High-efficiency furnaces and condensing boilers typically last between 15 and 20 years, but only if you take good care of them. Even with regular checkups and preventive maintenance, issues are bound to arise from time to time.
If you’ve noticed a change in the temperature at your home or commercial facility, and adjusting the thermostat doesn’t make a significant difference, it’s time to ask for professional help. But you don’t want to simply Google “furnace repair” and contact whoever comes up as the top result. Think about it — just because a business paid for good SEO doesn’t mean they’re qualified to get the job done. To ensure you make the right decision, do your homework. Here are a few simple suggestions to make the process easier:
1.) Ask friends or family for a referral. If you’ve never needed to contact a furnace or boiler repairperson, you’re probably unsure where to start. Instead of digging through the phone book or scouring through pages of search engine results, reach out to your friends or family. Someone is bound to have a personal experience (bad or good) they can share with you. Don’t just take your loved one’s recommendation at face value. Once you have a lead, go the extra mile and look for online reviews.
2.) Check online reviews. Online reviews are a gold mine of information. They can tell you everything about how a company operates, including if they show up on time, whether they stay on budget and if past customers experienced any problems. You don’t necessarily have to read every single review, but you should skim at least 10 to 12 to get a really good idea of what to expect. Ideally, select a repair business that’s collected at least 40 reviews. That way, you can trust their “average” rating.
3.) Find out if they offer service guarantees or warranties. Any furnace or boiler repair company that offers a service guarantee or an extended warranty takes its job seriously. After all, these contracts benefit you (the consumer). If the business makes a mistake during installation or the job isn’t up to par, they owe you a refund or complete do-over. This incentive alone is enough to provide peace of mind.
These are just a few of the things you’ll need to consider when hiring a boiler or furnace repair person. Remember to take your time and do plenty of research. The more effort you invest upfront, the greater the likelihood of a positive outcome. Good luck!
