First, you have the fact that, unless it is nice outside, you want you're air conditioner or heater fixed NOW! You don't always have the luxury of meeting with and waiting to get estimates from a bunch of companies.



Second, heating and air conditioning companies are not always on a pre-set schedule. As discussed above, they are in an industry where customer emergencies can pop up on any given day. Therefore, they can often be tough to nail down for specific times and can also be late to preset appointments.

Finally, if you are like most homeowners you don't know the first thing about your heating or air conditioning units. This means you are really at the mercy of your professional when it comes to what parts need to be replaced and what they say needs to be done (as well as how much it will cost!).

So what do you do'We recommend:

• Ask your friends and neighbors to see if they have had good or bad experiences with local heating and air conditioning pros. Simply knowing that another person has had a good experience with a company prior to calling them lessens your chance of hiring a problem.

• If you have time, call a few companies to look at your heating or air problem. This will help you determine fair market price for your job. This does not mean you should always go with the lowest price...you should go with the company you feel most comfortable with and who you feel will fix the problem correctly. Nickel and diming a problem will almost always cost more in the long run.

• If you need a full system replacement, call at least 3 different heat and air conditioning companies to price the job. There are different companies that sell and install different models, so you will want to find the one that fits your needs and your budget. Most companies will give free estimates for system replacements.

• Always ask if the company charges a fee for your service call. Many heating and air pros charge a fee for coming out and giving an estimate. This is not to say you should avoid these companies…these fees are often legitimate because many times it can be a very small issue to solve. If it takes 30 minutes to drive to a customer's house just to discover that the switch under their house needs to be flipped, the workers need to be compensated for their time. However, you can ask them to waive the fee if it is determined that there is actual work to perform (this is, of course, only if you hire them!)

• Most heating & air conditioning professionals must be licensed. Always use a licensed contractor. If they are not licensed and they are advertising that they fix heat and air conditioning systems for a living you have to wonder why they don't have a license!

• Ask if the company has insurance. Make sure this fact is stated somewhere in the contract, even if they have to write it in. You can also always request their insurance company's name and number to verify proof of coverage. You take a risk of liability when you use companies that do not carry insurance. This liability includes workers getting hurt on the job, as well as the cost to repair damage to one's house.

• Ask if the heating & air conditioning company will need to pull a permit for their work.

• Ask if their parts & labor come with guarantees. Make sure you get this in writing.

• Always get a statement of work performed in writing. Keep this filed away.Good luck with your heat and air conditioning needs!

More information can be found at Hiring Heat and Air Conditioning contractors in Raleigh-Durham or anywhere at http://www.super7contractors.com/RaleighDurhamHeatAirConditioning.html