How to choose an air conditioner contractor

There is not question that in choosing your air conditioner contractor, you are putting faith in them to be diligent experts at their job. With your significant investment into your air conditioner unit of anything in between a few hundred and up to $15000+, you want to be sure that your air conditioning system is being installed by a professional that will give you service and safety for your family home or office.

We have all seen the stories on the current affair programs in which some unlicensed trades person have billed their unwitting customer and taken off without completing the job. Although this is not prevalent in air conditioning contractors like it may be in other areas of the industry, there, unfortunately, is a small element that could leave you and your family with a bill that is eye popping for work that is less than satisfactory.

Contractor is installing air conditioner outside of house.

So we have come up with a list of the ‘watch outs’ to ensure you are getting the best contractors for the job of installing your air conditioner system.

Reputation goes a long way

With a lot of available information online and within the industry, when looking at hiring an air conditioning contractor, you won’t have to go too far to find out information about them.

As well as individual contractors there are many retail outlets or complete air conditioning solution companies providing not only the sale of the air conditioners themselves but also complete installation services. This one stop shop solution often goes a long way in providing the peace of mind of your purchase.

Qualified & licenced contractors

When anyone comes to your home and is changing or installing anything electrically wired into your home (light bulbs excluded of course), there is nothing more important that having a licenced and qualified professional do the job.
With your family’s safety, you can’t take risks on ‘friends’ that can ‘get it done’ for you. One of the most important things for you to check in your quest to get cool is that your contractor has all their certificates and trade licences current and up to date before they touch anything in your home. It’s important to realise if you get your system installed by someone who is not properly licenced you are opening yourself up to having any guarantee or warranty waved and any home or contents insurance invalid as well, so be careful not to shoot yourself in the foot by asking an inadequate installer to do the job.

Ensure your installer is part of a recognised industry body

There are many industry bodies such as the ‘Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating’, the ‘Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association’ or the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association’ you should be aware of.

These associations hold their members to account for standards in service, competency, quality and professionalism. Often in the case of any dispute or grievance, you can speak to the industry body themselves to assist you in working through potential issues that may have arisen due to work as well as mediation.

In addition to this, these associations provide only tradespeople that are fully certified to undertake the job in your home; therefore you know if they are a member, you are in safe hands.

Quote the price onsite not online

Without setting foot in your home or seeing your building plans – for new builds – how is it that an air conditioning salesperson or contractor can understand all the specifics of your job? Simple, they can’t possibly do that at all!
If you contact a contractor and they are prepared to offer a full quote, not just a ballpark or rough estimate, then they are not the contractor for you. A fully skilled and qualified contractor could simply not understand all the requirements of the job unless they are standing in your property reviewing the situation if they try then show them the door.

Ask for testimonials

Nothing reassures your purchase choice like the knowledge that someone you know or respect has made a similar choice and it happy with the decision. Not so much that a famous face is endorsing it and being paid to do so, but that your neighbour, friend, family or social network group member has used the contractor’s service and can’t speak highly enough about it.
When looking to install something in your local area, your local community social forum or network is a great place to see what people who in your area have experienced ideally with local contractors. Again, this is something that can provide substantial peace of mind and security that you are going in the right direction with your purchase.

Find some one who has insurance

Most people don’t want something bad to happy to your, your property or your family. But it is no secret that accidents happen, and insurance is necessary.

It is paramount that your contractor has a valid insurance for public liability and also for operating within your property. This is their responsibility, not yours however it will be your problem if it is not current or accessible if they fall through your wall or cut the power off to your neighbourhood by mistake.

As a homeowner with a contractor entering your property you have the right to ensure that they have the correct insurance, licences and qualifications to undertake the work they are doing – ensure you do. If they refuse, then don’t let them commence work.

Get a contract

Similar to anything, when engaging in any contracting work you need to have a written agreement or contract which is enforceable as well as issued tax receipts for work. If something goes wrong with insurance, with any work done for you to have recourse in getting it sorted out, you need to ensure that you are protected, not by a handshake, but the letter of the law.

If your contractor offers a ‘cash job’ although this may sound good on paper, but what if something goes wrong? Someone is hurt or something breaks? When you call your contractor are they going to make themselves available to fix up the job? Maybe, but if you have a contract and a tax receipt you have the proof of the services provided and the contract should have details on the resolutions of issues should they arise.

Be aware of ‘The Vibe’

When it comes to engaging a contractor, there is nothing more important than this. If the contractor gives you an impression that they are not the right sort of person you want to install your unit, then it is probably a good idea to seek another option for installation.

A good contractor is an asset to your air conditioning, your home and will make your experience all the better. In order to ensure you are getting a contractor that has the qualifications, the skills, insurance and is going to give you work that is guaranteed to be exactly what you need, it is always best to speak to your retailers and suppliers and ask who they use.

Companies such as Rite Price Heating and Cooling can offer you and your family turnkey services from selecting the right unit for your home to installation and servicing for a competitive price, every time.

Can your family afford to employ someone who may not complete the job right the first time?

Check out Rite Price Heating and Cooling today to find out more about air conditioning installation services and our wide range of air conditioning systems today.