10 Things to Do Before Installing an AC Unit at Your Home

As a homeowner, you must incorporate some measures into your fall checklist to ensure the longevity of your HVAC unit. Investing in a new Air Handler can be a costly fix for a home if not maintained properly. Use these tips below to extend the life of your AC unit and keep cool this winter.

1. Ensure the Coolant Levels in Your Unit Are Properly Balanced

Every month, experts recommend checking the coolant levels in your AC unit’s circuit board. It is also recommended that homeowners change their filters regularly at least once every two months to help with proper airflow throughout their home or business.

Not only will this ensure that your air conditioner continues to run efficiently, but it may, more importantly, help avoid a larger issue from developing. Anytime the coolant levels in your unit are off, it could potentially cause damage to the internal parts of your AC; this would end up costing you more money than simply maintaining the unit on an annual basis.

2. Replace Your Filters Regularly as Well

The same rule applies to your filters. They should be replaced regularly to ensure proper airflow throughout the home or business. Depending upon where you live and what types of pollution are present in your area, filters should be inspected every two months for maximum efficiency.

Experts also suggest that filters with high MERV ratings (between 8-13) should be used to take care of pollen and other allergens present in homes, especially ones located near parks or other grassy areas.

3. Have Your Own Maintenance Contract Available at All Times

It should be a company that can come out and fixes your air conditioning unit when it needs to be fixed. They should also be able to take care of problems in the winter, too. You should have this contract before summer starts so you are ready for any problems that may happen at that time.

If your contractor installs air conditioning, ask them if they do repairs too. You need to know what days they are available. If it is summer, they might not be able to help you.

4. Ask for an estimate for the installation beforehand

Before you hire a contractor, you need to ask them what the total cost will be. They might try to charge more than they should by adding on extra charges, so do not agree until you know how much it will cost.

This also allows them to find out if they’re willing and able to handle this particular job. Prices may change depending on how hard a job is. For example, a simple AC unit replacement should be easy and not cost much money.

5. Check Out Reviews Online

When choosing a contractor, don’t take their word for it that they’ve done good work before. Check what other people say about them on the internet. Then you can decide if they are reliable and do quality work.

6. Plan for Future AC Unit Installation Needs

Even if you’re not going to install an AC unit right now, you need to find out if your contractor provides regular maintenance services. If someone is not willing to help you with this, then it’s best to find someone else who will. AC units break down more often than most people think at first glance.

In the future, you might need another AC unit. You should meet with a contractor before installing it so they can help you get the right one.

7. Find Out Whether or Not You Can Pay with Cash

Some people would prefer to pay for their units upfront. This means they do not have to worry about monthly fees. Others would rather pay off their units more slowly, so they don’t need to come up with the money all at once.

If you are looking for a heat pump, then it won’t cost more than $5,000 on average no matter where you live. The reason is that you can spend up to $5,000 on a system that has an EER of 12 or higher.

8. Ask for References to Other Homeowners 

It’s important to hire a company that does good work. When people have concerns, they need someone with good customer service skills. They won’t overcharge you because if they do, then no one will want to buy their stuff.

For example, you can look online and review a company before hiring them. You should also ask for references and call them to find out if they liked the company.

9. Get an Estimate for the Installation

Before you sign on the dotted line to hire an AC company, make sure that you ask for a detailed quote. The specific quote should include not only the cost for labor and parts but also information about how long it will take them to finish up as well as what kind of warranty is included.

A company that offers a lifetime warranty is confident in their work. They are trustworthy because they know that they will do high-quality work. You should hire someone who has a lifetime warranty.

10. Hire Professionals for Your AC Installation

Hiring an AC installation professional is not as easy as sticking a thermometer in the window and waiting for it to go down. You also need to make sure that they are qualified and experienced enough. They need to know how long it will take, and what parts they need. For this purpose contact lehighhvac.com to get the best in class services from them.

If anything goes wrong with your AC unit, then they will be responsible. The last thing you want is for your new or newly installed AC unit to break down. So, you don’t want to take any chances and just do what the company says to do.

Conclusion

These tips will help you get a good AC contractor. 10 tips include: make sure they are licensed, make sure they put on shoe covers before coming into your house, be clear about what you want the AC company to do and how much it will cost.

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