Your air conditioner stopped working, and things are heating up. Now what? Your first course of action is usually calling a local HVAC company to come repair the issue. After this, though, your experience may vary. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when it comes to scheduling air conditioner repairs.

Same Day or Emergency Service May be Available

When it’s stifling hot outside and your air conditioner stops working, the last thing you want to do is wait for days to get the issue resolved. For this reason, many HVAC companies in the Lakeland area offer same-day or emergency service. Make sure you ask how long it will take for someone to arrive when scheduling air conditioner repairs so you’ll know what to expect. Be sure to ask about additional charges you might incur for prompt service, too. While most same-day service calls don’t have any extra fees aside from typical labor and parts, emergency calls made after business hours usually do.

Not All Issues Can be Fixed in One Day

Once the HVAC technician arrives at your home, he or she will work quickly to diagnose the problem and create a solution. While most problems can be fixed the same day, there are some cases in which the repairs may take a little longer. This information may not be available to you while scheduling air conditioner repairs since the technician will need to see your unit to make a diagnosis.

• Parts aren’t immediately available. Reputable HVAC repair companies will work hard to keep components in stock to help resolve air conditioning issues immediately. However, if you have a very old system, or if it’s not major brand, there’s a chance the company will have to order the part it needs to repair the problem. Your HVAC tech should be able to give you an estimate.
• The manufacturer no longer makes the parts. This is very rare, but it can and does happen. Air conditioners that are more than 20 years old are sometimes no longer supported by the manufacturer. This means that it no longer produces the parts required to repair the system. If this is the case, you may be able to find used or rebuilt parts, but you’re usually better off installing a new system altogether.
• Repairs aren’t cost-effective or safe. Finally, there may be instances in which it makes more sense to simply install a new system. This may occur when there’s no way to safely repair your system, or when the cost of repair isn’t justified when you consider the cost of a new HVAC system.

Overall Cost

Of course, the biggest question people have when it comes to scheduling air conditioner repairs is the overall cost. To get you an estimate, a tech will need to come to your home to diagnose the issue and look over your system. Once this is done, he or she should be able to provide you a very accurate quote for repairing the problem at hand, including the costs for parts and labor. Some companies will stand by these quotes, even if it takes them longer to resolve the issue than originally anticipated. Other companies may quote you for the longest amount of time possible so you’ll have the maximum repair cost in front of you, and if they finish the repair sooner, you’ll simply pay less.

Scheduling air conditioner repairs shouldn’t be a daunting task. In fact, it should be easy and straightforward. After all, you rely on your air conditioner to keep you cool, and it’s important to know when you can expect the repairs and how much they’ll cost.