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When the weather turns cold isn’t the time to get a furnace cleaned and serviced. Unfortunately, sometimes homeowners forget this essential maintenance until Old Man Winter blows into town. Whatever the time, a homeowner can get good service by following furnace repair recommendations from consumer groups.
Selecting a qualified, reliable furnace repair service can be simpler by heeding these tips.
Refuse phone solicitations that offer “free” or “low cost” furnace repair or maintenance. These scam artists often try to bilk homeowners by telling them their heating system has serious problems when it doesn’t. In addition, sometimes these “free” services are fronts for burglary rings that later come back and strip the home of valuables. Don’t fall for this scam.
Also beware of anyone who’s going door to door, offering to clean furnace ducts using a “shop-vac” type of machine. No ordinary vacuum cleaner has sufficient power to remove all the dust and dirt from heating ducts. Often a steam-cleaning process or a high-volume vacuum machine is required for proper maintenance.
Also beware of signing a contract with a firm whose “inspector” insists that the furnace presents a danger to your home’s inhabitants. Before hiring someone who makes this kind of claim, demand a written report on the hazard that you can take to the local utility service for review. If the company refuses to give you written statement, throw them out of your house and report them immediately to local authorities. In doing so you may save one of your neighbors from getting scammed.
When told that your furnace needs major repairs, get a minimum of three independent written inspection reports from qualified, licensed companies. Check each report to make sure it includes complete descriptions of the parts or materials needed, the services involved, warranty, the unit’s energy efficiency ranking, and the total price. If the estimate doesn’t have this information, ask for it.
The best way to avoid getting scammed in home heating is to keep up with furnace maintenance. Homeowners can clean the air return vents themselves with a vacuum cleaner. Also, changing the filter regularly, at least once a month especially in winter, will help keep the furnace working well.
Should the furnace genuinely need major repair or even replacing, then check out the unit’s original warranty to see if anything is covered. In many cases, warranties will pay for parts or replacement only if the unit has been properly maintained.
Furthermore, get the home furnace serviced annually, whether it’s gas, oil or electric.
If you don’t have an annual service contract with a reputable home maintenance and repair company, ask for recommendations from neighbors, family members or co-workers. Then check out their recommendations with local authorities such as the Better Business Bureau or even the public records of small claims court. One woman who served as a bailiff in local courts once hired a heating repair service because, as she told them later, “you’re the only company who’s never been through our court.”
If you must choose a repair firm, be sure to ask specific questions about the required service. Write down the make, year, model and special features of your home heating unit. Then ask the company for a full estimate, including the total price, for repairing or replacing your unit.
Heeding these furnace repair recommendations will keep you warm and happy when it’s cold outside.
Air conditioner Toronto provider that sells, installs and services heating and air conditioning Toronto products.