How to Choose the Best HVAC Repair Service
Key takeaways:
• All HVAC companies should be able to handle repairing any brand.
• If your unit was recently installed, call the HVAC installer.
• Not all HVAC companies offer HVAC emergency repair.
• Your HVAC repair cost will be higher if you call outside of normal business hours.
By Anne Fonda
How do I know when I need HVAC repair?
There are some telltale signs that you need to schedule a heating or air conditioning repair appointment. They include:
- The HVAC system or unit won’t turn on.
- The heat pump or furnace is not blowing warm/hot air.
- The heat pump or AC is not blowing cold air.
- A system component is making loud noises.
- You notice strange smells coming from an HVAC unit or the air vents.
- You have higher energy bills without a change in usage or utility rate.
How do I identify the best HVAC repair company?
First, you need to decide if you need emergency HVAC repair (that you’re willing to pay more for) or if you can deal with being a little hot or cold for a day or two. If you can make it through the night or through the weekend before you schedule a repair, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars.
However, if you’re in the middle of a heat wave or arctic blast and you have infants or an elderly person in your home, you may decide you do have an emergency situation. Either way, take time to do a little bit of homework. Here are some things to look for to choose the best HVAC repair service near you.
#1. Your friends and neighbors recommend them
Ask for referrals, or search social media community groups or NextDoor for the term HVAC repair. Look for what companies people recommend, and who they say to stay away from.
#2. They have a 4-5 star rating
Once you have a few names, Google them. A sign of a good HVAC repair company is the number of positive reviews. Look for HVAC companies near you with an average of 4-5 stars in their Google reviews.
Read the reviews and look for reviews that mention things like on time, responsive, knowledgeable, affordable, great customer service, and honest. Look for company responses to reviews, whether good or bad. It shows the company cares about its customers. Pay the most attention to reviews given within the last year.
#3: They’re licensed and certified
We recommend working with established local businesses rather than trying to save money by hiring a handyman or a technician trying to make money after hours. You’re not protected if something goes wrong because they may not have the license and insurance needed.
If your state requires an HVAC company to be licensed, look for its license number on the company website. Google the state agency that licenses businesses in your state and enter the company name or license number to confirm proper licensing.
Look for a NATE certification logo on the company website. NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence. Having this certification means that employees have the training and certification needed to accurately diagnose the issue and perform the HVAC system repair.
#4: They’ve been in business 5+ years
Fortunately, dishonest companies that do shoddy work don’t stay in business for long. Look for HVAC companies that have been in business for at least 5 years – the longer the better. You want a company with experience and expertise. You can find this information in their Google Business Profile, on their website, or in a Better Business Bureau profile.
If money is tight, look at each of the websites to see if they offer coupons or discounts on repairs.
What does HVAC repair cost?
It will depend on what the problem is, if you live in a large city like Houston, where there are dozens of HVAC companies to choose from, or if you live in the Northwoods of Minnesota and the nearest HVAC company is more than half an hour away and booked solid.
Nationally, HVAC repair costs can range from $100 on the low side to $5,000+ on the high side. Your costs can be substantially higher if you call out a company after normal business hours. Determine if you can wait until Monday if it’s the weekend, or until the next day if it’s nighttime. Waiting could save you a lot of money.
If your system is still under warranty, we would suggest that you call the company that installed the system to do any repairs. The cost of parts should be covered, but labor costs will be your responsibility, unless you have an extended labor warranty.
If you have an HVAC service contract (aka HVAC maintenance plan), have that company do the work. You may be eligible for priority service and parts discounts.
Should I use the same HVAC company again?
If this is the first time you’ve called an HVAC company and the HVAC technician was responsive, polite, and most importantly, identified the problem and fixed it quickly, stick with the company. Leave them a positive review and recommend them on community group pages to help other homeowners in the future.
By staying with one company, they’ll have a record of previous repairs and maintenance visits, so you won’t have to go through the system’s medical history, so to speak.
Regular preventative maintenance can help prevent future problems
If the HVAC tech gave you any recommendations, follow them. Otherwise, make it a habit to change your HVAC air filter every 30-90 days. You can help prevent big problems, ranging from poor indoor air quality to complete system shutdown.
“Good maintenance is always the best way to extend the life of your system and have the highest level of overall reliability. Fixing small problems over time can prevent bigger issues later.”
-Mark Woodruff, Senior Product Manager, Ducted Outdoor
To maintain proper airflow, keep the indoor supply registers and return air vents clear. This may mean moving furniture or tying back drapes. Outside, keep the area around the unit clear, a recommended two feet on all sides. This includes digging out your heat pump after heavy snow. Just be careful to avoid damaging the refrigerant lines at the back of the unit.
Schedule professional HVAC maintenance each fall and spring before the heating or cooling season begins. Regular maintenance can help improve system performance and increase energy efficiency. It can also allow an HVAC technician to spot small issues before they become big problems.
How do I know which American Standard dealers offer emergency HVAC repair?
When you arrive on our Find a Dealer/Find a Local Pro page, each HVAC company in your area will have a listing. Within that listing, look for something that says 24/7 Emergency Service. That means that the company has at least one HVAC technician on call to provide 24-hour HVAC repair.
In a true HVAC emergency, you may call several HVAC companies looking for one that can send someone the quickest. Keep in mind that most companies will charge an extra fee for coming to your home after normal business hours, on the weekend, or on a holiday.
You can ask what the base charge will be when you call. Most companies will provide that information, but they can’t tell you what the actual HVAC repair cost will be until they assess the situation.
The exception might be if you have an American Standard smart thermostat and you have opted into our HVAC diagnostics service, American Standard Diagnostics. Your dealer might be able to troubleshoot your system remotely to determine if a part failed. They could then give you a quote for the replacement part.
Whether you need HVAC repair in Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Charlotte, or somewhere in between, your local American Standard dealer is here to help.
Anne Fonda, Content Writer
A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need.
She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.
When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.
Expert review by Mark Woodruff, Senior Product Manager, Air Conditioners
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