Should I buy an AC online?
For any DIYer, a central air conditioning project is the perfect foray into home maintenance. Plenty of websites selling air conditioners online offer seemingly staggering deals on HVAC units and all you need to do is watch one or two YouTube tutorials, right? Unfortunately, while we wish air conditioning was that easy, we have seen countless, frustrated families come to us after a botched air conditioning job. And it’s not their fault! Central air and heating systems should not be presented as an easy, “just plug it in” solution. They are complicated pieces of hardware that need to be customized to suit your home.
We love seeing people take initiative and responsibility for the upkeep of their home. We’ve seen motivated people fix light fixtures, change locks and even successfully replace water heaters! But there’s a reason air conditioning is the Achilles heel of DIY projects. It’s because you require specialty tools and knowledge to successfully complete the job. At first glance, an online HVAC system may appear to be a less expensive alternative. However, there’s a reason most homes still rely on their local HVAC professionals to locate and install their air conditioning systems.
Bigger is not Better: Why You Should Professionally Size Your Air Conditioner
Muggy, New Orleans summers are hot enough to make you sweat out your senses. The biggest mistake we see DIYers make pertains to size. Replacing an air and heat system requires a lot of technical knowledge and experience, which means we know that bigger is never better.
If you are uncomfortable with your current unit and you think an upgrade means getting the next size up, hold your horses. There are several other factors, such as a clogged filter or damaged evaporator coils, that could be the cause of your discomfort. At Help!!, we can determine unit size two ways:
- Heat Load– This is simply the amount of heat energy that is necessary to add to a space to maintain an acceptable temperature. A Heat Load helps us determine the proper tonnage, so you don’t experience humidity problems that cause mold and mildew issues.
- Physical Size Limitations– Your HVAC technician’s main concern is to take into consideration proper measurements and design criteria. If the manufacturer made the unit larger, it was to achieve the EPA required efficiencies. A technician will determine if these are suitable for your home.
The Hazards of Shipping Sensitive Equipment
You’ve found an air conditioner online at a steal of a price! You feel like you’ve done a good job completing a home evaluation, so what’s the next step?
We encourage all online AC buyers to thoroughly inspect the equipment for any dents, dings and damage that could have occurred during shipping. Once the unit passes your visual evaluation, you need to find someone to install the equipment.
Seventy-five percent of how a system works is based upon the way it is installed, so we encourage you to find a technician with a trustworthy reputation. There are plenty of people who will install a unit for less money. But. there’s a reason these services are so inexpensive: The materials. If you install a unit with cheap materials, the damage could be incalculable. Cheap materials can lead to units sweating at the duct connections or leaked air into unnecessary rooms.
Fixing Online Air Conditioners-What Happens When You Need a Repair?
Your unit isn’t operating properly. What do you do? Every reputable company we know always gives a one-year labor warranty on the equipment they supply and install. Unfortunately, you are in a different situation.
If you simply hired someone for a cheap installation, you’ll be lucky to give a 30-day warranty. Most, however, offer the “taillight” warranty. (When you can’t see their taillights, it’s out of warranty.)
The sad truth is, most internet sales have no warranty, because they don’t know if you had a licensed contractor install the unit. Additionally, local supply houses can’t sell you any parts because they didn’t sell you the equipment. This means that if you hire a technician to fix the unit and you have a bad part, it’s up to you to contact the company from which you purchased the system, mail the bad part back and wait for them to process the order and send a new part. This might be okay in winter, but it is not an option during a New Orleans August.
Buy Your Air Conditioner from a Company You can Trust!
When you purchase a new system Help!! Service Company, you are guaranteed the best warranty options in the business. All systems offer a 10-year parts warranty when the system is registered within 60 days of installation, and it wasn’t bought off the internet.
Help!! Service Company also includes a 5-year labor warranty to go with your 10-year parts warranty! We will register and install your air conditioner. That way, all you need to worry about is how you’re going to spend your cozy, comfortable day inside.
Air Conditioner systems are complicated, but your purchase and installation doesn’t have to be! Contact Help!! Air Conditioning to have your air conditioner properly installed and assembled by technicians who are trained to do the job right the first time.
Korey Knobloch
Help Air Conditioning
Korey’s Bio
I’ve been in the air conditioning and heating industry since I was 15 years old. I’ve worked in the family business full-time since 1984 and have been an owner of the family business for over 14 years. Our main goal is to give our customers the best possible experience and to help educate them as to how an air conditioning system works.
