Warm weather has arrived and you turn on the air conditioner in your Portland Oregon home and nothing happens. Of course you want it fixed right away, who wouldn’t?
Here’s our advice for selecting a Portland heating and cooling company to repair your air conditioner.
Portland heating and cooling company
As you search online, you’ll see there’s no shortage of heating and cooling companies though not all companies are created equal. Look for a company that’s been in business a long time as that tells you they must be doing something right.
A company that’s locally owned and owner operated is another plus as when the owner is active in the running of the company, it’s more likely everyone works a little harder to make sure customers are satisfied. That’s the way it is here at Midway Heating Company.
We’ve been around since 1959 and have had the same owner (Brad Fackrell) since 1973. While Brad is active in all aspects of the business, he has brought in his son Alex to help him run it. Midway has always been customer oriented (even before Brad took over ownership) and the entire staff works hard to get and keep customers as we want to be their heating contractor for life.
Quality employees with HVAC experience
We don’t feel it’s the size of the company that matters; it’s the quality and experience of the employees that make a difference. Our employees have been in the HVAC industry for many years and the experience they gain from working in the field is extremely valuable. Every day they are learning new things, which help them on every service call, diagnosis and repair they make.
NATE Certified Technicians
Look for companies with NATE Certified technicians. NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence and it’s a voluntary program for those in the heating and cooling field. A Nate certified technician has had to pass a test measuring their applied knowledge as well as their real-world working knowledge of heating and cooling equipment. To learn more about NATE, read this past blog post.
To keep their NATE certification, they need to either complete 60 hours of education or retake the test again. Continuing education keeps them up-to-date on current advancements in the HVAC field so they do a better job on service and repairs.
The technicians at Midway are NATE certified and we feel it shows their dedication not only to our company but to our customers as well. They want to provide the best service they can, whether it’s repairing your air conditioning unit, heat pump or furnace.
Present options and answer questions
When out on a service call for repair, a good technician should be able to explain what’s wrong with your equipment in easy-to-understand terms.
If he or she uses a bunch of industry jargon you don’t understand, you should ask them to explain it in layman’s terms. After all, if you don’t understand what needs to be done, it’s awful hard to ask the right questions.
Repair vs. replacement
Depending on the age of your equipment and if the repair is minor or major, the technician might recommend replacement. If the repair is major and you’ve had problems in the past, you have to think about whether it’s worth the money to repair it.
If there are other parts on the unit which are worn and likely to break in the near future, do you want to invest additional money in it? An experienced technician will be able to look at the equipment and give you a good assessment of the condition of the other components.
With this information, you can decide if you want the repair or if upgrading to new equipment might be the best economical choice.
New equipment is much more energy efficient so replacement can save you money on your monthly energy bills. Whether you’re replacing a furnace, heat pump or A/C unit, you can save considerable money especially when you add up the savings over the lifespan of the equipment.
Plus, new equipment comes with a warranty so there shouldn’t be any repairs needed (as long as you have it properly maintained).
Use these common sense tips when looking for a Portland Oregon heating and cooling company to come to your home to fix your air conditioner problems or any issues with your HVAC equipment.
