Are you worried about your AC replacement? It can be overwhelming with all the options out there, but fortunately there are some things you can learn that will help take the worry out of your decision making process.

The Technician

This guy is your guide to replacing your unit, so it only makes sense to hire one that you can trust. Don’t just pull out a phone book and pick a name or contact the first entry in an Internet search. Do a little research first so that you can be confident that the person helping you is really trying to help.

Referrals are a great place to start, and you probably know someone who can refer a person or company that they trust. Friends and family are the best first source, but you can also look to Internet ratings or the Better Business Bureau for some names.

Pare down your list by talking to the company. You will want to make sure that they are licensed and insured like they are supposed to be, and if it is a company then you may want to see if their employees are paid on salary or commission. Commission employees may be less trustworthy than salary employees, as they get a boost in their paycheck when they make more and bigger sales.

If comparisons don’t give you everything you need to know, you can also ask for estimates. These estimates should come with a breakdown of the services provided in the estimate so that you can be sure to make a fair comparison. Some companies may omit certain items or services to make their estimate look better.

The Manufacturer’s Warranty

These come with pretty much every new system these days, but there are several stipulations that you must follow in order for the warranty to remain in effect. One stipulation that is many times present is for the warranty to be registered within a certain amount of time after installation. You should check with your technician to see if that is something that he will be taking care of. It is also a good idea to go over that warranty with your technician so you can be sure that you understand what you will be required to do.

Price v. Value

There are two factors that play a big part in the price of your AC replacement: size and efficiency. Of course, the manufacturer has a big say as well, but your primary concern should be size and efficiency, and then you can figure out the make.

The size plays a large part in how efficiently your system will run. That is because a unit that is too large will use more energy, but you won’t ever really feel cool because it won’t run long enough to pull the moisture from the air. A unit that is too small will run all the time while never really providing adequate cooling. It can also damage your house, as excessive running leads to dry air, which can cause things like the seals around your doors and windows to crack. To avoid this, make sure your technician does a size estimate so he can be sure to install the right sized unit.

Another way to measure the efficiency of a unit is to check the rating and see if it is Energy Star approved. Bigger numbers are usually better when it comes to efficiency ratings, but if it has a Star, then it has met certain standards for efficiency. Of course, pretty much anything you can buy these days is more efficient than what you could buy five to ten years ago, so it will be an improvement.

As you can see, it doesn’t take a whole lot of knowledge to help you make a good decision for your AC replacement. In fact, if all you take from this article is to find an honest technician, then you are well on your way towards making a good decision.

Find a great technician for your AC replacement to ensure they can help steer you in the right direction.