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Wintertime doesn\’t make the best time to get your home heating system serviced. When it\’s necessary, though, be prepared for top-dollar prices and possibly a longer wait than usual. No matter when your get your home system repair or maintained, following the furnace repair recommendations of consumer advocates will help assure good service.

Selecting a qualified, reliable furnace repair service can be simpler by heeding these tips.

First, never hire anyone who solicits your business blindly over the telephone, even if they offer \”free\” or \”low cost\” air conditioner. In most cases, these solicitors are simply trying to get someone into your home to take a quick look at your heater and then frighten you with a report that you have serious, possibly even hazardous, defects in your furnace. If the solicitor tries to pressure you over the telephone, just hang up. Yes, it\’s rude, but you don\’t owe a stranger any courtesy when they try to intrude on your life.

Next, don\’t give any time to door-to-door laborers offering to clean your air ducts with a \”shop-vac.\” Number one, nobody can get air ducts clean with a shop vac; it takes a high-powered vacuum system. Number two, the person at the door could be as much a scam artist as the telephone solicitor. Don\’t risk it.

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.

Get at least three estimates in writing from other heating service companies if a service technician tells you the furnace needs replacement or major repair. Be sure that each written report includes complete listings of what\’s wrong with the furnace and what it will take to fix or replace it, especially the total price with all service charges, fees and labor. Also ask for the energy efficiency rating on a new unit, if required.

Keep up home maintenance of the furnace by cleaning the air return vents with a home vacuum cleaner. Change the filter a minimum of three times, preferably monthly, during cold seasons requiring indoor heating.

Be sure to check the original warranty if faced with major repairs or replacement. In many cases a warranty will be invalid if the furnace hasn\’t been properly maintained. Should a new furnace be necessary, get a unit that\’s big enough for the household\’s needs, but no bigger. It wastes both energy and money to install a unit larger than necessary.

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.\”

Ask specific questions when choosing a repair firm. Know the make, model and year of the furnace so that you can ask something like \”How much would you charge to repair a 2006 Trane heat pump, including any service charges, parts, labor and other fees?\” Reputable companies should be able to give you an answer quickly. Be wary of those that can\’t or won\’t.

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.