Maintaining your air conditioning system is vital to keeping efficiency high and running costs low. That’s why it is worth investing time to find the right company to look after your system, whether it is a new installation or an existing system.
In fact, without planned maintenance, many equipment manufacturers will only offer a basic warranty, so it is the best way to get an extended warranty period. This can be significant and in some cases, it can mean the difference between a one year and seven year warranty. That’s a major benefit, as is using the maintenance visit as a means of keeping on the right side of your legal obligations when it comes to the F-Gas regulations, the EU legislation designed to reduce the emission of F-Gases.
There are many companies offering maintenance services, so here are a few tips for finding the right one for your needs.
Why do you need to do some research?
A lot of air conditioning contractors are registered with the trade association REFCOM and are F-Gas certified. This is in fact the minimum requirement you should look for when recruiting an air conditioning maintenance company.
It is often useful if the contractors qualifications go beyond simply air conditioning ones, for example; electrical skills available within the same company can help installations run smoothly. They may even avoid miscommunications that can occur if the electrical side of the works is subcontracted out to a separate contractor. The broader the range of skills on offer the better.
In addition to qualifications, we recommend finding out how long a company has been trading. You want to be certain that they are experienced and can draw on this experience to trace faults quickly and easily.
When should you choose a maintenance contractor?
In a perfect world you should be considering the air conditioning maintenance regime during its installation. Waiting until the equipment breaks down puts you under pressure to find a contractor quickly, which is never a good idea. Ideally the company that installed your air conditioning will offer maintenance services. In fact, if they do not offer maintenance then that is a tell-tale sign of a contractor with limited services and lack of interest in supporting your equipment in the longer term.
How can you choose between companies?
We recommend going beyond desk research on the internet. For example, ask for references – a great contractor will be happy to supply referees with systems similar to yours.
And while you are on the phone to them; enquire about their availability – if they are available right away then an empty order book might be the reason, and that is very telling about how many loyal and satisfied customers they really have.
What are the main considerations for choosing a maintenance company?
Check out the guarantees they offer on workmanship. This is separate to a manufacturers warranty and shows the level of confidence that the company has in their skills.
Think about levels of service such as a 24/7 call out for 365 days of the year if that is essential to your business operations.
Keep your system running efficiently – plan your maintenance
Don’t be afraid to sign up to a Maintenance contract it’s the best way to keep your equipment running efficiently and economically and keeping costs low. It’s also the easiest way to keep on the correct side of the air conditioning regulations. The best bit is that your maintenance company will remind you when services are due, giving you one less thing to worry about, so you can focus your efforts on your business.
For more expert advice and a free survey contact us today on 0800 374217