Read this guide to learn some common mistakes that some HVAC companies make and how to avoid them.
Some local HVAC companies are far better than others, which have been known to make mistakes. The most experienced companies know how to learn from their mistakes and improve their services. Mistakes can hurt the efficiency and performance of HVAC systems that these companies install and maintain. Also, mistakes can hurt customers financially as they have to spend money over and over. Here are some of the most common mistakes that some HVAC contractors make.
Not understanding combustion safety
When HVAC contractors respond to a call about toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, they will usually go to the furnace straight and look for any cracks in the heat exchanger. If the heat exchanger is okay, they will assume that it must just have been a false alarm. They will, therefore, change the batteries in the alarm.
The problem is that a lot of contractors do not know much about combustion appliances back drafting. They also don’t test for it. If you are a contractor and not testing for the flue gases, you are leaving a dangerous situation. You don’t want to find out the next day that your clients you just visited the other day are in the hospital due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Ignoring airflow
If most of the HVAC contractors did professional work, no one would have any kind of duct problem. If all HVAC contractors were professionals, most duct systems would be bigger than they are. The best HVAC companies know to take airflow more seriously.
Ignoring the opportunities in home performance
HVAC contractors go into clients’ homes every day. they go into crawl spaces and attics and basements so that they can see the quality of insulation. Even if the contractor does not do the air sealing and insulation work, it is a great service to advise homeowners on the other work their home could do to improve the overall performance.
Forgetting about ventilation
Ventilation is part of the word HVAC. The insulting way to state this is that HVAC contractors who do not address ventilation are making grave mistakes. New homes are tighter compared to older homes because of energy codes that need a high level of sealing and in some cases, doing blower door tests to ensure the property is airtight. It is, therefore, important to do mechanical ventilation for tight homes. All homes should spot bathroom and kitchen ventilation.
If you are not looking at ventilation then it is high time you started doing so. You need to understand the three strategies for providing ventilation – balanced, positive pressure and negative pressure.
Skipping the math
HVAC contractors and service providers like rules of thumb. They rely on what they think worked for them in the past. They think that since they have always done things in a certain way, that way will always work.
It is important for local HVAC companies to remember that HVAC systems are not the same as they used to be decades ago. Rules of thumb do not work because houses are different. If you want to size your system properly, you should do proper calculations and know what will work well for that house.
