When facing a potentially expensive purchase of HVAC equipment, it’s not unreasonable to want the best deal possible. However, buying heating and cooling equipment from a deep-discount Internet seller or using a friend-of-a-friend to find a better bargain may not be the best idea. Here are some reasons why the better course is to always buy from a trusted local source when purchasing equipment that’s going to heat or cool your home.
Proper Furnace and Air Conditioner Sizing
One of the most popular misconceptions about properly sizing heating and cooling equipment is that it can be done solely by measuring the square footage of your home. For example: A 1,000 sq. ft. home with no windows, good insulation, and a full basement requires a completely different size heating and cooling system than another 1,000 sq. ft. home with LOTS of windows, poor insulation, and no basement (a slab home). An experienced company will perform a heat load calculation (sometimes called a Manual J Calculation) for your home which takes into account your homes insulation, the number of windows you have, the direction those windows face, your homes geographic location, and many other factors that affect the size of heating and cooling equipment needed. Having the right size equipment creates a more comfortable home, properly controlled humidity (which can decrease the possibility of mold development), and most importantly it can significantly lengthen the life of your equipment.
Warranties
An established HVAC dealer can usually offer you extended warranties with very little extra cost, help you with warranty issues on your equipment should you ever have a problem, and will likely offer additional satisfaction guarantees on installations. Online purchases or purchases from “a family friend who does heating and cooling on the side” can present significant problems with warranties. Manufacturers may not honor warranties on equipment sold by unlicensed online retailers, and the sellers themselves may or may not be willing to cover any warranty issues. Moreover, when dealing with the friend of a friend who does heating and cooling work on occasion, he’s usually not available when it comes time for a repair. There are countless stories of people who bought equipment from a friend and then found the friend’s phone number was disconnected when they needed service later on.
Rebates, Incentives, and Financing Options
An established company is able to provide the necessary documentation and installation requirements that qualify many homeowners for manufacturer rebates, utility company rebates, and tax credits (where applicable). In fact, some companies like Aladdin Heating and Cooling, will even fill these rebate forms out for you in case you’re worried about doing this paperwork by yourself. The rebates arrive at the home by mail and all the homeowner has to do is cash the check(s). In many cases, these rebates make the final cost of the job close to, if not the same as, the “deal” that was offered by the heating and cooling friend or the online retailer. Financing options offered by an established company can also allow many homeowners to purchase more fuel efficient and comfortable heating and cooling equipment, which will save them money in the long run and also give them the needed time to pay for the system.
Safety Issues and Peace of Mind
Your local HVAC expert offers new and undamaged merchandise, which will be installed by a trained technician who knows the equipment installation requirements and will ensure that his/her work does not present any safety issues. When purchasing an appliance as critical to your home as the heating and cooling system, this should give you peace of mind that you made the right decision and that your purchase will last for many years to come. Friend-of-a-friend heating and cooling installers often use online purchased equipment, pre-owned pieces of equipment, or equipment from the “scratch and dent” piles at local HVAC supply houses because of the discounted cost of the units. If online-purchased equipment is damaged in shipping or if scratched/dented equipment is installed, it could be unsafe to use and very difficult to get a proper refund for after considering the large cost of shipping for such heavy items. Furthermore, if previously used equipment is installed, then you’ll likely find out why the previous homeowner had the equipment removed in a short time frame. Lastly, if equipment is installed by an unlicensed or improperly-trained individual, the equipment could present a danger to you and your family because unlicensed technicians are unable to pull permits which means the job will never be properly reviewed by a city inspector.
The list of benefits for choosing an established heating and cooling contractor go on and on. Since 1945, Aladdin Heating & Cooling has provided trusted residential, commercial, and industrial HVAC sales and services to customers in the Detroit area, including Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties. Contact us today for expert, in-person service, and consultation on purchasing HVAC equipment. We can help you get the best equipment at a price that fits your budget.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC equipment and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Aladdin Heating services Novi, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Oak Park, Ferndale, Beverly Hills, Berkley, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Twp., Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Madison Heights, Clawson, Sterling Heights, Warren, Troy, St. Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Woods, Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Park, Detroit, Utica, Shelby Twp., Rochester, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Lake Orion, Oxford, and Clarkston. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!