Follow Furnace Repair Recommendations To Get Good Service
When the weather turns cold isn’t the time to get a furnace cleaned and serviced. Unfortunately, sometimes homeowners forget this essential maintenance until Old Man Winter blows into town. Whatever the time, a homeowner can get good service by following furnace repair recommendations from consumer groups.
Consumer protection organizations such as the Better Business Bureau offer several tips for choosing a reputable and qualified furnace repair service.
For starters, always refuse any telephone solicitation that promises to clean or maintain your home furnace for free. Often these calls are nothing more than a way to get a con man into the home to bilk the homeowner for bogus repairs. In addition, sometimes these air conditioner companies are actually fronts for professional burglars who use them to find out how to re-enter the home and steal valuables.
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Refuse to hire anyone who rings your doorbell offering to clean the air ducts with a “shop-vac.” It takes a high-volume or steam-clean vacuum system to clean heating ducts properly
Also beware of signing a contract with a firm whose “inspector” insists that the furnace presents a danger to your home’s inhabitants. Before hiring someone who makes this kind of claim, demand a written report on the hazard that you can take to the local utility service for review. If the company refuses to give you written statement, throw them out of your house and report them immediately to local authorities. In doing so you may save one of your neighbors from getting scammed.
When told that your furnace needs major repairs, get a minimum of three independent written inspection reports from qualified, licensed companies. Check each report to make sure it includes complete descriptions of the parts or materials needed, the services involved, warranty, the unit’s energy efficiency ranking, and the total price. If the estimate doesn’t have this information, ask for it.
Keep up home maintenance of the furnace by cleaning the air return vents with a home vacuum cleaner. Change the filter a minimum of three times, preferably monthly, during cold seasons requiring indoor heating.
Be sure to check the original warranty if faced with major repairs or replacement. In many cases a warranty will be invalid if the furnace hasn’t been properly maintained. Should a new furnace be necessary, get a unit that’s big enough for the household’s needs, but no bigger. It wastes both energy and money to install a unit larger than necessary.
To keep the furnace in good working order, as well as keeping the warranty in force, get the unit cleaned and tested on a yearly basis. Gas heating systems should be cleaned at least every other year, while units that run on fuel oil must be cleaned annually.
Save money by contracting with a reliable home services company for annual maintenance on your home heating unit. Get suggestions from co-workers, neighbors and relatives on firms that have worked well for them. Research likely candidates through local consumer advocate groups and professional organizations to verify their qualifications and performance.
If you must choose a repair firm, be sure to ask specific questions about the required service. Write down the make, year, model and special features of your home heating unit. Then ask the company for a full estimate, including the total price, for repairing or replacing your unit.
Follow these furnace repair recommendations and you’ll be not only warm, but happy with your heating service.
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