Selecting the right central air system for your home may seem daunting. After hearing terms such as “SEER rating”, “tonnage”, “zoning” and “variable speed,” you may feel overwhelmed and not quite sure where to start. Let us help you take the guesswork out of the equation and walk you through the process of choosing the system that’s right for your home with the checklist below.
Choose the Right Contractor
First and foremost, make sure that you choose the best contractor for the job. You will want to select someone who is trustworthy and credible-after all, you will be welcoming them into your home! Start by searching out local contractors in your area using a simple internet search. From there, check out any available reviews and testimonials. What are customers saying about them? Take note of how they rate on Yelp, Google, Facebook, etc. You will also want to search out whether or not they are part of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area and, if so, what their BBB rating is.
Determine the Needs of Your Home
Are you looking for equipment that is energy efficient and will save you money? Do you need to heat or cool separate levels of your home? Do you want to be able to control your home’s comfort settings from the convenience of your smart phone? Let a Jennings Comfort Advisor walk you through various options that may be right for you. Many times, we are able to find that “Goldilocks” system that tics all the boxes when it comes to your home comfort wants and needs.
Examine the Warranties
The length of the manufacturer’s warranty and the length of labor coverage are important factors to take into account when selecting your contractor as well as the system for your home. Because a furnace installation involves sheet metal, gas lines, and electrical connections the actual equipment will only operate as well as the manner in which that equipment was installed. Look beyond the manufacturer’s warranty to see what guarantees the installing contractor offers. A business’ credibility and written guarantees from the contractor are at least as important as those offered by the manufacturer. Jennings Heating offers a “100% Satisfaction Guarantee” with each installation. Some companies will not cover the cost of labor under their warranty or will only provide a warranty to the original homeowners (which would not transfer upon sale of your home). Companies or manufacturers can deny the warranty if required regular maintenance is not performed by an authorized dealer.
Ensure Equipment is Properly Sized
Make sure the company you consider does a load calculation to ensure that a properly sized unit is installed as a unit that is improperly sized will lead to lack of comfort and higher utility costs. At Jennings, this means that one of our Comfort Advisors will measure the rooms in the home, take account of window positioning and analyze the state of the insulation. A qualified contractor will know that, in order to do the job right, these key characteristics will need to be considered in order to arrive at the appropriate specifications prior to quoting you a price.
Consider the Cost
The purchase of new heating and cooling equipment for your home is an investment, but only you can determine the price-point that is right for your family. If your are concerned about the potential impact the purchase of new equipment may have on your budget, look for a company that provides flexible payment options. As this is a purchase that will only be made once every 15 to 20 years, rather than sacrifice comfort (ability to control humidity, noise, filtered air, etc.) you may decide to install a premium system and finance the upgrades. Fortunately, Jennings offers special financing to qualified buyers, such as 18 months same of cash, to customers who would like to make installments towards their equipment rather than pay up front; this means that you can begin to take advantage of the comfort your new system affords, and save money while enjoying financial peace of mind as well!
