Should You Use an HVAC Professional or Handyman?
When it comes to taking care of your heating and cooling system, you have a couple of options. You can hire a licensed HVAC professional to perform service and repairs, or you can hire a handyman to do the job. If you’re still on the fence about hiring a professional, here are some of the most common reasons you should highly consider doing so.
Specialized Training
Probably the most obvious reason that you should opt for an HVAC pro over a handyman is that a professional has specialized HVAC knowledge. To receive a license to sell HVAC services, professionals must pass a certification exam. This assesses their knowledge about heating, cooling, and ventilation. When technicians pass the licensing exam, they are deemed fully knowledgeable in the HVAC field. Handymen won’t have an HVAC license, which means they may not even possess adequate training to successfully work on your heating or cooling system.
The Right Tools
Apart from having specialized knowledge about HVAC products and services, a licensed HVAC contractor will have specialized tools. These are tools that most handymen are not going to have in their toolboxes. A licensed professional will have meters, refrigerant gauges, and so forth so that they can perform thorough service on your HVAC system.
Experience
HVAC professionals work with heating and cooling systems on a regular basis. Handymen, on the other hand, will only work on HVAC systems every now and then. When you hire a professional, you’re essentially paying for their HVAC knowledge. They can come in and evaluate problems or perform maintenance quickly because they’ve dealt with similar calls in the past.
Safety Knowledge
Your HVAC system can have some components that can turn into a safety hazard if not utilized properly. For example, a furnace needs to have its exhaust fumes run outdoors. Otherwise, it can leave these toxic fumes inside a home and cause illness or even death. An HVAC professional knows this basic safety knowledge that allows them to safely operate and repair your system without putting your family’s health or your home at risk.
Insurance
Another great reason that you should hire an HVAC professional is that they have insurance. If something goes awry, there will be money to cover the cost of damage to your home and HVAC system. When you hire a handyman or try to do repairs on your own, there isn’t insurance to cover any mistakes that are made. Rather, you’ll be left paying out of pocket for those repairs.
System Warranty
If you look at the warranty coverage on your HVAC system, you’ll likely find a clause that states that you must have a certified professional to handle repairs and maintenance. In fact, most warranties require that you have a licensed HVAC professional perform maintenance on your system at least once a year to keep your warranty active. If you have a handyman do repairs or maintenance on your heating or cooling system, it can void the existing warranty. Any future repairs can be denied by the manufacturer, and you’ll end up paying out of pocket for them.
Up to Code
All HVAC technicians will need to be familiar with local building codes to obtain a license to operate in the area. Whenever you have a new HVAC system installed, they can ensure that it’s constructed up to code. This will help in the future when you go to sell your home as you won’t have to deal with a violation. When you opt for your average handyman, they likely won’t have the code standards memorized for HVAC-related installations. This means that you could end up with a hefty code violation bill in the future.
Fast Diagnosis
Most homeowners fret when they think about their heating or cooling system breaking down on them. When it’s the middle of a freezing cold winter, the last thing you want to deal with is waiting for your heating system to be repaired. A licensed HVAC professional will be experienced in diagnosing and repairing heating systems. This means that they have the infrastructure, tools, and knowledge to get your system back up and running quickly. Compare this to a handyman that may not have the right tools or could spend hours trying to diagnose the issue, and it becomes overly clear just how necessary an HVAC professional is.
Identify Future Problems
HVAC professionals are trained to diagnose problems and perform maintenance on your system. While they’re doing their annual maintenance service, they can alert you to any foreseeable problems. For example, they may not know that your blower belt has some fraying. Over time, this will eventually cause the belt to break and your HVAC system to stop circulating air. Fortunately, by being on the lookout for future problems, they can easily alert you of the repair that you need now, and they can get it fixed. This is much better than dealing with an inexperienced handyman and an unexpected breakdown in the future.
Peace of Mind
There’s a reason that you go to the dentist to get your teeth taken care of. Your dental professional has the knowledge, training, and specialized equipment to get the job done right. The same holds true for an HVAC professional. When you hire one to perform maintenance, repairs, or install a new system, you can have peace of mind that it will be done correctly. You won’t have to worry about if the repairs will stick or if the installation was done up to code. With an HVAC professional, all of this is guaranteed.
Knowledge of Latest Technology
HVAC professionals continue to learn about new HVAC technology on the market. They can make recommendations on systems that will be most efficient for your home. A handyman, on the other hand, won’t have this up-to-date knowledge regarding heating and cooling systems. Their recommendations are only based on their select experience dealing with customers in the past. Just as you wouldn’t ask your doctor when your vehicle needs its next oil change, you shouldn’t ask a handyman to make recommendations about the best HVAC systems for your home.
Save Time and Money
Whether you’re dealing with an HVAC malfunction, installation, or repair work, you can save yourself much-needed time and money by starting with a professional. When you talk to an HVAC pro, they will be your ultimate resource to ensure that everything gets done correctly. Trying to hire a handyman may seem feasible at first. However, finding one with HVAC-related knowledge can be time-consuming. And, having to pay for both when you realize the handyman doesn’t have the right tools or knowledge to do the job is a waste of money.
Quality HVAC Services
Brennan Heating & Air Conditioning offers quality HVAC services for the Seattle, WA region. We also provide water heater, electric, air duct cleaning, and free energy consultation services. Contact us today to set up your next service appointment.
