What to Look for in a Heating and Air Technician
Choose a licensed heating and air technician, ensuring qualifications match on a state website, noting that separate plumbing licenses are required for plumbing work.
With the internet and YouTube, many homeowners think they can DIY their way out of just about every home problem. However, issues with heating and cooling systems must be handled by a professional heating and air technician.
Working on a heating and air system can be dangerous. Repairing heating and air systems typically involves working with hazardous chemicals and high voltage electricity. Plus, if anything goes wrong during a repair, it could create worse problems for the heating and air system.
When turning to a heating and air technician, it's important to choose the right company or individual. Here are a few things to look for in a heating and air technician:
Proper Licensing
Choose a heating and air technician who has a state license to work in heating and air technology. To obtain a license, a heating and air technician must pass a state examination.
There are three levels of heating and air licensing: journeyman, master, and contractor. A journeyman must have two years of experience in the heating and air field and a degree from a two-year program in heating and air technology—or its equivalent. A master must have one year of experience as a journeyman. A contractor must register the business with the state.
Before hiring a heating and air technician, check the status of the license on a state government website. Hiring someone without a license can put a home’s safety at risk.
Keep in mind that a heating and air license qualifies individuals to work with heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems but not with plumbing. If plumbing work is also needed, the technician requires a plumbing license.
NATE Certification
North American Technician Excellence (NATE) is an independent organization that tests and certifies heating and air technicians. Having a NATE certification means that a heating and air technician has proven to know how to repair a wide variety of heating and air issues. It provides an added stamp of approval to the heating and air license.
When hiring a heating and air technician with a NATE certification, it is known that an experienced and qualified technician who can complete complex and intricate heating and air jobs is being hired.
Liability Insurance
The next step is to make sure the heating and air technician carries general liability insurance. If something goes wrong during the repair process and the technician damages the property, the technician's insurance should cover the damage.
If the technician doesn't have liability insurance, they may not be able to compensate for the mistake, and a messy and expensive problem might be left.
Trusted Brands
Heating and air technicians typically sell appliances for a specific brand. It's a good idea to hire a heating and air technician who is familiar with the brand of the heating and air system and has the parts and expertise to repair it. If a new system is being bought and a specific brand is preferred, find a heating and air technician who sells appliances in that brand.
If no specific brand is in mind, it's a good idea to choose a heating and air technician who represents a wide variety of brands. If a technician represents just one brand, they are limited in the products they offer. The more brands they offer, the more options there are—and the more likely it is to get a product that fits the requirements and price range.
Extended Warranties
The next thing to look for is a heating and air technician who offers long-term warranties on their products and services. Warranties guarantee that if something goes wrong with the new heating and air system (or the newly repaired system), the heating and air technician will return to repair it at no cost.
The length of the warranty sometimes depends on the product itself but typically lasts at least one year. Before working with a heating and air technician, make sure they offer warranties of at least a year. Prioritize technicians who offer longer warranties, such as five or ten years.
Positive Feedback
One of the best ways to verify a heating and air technician's qualifications is to pay attention to what other people say about them. Look for unbiased reviews on third-party sites.
The likelihood of finding the right heating and air technician on review sites can be increased by searching for specific services needed. For example, search for "air conditioning repair" or "furnace installation." That way, someone who has proven to do well in the precise kind of work needed can be found.
Finding a great heating and air technician may take some time, but it's time well spent. Once a great heating and air technician is found, there's no need to scramble to find a new one every time a problem arises. Call a trusted technician who is familiar with the system, and they can solve the problem in no time.
Don't try to fix heating and air problems alone. Use these guidelines to find a competent heating and air professional to rely on.
Above and Beyond Air Conditioning & Heating is a San Antonio residential and commercial heating and air conditioning company dedicated to providing the highest level of home comfort. Call us today at 210-897-8658.
