving you general peace of mind, a well-articulated contract will help protect you if rare or unexpected problems occur during or after installation.
Make sure to check this blog often for additional advice on ways to get the best in heating and cooling services for your home.
