Proper HVAC maintenance is essential for the safety and health of your home. Dust and debris in your ventilation system lower the air quality in your house, which can aggravate breathing issues and allergies. It also poses a fire risk and adds stress to your furnace and air conditioning units.

Hiring an HVAC contractor is the best way to maintain your ventilation system. But what should you look for when choosing a contractor? If this is your first time hiring a contractor, this may be intimidating, but it is not that complicated. Here are some things to consider when choosing an HVAC contractor.

Don’t Rush It!

If you want to find a great HVAC contractor, you should avoid hiring one last minute. Getting to know your contractor can take several meetings. Rushing the process may cause you to miss red flags or may lead to miscommunication.

Obviously, you don’t always have the time to vet an HVAC contractor thoroughly. If your ducts stop working or you need to clean out your vents after a wildfire, you will need to hire someone quickly. Ideally, it would be best if you avoided emergencies by hiring contractors before your HVAC system fails.

HVAC Contractor Licensed and Insured

HVAC contracting is serious work that requires specialized skills and training. That is why HVAC contractors must be licensed to operate. Certifications may vary between regions, so you should be sure to check that the licence is valid for your area. Most professional HVAC contractors should be willing to prove that they are licensed to operate.

Insurance is also a must. While the odds of something going wrong are low, there is always a risk of an accident. This could include broken ventilation, damaging your furnace, or even starting a fire. If an insurance policy covers your contractor, you will be protected in the case of a problem. Insurance is also required for many types of HVAC contracting work, so a contractor without insurance may not be certified.

HVAC Contracting Experience

Beyond licensing, experience is also a must. Technicians need plenty of practice to master all aspects of HVAC contracting. If you are working with a team of technicians, you should ask about the number of years of experience of the supervisor. This ensures that there is an expert on hand if anything unexpected happens.

If the work is complicated, you may want to ask the HVAC contractor about their experience with your particular model. Have they worked with this furnace before? When was the last time they completed work like this? This will also provide piece-of-mind that the contractor knows what they are doing.

Did They Do a “Hands-On” Inspection?

Every HVAC project is unique. The condition of your ductwork, the age of your building, and the model of your furnace could influence the difficulty of the project. HVAC contractors usually need to do an in-person assessment before providing a quote.

Here are some examples of steps they might take:

• Inspect the furnace and/or air conditioner

• Ask questions about the history of the HVAC system and the house

• Open vents to look inside ducting

Not all these steps will be necessary for each project. Still, if the HVAC contractor doesn’t perform any hands-on inspection, it may lead to problems in the future. Some contractors may use unforeseen issues as an excuse to increase rates and expand the project beyond the original scope of work.

Choosing the Right HVAC Contractor

It can be hard to pick which HVAC professional to trust, even with this guidance. You can look at many different sources of information, such as online reviews or looking at information on their website. At a certain point, it can become overwhelming.

The most important thing is to not risk your home by working with amateur HVAC contractors. They can cause severe damage to your ventilation system, furnace, or air conditioner.

At the end of the day, it is best to work with the HVAC contractor you trust the most. It is impossible to know what will happen once work begins, so if you are working with an honest company with a strong history, they will treat you well.