Valuable Tips Before Hiring An AC Repair Company | Fort Worth, TX
When people talk about the things that are guaranteed in life (death and taxes), they should add one more, the need to call an AC repair company in Fort Worth, TX, at some point in their lives. The simple fact is that all homeowners will have some type of problem with their AC at some point because an AC system is a machine, and all machines break down. With any luck, they don’t break down amid a hot Texas summer, but sometimes they do. Regardless of when you need some help, you can count on the fact that you will.
AC systems get a full workout in Texas. Unlike other locations that are more seasonal, your Fort Worth, TX AC will hardly ever turn off. It has to work around the clock for a good four months of the year and then only gets a slight break during the autumn and the spring months. The simple truth of the matter is that wear and tear is a real issue for air conditioning systems across the country. With that in mind, you may need to call an AC repair company sooner than later. Before you do, though, you may want to stop and think for a second.
Not all AC repair companies are created the same. You don’t want to just choose a random search result from Google, but you also probably don’t have a lot of time to do extensive research on which repair company will be the best choice for you. The following guide will help you learn a little bit about what you can expect when a company comes out to your Fort Worth, TX, home for repair and what you should expect from the AC repair company you ended up choosing. Hopefully, it will help you choose the right company and make the process a little easier.
What to Expect During AC Repair
Before you investigate different AC repair companies, you should have a reasonable idea of what to expect from an AC repair company. Knowing what the AC repair company is going to do can help it easier to sort out who really is the right fit for your job. The exact process may vary a little bit from company to company, but for the most part, this process should proceed in a similar way.
Usually, the first step will take place when you reach out and call the company. You will probably talk to a sales agent who will go over what is going on with your AC and what you will probably need. Sometimes it is very clear what is going to need to happen, but other times the problem will not be evident based on the description you give. In that case, the company will schedule for an AC technician to come out and take a look.
When the AC technician arrives at your home, they will first listen to your description of the problem, and then they will go take a look at your system for themselves. They will inspect the system until they figure out the problem and then likely approach you to detail what needs to happen.
If the AC repair company is upfront, they will tell you what the issue is and then offer you a ballpark estimate before they go back to their truck to write you out a detailed estimate. The detailed estimate allows you to see exactly what is wrong, what they can do to fix it, and where your money is going. This can help you as a consumer feel better about paying for the job, and can help ensure that things get done right the first time around.
Once you accept the estimate and sign for the repairs, the technician will either schedule a time to come back out or, if there is time that day, offer to do the repair on the same day. This will probably depend heavily on how booked the AC repair company is that day and how emergent the situation is. Some things can wait a few days, but some repairs need to happen right away. The technician should offer you some insight into what type of problem you have.
How to Prepare for an AC Repair
The next thing you may be worried about is what you have to do to prepare for AC repair. The good news is probably not as much as you think. It is understandable not to like the idea of someone in your home, but a lot of precautions are taken to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible throughout the entire service. In addition, there is not a lot that you have to do to prepare for an AC repair.
Trained AC technicians that work for reputable AC repair companies are aware that AC emergencies can happen at any time. They don’t occur when you have had time to clean your home or any other convenient time. Not only are technicians extremely respectful, but they will not judge you for anything that may be in your home.
At the same time, they will work hard to ensure that they leave your home in the same condition that they entered it. They will usually wear booties that protect your home from dirt and debris. For those who don’t like the idea of germs in their home, the booties will also prevent them from dragging anything into the house. If you have particular requests, make sure you tell the AC repair company while you are on the phone with you so that they can take care of it appropriately. Most companies will be happy to work with their Fort Worth, TX clients, but you have to let them know in advance so they have time to accommodate you.
The one thing that you can do to make your home more accessible to the AC repair company technicians when they come out is to make sure they have a clear workspace to work within. This means ensuring that all clutter is removed from your driveways, such as scooters and balls, if you have small children. The AC technicians will need to be able to access your outdoor unit easily.
If your unit happens to be located near the driveway of your home, then as a courtesy and to make the job easier, you should park your car in the garage or in the street to allow the technician room to work. Oftentimes it is easier if they can pull their service truck up to the unit or the nearest entry point so that accessing tools as needed won’t be so hard.
You also need to create a path from your doorway down to your AC unit. Ideally, the AC repair company technicians should have about four feet clear in all directions to work on the unit. This includes the pathway down to your indoor AC unit, as well as the path to several first-floor main air vents and the thermostat. A lot of people forget that the thermostat is part of their AC conditioner system, but it actually plays a major role and is something that the technician will also probably need to inspect.
Once again, you don’t need to have your entire home clean, but if you clear an area around these spots so that the AC tech can work inhibited, it can make the entire process go a lot smoother and speed up the time the service call takes. Most homeowners want to get the AC repair company in and out of their room as fast as they can, so this simply can help speed up the process.
What to Look for When Searching for an AC Company
Now that you know what to expect when the AC repair company comes out to your home, the next step is to figure out how to choose the right company to call out to your home. Lucky for you, finding the right repair company in Fort Worth, TX, doesn’t have to be hard if you check off a few things on the following list. If you can find an AC repair company that ticks off all of these boxes, then you are set to go.
To start, you need to make sure that the AC repair company you are thinking about hiring has the proper credentials. This means ensuring that they are licensed and certified to work in Texas. Licensing is very important because it shows that the technicians are properly trained, and the company is considered an authority within the industry. Your AC system is the most expensive appliance in your home; you want to make sure the people working on it are good at their job.
Second, you need to make sure that the AC repair company you are considering in Fort Worth, TX, carries insurance and is properly bonded. These two items actually protect you and your home. If an employee is injured in your home while repairing your AC, you should not be held liable; the company should be. They should carry insurance to protect their employees so that you don’t have to worry about that.
Speaking of their employees, you should also make sure that the HVAC technicians that they send out to your home are certified. Certification is an important part of training and demonstrates skill and a willingness to learn on behalf of the technician. It is also becoming an industry standard, and you want an AC repair company that is up to modern expectations.
Next, you need to ask around for recommendations. If you have never had to use an AC repair company before in Fort Worth, TX, then you probably have no idea where to start. However, chances are your friends and family members have had to call an AC company, so they probably have some recommendations. Everyone will need to call an AC repair company at some point in Texas, so if you ask enough people, you are bound to get some recommendations. Sometimes the best way to get feedback about a company is by talking to those with experience.
Even if you are new to the area, you can take advantage of the situation to actually make some friends. New co-workers or neighbors will be happy to tell you their opinion on local AC companies, and you can use your sudden need as an icebreaker. Think of it as a way to gather intel about AC companies that you can use as you adjust to life in Texas, and also a way to really start to talk to people and see who might just become your next friend.
Finally, you can also turn to the internet if you need more references or reviews of a company. The internet has made it easy to find out anything about anyone in less than a few minutes. While you need to be aware that not all reviews are created equal, if you learn to read reviews with a discerning mind, you can actually gather a lot of great information from them. Overall a company should have more positive reviews than negative, and any established company should have many reviews. A company that has been around for years with only a few reviews should set off a few red alarms.
Are you ready to hire an AC repair company to come out to your home? Whether you need emergency AC services or simply have an AC repair question, One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth is here to help. We also offer annual service options for those who need to schedule their preventative service. Give us a call today.