Top 10 Things You Must Know Before Buying an HVAC System (Part 2)
This is Part Two of our expert advice on buying a new HVAC, which we established is one of your most important home purchases for family comfort and health. (If you haven’t read Part 1 please read that first). Part 1 is also often sent out as a courtesy email information piece (along with the document you are now reading) to ensure our new customers a smooth, completely satisfying, HVAC system experience before we start). We believe you need to know what constitutes top-rate professionalism and quality. That’s what Miller’s Heating & Air has delivered with pride for decades for our Northwest customers. Informed customers are important to us.
Having read our first five things you need to know (Indoor Air Quality; Choosing the Right System; why Brand is Not Super Critical; Why High Efficiency Is, and Why You’re your Chosen Contractor is also Key) let’s tackle the next Five Things You Must Know Before Buying an HVAC System
Why is “The Devil In the Details” of HVAC Contracts?
We’ve seen that customers looking for a new HVAC system often focus on important things such as fair price, getting increased “comfort” from their new system, and covering themselves by having a warranty. But customers often neglect to ensure their contractor takes the load off them for things that could cause unexpected HVAC-project discomfort. What I’m talking about here are such things as the often complicated process of pulling permits.
Does your chosen contractor pull all your necessary permits for you as a matter of course, or are you going to be saddled with that chore?
Pulling permits can be a headache. Every municipality has its quirks and surprises for newbies. Unless you are well familiar with your municipality and city/county inspections, you are better off having an expert smooth the way. It’s faster and stress free.
One of the benefits of working with Miller’s is that we pull the permits for our customers on every job. We have done this for decades. We want you to focus on what you know: the personal comfort and peace-of-mind needs of you and our family members. You can leave the unexpected details in an HVAC project to us. We thrive at doing things right, so you can relax.
2. How Can Warranties Become Another Unexpected (needless) Headache?
Everybody knows a good HVAC system comes with a full, limited warranty. But what does that mean?
First, most good HVAC systems’ manufacturer require you to register your equipment within a proscribed time window to cover yourself with the full, limited warranty.
Your HVAC contractor may explain the warranty basics to you. It is not a given that every contractor will file the warranty for you. Many times, you are expected to do that yourself. And you should know that filing a warranty after the manufacturer’s stated window for filing can greatly reduce (by years) the amount of time your system is covered against problems down the road. Any late-filing can cost you plenty.
Miller’s processes the warranties for every system we install, on time, so you don’t have to. It’s another way we deliver exemplary service.
3. How Do Outstanding Maintenance Programs Save You Big? The importance of a proper, planned maintenance system cannot be overstated.
Proper HVAC maintenance, like good maintenance on your family’s automobiles, ensures years of proper service (and better, longer heating and cooling).
Proper maintenance can also save you a lot of money over the life of the system. Sadly, we have seen too many examples in the field of having to install new systems in a home where the unit we are replacing was not properly maintained. It is often clear that the lack of regular, proper maintenance was the major culprit in forcing the homeowner to replace the old system, at a large (and largely avoidable) expense. Dust, for instance, can be the #1 Killer of your electrical controls. (In cases of commercial buildings, such as apartments, we believe regular maintenance can help protect against possible lawsuits for tenant safety or property damage that might otherwise occur due to poorly maintained systems.
By the way, Miller’s “World Class Maintenance Plan” also gives you preference on our calendar for service down the road, new equipment discounts (as well as discounts on labor and added services, needed repairs on ducts and filters, free service during office hours and 24/7 “emergency service at reduced rates.
4. Your HVAC System Can Help the Environment!
At Miller’s, we take pride in working in a field (residential heating and cooling) where we can be good stewards of the earth. We say this because: energy efficient, properly maintained heating and cooling systems, literally reduce environmental impact significantly. (It’s not just us saying that. The U.S. Department of Energy expresses this regularly. Saving energy, one American home, or apartment complex at time is an investment in the planet for all of us, and our future generations. Higher efficiency products also uniformly last longer, making them more affordable in the long run, cutting your cooling costs on a monthly basis.
Finally, The beauty part for homeowners is you can help the planet without sacrificing any comfort.
5. Why Hiring a Professional HVAC Team is Important.
I suppose hiring a company to install an HVAC system seems pretty predictable. You pay someone to come out to your residence, look at your current equipment, rooms, take measurements, ask questions, run tests with mysterious looking mechanical devices, and as soon as possible install what you asked them to in the first place.
But when you deal with an outstanding operation, you should get a lot of added (sometimes surprising) value.
When you work with Miller’s Heating & Air you are hiring a team. This team is talented and trained. In virtually all cases they have worked with the same people for years. And when you are hiring a team, you expect, like in sports, that every one of the professionals performs in harmony with and supports every other participant. This creates a value-adding ways that makes each individual better: top performers comprising a company. So, ask yourself when you are looking at HVAC contractors:
When you call, are the people who pick up the phone and work in the office refreshingly knowledgeable about the world of HVAC systems and know the “language,” or are they merely an answering service?
Does the contractor have an office you can actually visit to ask questions and learn more? Is it a place you would feel comfortable visiting “down the road” if you have questions or issues you feel are important?
Does the company you are hiring have a showroom in which you can see, and have explained the make and type of equipment you will have installed in your home?
Do you get the feeling the company (HVAC contractor) you are hiring sees you as a customer for life, who all of the team members will bend over backwards to treat like a valued business partner?
At Miller’s we answer all these important questions in the affirmative.
Those are our Top 10 Things You Must Know Before Buying an HVAC System. But we know you will have other questions. So, whether you are already one of our satisfied customers, or we have not yet met you, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can always count on us to get the job done fast the first time. We sincerely look forward to serving you and your family.
