If you own a home and have ever had HVAC problems, you probably know how expensive this type of work can be. Because the cost of skilled work can be pricey, a lot of homeowners are tempted to keep the costs down by hiring an unlicensed technician.
And while we understand wanting to save money, we must warn, the work a lot these contractors do comes with a whole list of risks that can end up costing you more in the end.
In addition to hidden costs that come with shoddy craftsmanship, there are a host of liability and warranty issues in addition to safety hazards. When you add this up, it’s clear to see why we say you should never hire an HVAC contractor that isn’t state certified.
To give you an idea of why we stress this, our licensed experts at Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating put together the following list of risks:
Poor Craftsmanship
In order to work on our customer’s HVAC systems, our technicians have to go through extensive training, in-house testing and hands-on skill assessments. We require all our technicians to be NATE-certified. We put these requirements in place to help reassure our customers that our technicians know what they’re doing and have skills above and beyond what the state requires.
On the other hand, whenever a homeowner hires an unlicensed contractor, the only assurance they get is their word. Like a lot of things in life “you get what you pay for” applies to HVAC work. Often, unlicensed technicians have lower prices to compensate for inexperience, or even poor craftsmanship. This unskilled, inexperienced level of skill often costs more down the road with bigger problems. When you consider the damage it can cause to your expensive heating and cooling equipment, or the damage to your home, hiring a reputable company that’s licensed really is the only way to go.
Voided Warranties
Outside of problems caused by the contractor’s lack of experience and skill, homeowners run another risk of hiring someone who isn’t licensed like we are. That issue is voided warranties. Because almost all HVAC manufacturers require their customers to have maintenance, repair work and installation jobs performed by a licensed contractor, having an unlicensed contractor work on your system is likely to make your warranty void, in which case you won’t be covered if you ever need to make a warranty claim should a part ever become defective.
Liabilities
When an HVAC contractor fails to take the time to take the state test, there’s a good chance they didn’t take the time to purchase insurance either. The two often go hand in hand. However, licensed contractors usually carry liability and worker’s compensation insurance. At Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating, we put the maximum coverage on our technicians so as to leave no stone unturned. When a technician doesn’t have insurance, the homeowner is liable for anything that happens, should anyone become injured during the job or the system cause damage to the home, because it’s on your property..
Safety Hazards
Probably one of the biggest risks a homeowner takes with an unlicensed HVAC contractor is the safety risk. Because of this, any less than average craftsmanship won’t just affect your family’s comfort and budget. It ultimately puts you and your family in harm’s way. If they deal with any wiring and it’s not done precisely, it can cause fire damage. If they work on a gas furnace, shoddy craftsmanship can cause a gas leak, which could cause carbon monoxide poisoning, a fire or even death.
Pay to have it done right!
If you need help with any sort of HVAC equipment, whether it be a repair or replacement, call the licensed and NATE-certified HVAC service technicians at Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating today at 614-810-0075, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!
