Kenny and I were talking about how certain weather patterns can bring about what sometimes seems like an unmanageable schedule. When the outdoor temps here in eastern North Carolina exceed 84 degrees, the phones never stop ringing. When this happens all the local contractors start booking out several days and sometimes weeks out before they can schedule another service call leaving consumers in a difficult and desperate situation. We love our air conditioning here and we hate to be without it. So what do we do?
First thing is as soon as you think there's an issue, get it addressed! Don't wait till it's really hot inside your home because you'll likely be waiting for service and nobody wants that, not even your contractor. I read reviews all the time where someone is complaining about the lack of availability of repair appointments during peak demand. It's going to happen and there's nothing that will change that. Many people wait to address a known issue for a number of reasons and if you put yourself in that pool, you'll find it difficult to get timely service as many do during those hotter days. I can't begin to tell you how often we hear someone say that it seemed like the ac hasn't been working for a while but we decided to wait... 9 times out of 10 this type of reaction is a defense to the inherent cost of repairs. You are better off addressing repairs before the busy season as your contractor will have a lighter schedule allowing them to respond faster to your needs as well as contractors are more likely to offer discounts when they aren't busy as opposed to being inundated with request. Who doesn't like to save money?
With money on the mind, it may be easier to get in front of an issue and know what the cost of repair is before you are in an undesirable situation so you can financially prepare for it if needed. Let's say you need something expensive like a compressor or a coil replaced and it's going to cost more than $2,000.00 to fix. If it's only in the 70's outside, you can likely buy yourself some time to figure out the finances and not be drastically uncomfortable like you will be when it's 83+ outside. I see many people make poor financial decisions when they're desperate and later regret it because they waited. We offer financing for repairs over $500 and while this is nice to have, you also have to accept the fact that when you finance you will pay more than needed. A client who finances a $2600.00 compressor replacement will likely end up paying close to $3000.00 or more after interest. That's just giving your money away and while sometimes this may seem like the only option, there could have been an easier approach. Let's say you knew there was an issue in March and you got the bad news of a failed compressor, you would likely have 3 or 4 months before the weather becomes a real issue. You could save that money in that time frame and pay without the interest thus saving yourself money. With that being said, many contractors are willing to offer a cash discount so if you have the money saved and can pay in cash be sure to ask about a discount. The answer is always NO until you ask!
There are also programs out there that help for certain groups of people, but these programs often take time. I had a client last year that qualified through the Navy/Marine Corps Relief program where he absolutely had to have a new system installed in which was fully paid for by the program. I've also had elderly and disabled clients that got assistance from the local department and human and health resources. These programs are really nice to have if you need them, but they take time. The client that needed a new system got it, but it took 3 months for the Navy/Marine Corps Relief Fund to approve his application. The good thing for him is this process was started in February and by summer he was enjoying a new HVAC system.
Being proactive is the best approach, having your HVAC system inspected prior to the heat of summer is greatly beneficial. We do work for a large commercial restaurant chain where they have us go out twice a year (spring and fall) to check all their equipment. They know that we will find issues and it will cost money they don't want to spend, but they also know that those issues would have caused them bigger problems in the heat of summer to include possibly shutting down a store if they didn't get these issued resolved before hand. It's no different for a residential consumer, any issues that exist or are developing in your HVAC system are not just going away because you ignore them. I'm not saying that everyone out there needs a preventative maintenance contract, although it's nice to have, but at least getting your system checked before the peak of summer can certainly save you some headache.
Being proactive vs reactive can not only save you money, but also reduce your stress by allowing you the time to properly address issues before it gets miserable outside.
Kenneth Casebier
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