With fall here and winter closing in fast, now is an excellent time to ensure that your furnace is working the way it should. You don’t want to get caught freezing when the snow starts to fly, and the wind begins to blow. Of course, you don’t want to trust your furnace repair to anyone, so make sure you know how to find the best furnace repair, contractor.
Finding the Best Contractor for Furnaces
When it comes to finding the right furnace repair contractor, it’s important to keep in mind that these people will be coming into your home. Thus, you want to find someone who makes you and your family comfortable. Below are the steps to take when looking for someone who repairs furnaces.
1. Ask for Referrals
More than likely, you have friends or family members who had work done on their furnace. This is a good place to start when looking for the best contractor. Ask who repaired their furnace and what they thought of them. Since they are your family and friends, they should be honest about the experience, but don’t trust their word. You’ll need to find the one that’s right for you.
2. Do Some Research Online
After you have talked to people you trust and put together a list, then it’s time to get online and check out the contractors’ sites. This will give you a better idea of the services they offer, how long they’ve been in business, and their contact information.
You can also go to the Better Business Bureau website and local sites to see if there have been any complaints filed against the company. This also gives you a chance to check out their ratings. If they are a member of the Better Business Bureau, they should have a rating of an A or higher.
You should also spend some time looking at reviews that have been posted on their site, Google, Facebook, or Yelp. This can help you narrow down your list even further to find the furnace repair contractor that’s right for you.
3. Make Sure They Are Licensed and Certified
Another thing you’ll need to look for when looking for someone who repairs furnaces is an HVAC Pitt Meadows business that is licensed and certified. They are required to put their license number on their website and marketing material, so if you have problems finding it, give them a call and ask. You can also check to see if they are certified by the EPA or NATE or are Diamond Certified. If they have any of these, you know that you will be working with a company that has been top-rated for their service and quality.
You will also need a company that is insured. This protects you and them should anything go wrong during the repair process. If they don’t have insurance and damage your house or your furnace, you will be stuck paying for this on your own.
It may also be important that the company background checks and drug tests their technicians. This ensures that they only have the best working for them, and you can trust them in your home. If you don’t see this information on their site, don’t hesitate to call and ask about their hiring practices.
4. Check their Experience
When it comes to finding the best furnace repair contractor, you want to go with someone who has a lot of experience. This means that they will have seen a variety of problems and know how to fix them. It may also be an indicator that they have seen different types of furnaces and have experience working on them. If they have been in business for a while, this is a good indicator that they are doing something right.
Not only should they have the experience, but they should also have the right tools. If they have experience and been around for a while, they should have acquired the necessary equipment to be able to fix any furnace that they come across.
5. Give Them a Call
Once you have narrowed your list down to two or three potential contractors, give them a call and see if they will come to your home to do an estimate. This is a great way to see how their office staff acts and if they are customer friendly. If they are rude or dismissive on the phone, this could be an indicator of how they will be in your home.
In addition, if they say they won’t come to your home to create an estimate, then you’ll need to find another company. The only way to know for sure that they can fix your furnace is for them to look at it.
6. Get an Estimate
If the company that repairs furnaces is reputable, they will give you an estimate in writing. Get a few of these so you can compare and contrast. While the technician is in your home, take note of how they act and how comfortable they make you feel. This will help you make a decision about the best person to do your furnace repair.
Keep in mind that the most expensive and the cheapest contractor may or may not offer the best services. What you want to consider is how close they are to repair cost averages and how soon they can get the work done. This will ensure that your furnace is ready to keep you warm when the weather gets cold.
7. Ask About Service Contracts
After you have gotten an estimate, it’s a good idea to ask about service contracts. After spending the money to get your furnace fixed, you’ll want to see if they will come to your home on a regular basis and check your furnace. This will ensure that it continues to run properly. If there is an issue, they should be able to fix it before it becomes a major—and expensive—problem.
8. Pick Your Contractor
Once you have all the information and have compared and contrasted your options, then it’s time to pick your contractor. Don’t rush your decision, but keep in mind that the longer you let your furnace go without repairs, the more costly the issue could become.
When it comes to finding the best contractor to repair furnaces, you want someone you are comfortable with and who will work within your budget. This may take some time and research, but it’s worth the effort.
