HVAC Service and Repair Contractor

The State of California has decided to start flexing its muscle and start fining Service and Repair Contractors for doing work out of their scope of work. By definition a Service Contract is any repair less than $750.00 if the cost of repair goes over $750.00 the contractor and homeowner need to enter into a Home Improvement  Contract with permit and inspections. The reason I write this is that there are a lot of contractors in my area that use Telemarketers to call home owners and sell duct work cleaning over the phone, when the technician gets to the house the technician up sells new equipment or new duct work. I do not have a problem with this as long as they use the proper procedures. Just a word to the wise be careful Home owners and Contractors!

Why are repairs to Air Conditioners going to increase?

The production of R-22 refrigerant has been reduced by 50 percent and there has been a rather large increase in the cost to contractors. What does this mean to the average home owner? Any repair on equipment using R-22 refrigerant that needs to be repaired, the cost are going to double. The average homeowner will now pay anywhere from $40.00 to $100.00 per pound of refrigerant depending on where they live. If a home owner decides to use a contractor that uses Dry-Charged R-22 equipment there will an additional charge for installing new R-22 refrigerant for the new equipment, which could be costly.

The only alternative is to replace your equipment with the new R-410A systems.

http://www.achrnews.com/articles/epa-proposes-faster-r22-phaseout

The End of the Tax Credit for Home Comfort Systems

 

The Federal Energy Tax Credits Era ended on December 31, 2011 and will probably not be extended any time soon. So as a homeowner you will have to look towards your local utility company’s for any type of rebate programs on high efficiency Heating and Air Conditioning system for your home.

Contractors Exposed!

I was talking to a potential new client on the telephone today and Mrs. Smith asked me if our employees were background check and drug tested. I said that they are and I asked her why that was important to her. Mrs. Smith stated that she was watching a Sunday Night Undercover News Show and learned that some Home Improvement Companies were hiring ex-convicts to do in home repairs.

I reassured her that we do not hire felons and that we do random drug testing on all of our employees. I also told her that we only hire NATE Certified Technicians that have had a minimum of 5 years experience in the Heating and Air Conditioning industry. I am glad that home owners are taking an interest with who and whom is entering there homes. The last thing I what to here is I saw your company on TV for hiring felons and drug addicts! Be careful when hiring contractors and check to see if they are licensed for their trade.