Air Conditioner Installation Scams, Rip-offs, And Tricks | Dallas, TX
An air conditioner is critical, especially whenever summer is just around the corner. These appliances make your indoor settings comfortable in those scorching summers. For this reason, you will likely see many homeowners looking for air conditioner installation companies to come over and install their new units. They also enlist the help of AC repair technicians to repair their existing systems or perform some tune-ups to ensure that the system is ready to heat their Dallas, TX homes come the summer.
Since an air conditioner is one of those appliances that use a considerable amount of electrical power, you cannot say everything about their maintenance should be top-class. From installation to maintenance, any misstep will result in a high electricity bill or a premature air conditioner repair. Hence, you must hire a professional, from the air conditioner installation technician to the AC repair pro.
Unfortunately, the field of air conditioning isn’t without scammers and shady characters and entities. Without knowing what you need, you can be easily ripped off or scammed by these swindlers. For this reason, it is recommended that you always enlist the help of licensed, reputable, and experienced air conditioner installation technicians whenever looking for any repair, maintenance, or installation work. Below Are some of the ways through which you can be ripped off, swindled, or tricked by fraudsters:
Home Warranties
The idea is excellent. However, house warranties don’t operate as you may have anticipated. Your home and auto insurance policies are based on intricate actuarial calculations that estimate the likelihood that an insurance provider will be liable for a claim based on data from years and millions of customers. They honor valid claims and pay them.
To further reduce the risk, they are frequently supported by pools funded by contributions from other insurance companies. Nothing about your Dallas, TX home warranty or insurance is similar to this. The said actuarial calculations are pretty straightforward, and it’s just a matter of time before all of the systems and appliances in your house break down. When you inform a home warranty company that your HVAC systems have failed, they won’t just print you a check.
You must first use their trusted air conditioner installation technician, who, assuming you can get them to visit your home, guarantees recurring business with the warranty company by only temporarily fixing or replacing your equipment. Such companies have a repair expense limit they must stay under, regardless of the problem. You also have to pay a fee each time a service call is made.
Unfortunately, there are numerous ways for untrustworthy air conditioner installation companies to exploit their unsuspecting customers. We can only hope that an expert will treat us fairly when a homeowner calls. You are generally treated fairly, but some HVAC repair companies will exploit you in insignificant or minor ways. Even good, well-reviewed HVAC companies can have substandard air conditioner installation technicians, which is probably worse.
People who purposely mislead clients for them to sell unnecessary services and increase their financial gain can be this way. Or they could be competent but well-intentioned individuals who buy into the urban legends that cause consumers to throw away their money. Most HVAC companies pay air conditioner installation technicians a commission for daily revenue targets or, at the very least, bonuses for any sales leads, which result in more business for the company.
Although the management may not have intended these incentives to encourage dishonesty, it frequently does. Some of the more typical extra fees or unnecessary things that may be provided to customers are listed on the following pages. These are occasionally acceptable solutions to problems that might arise in your home. Ask enough questions, and make sure you believe the answers you receive to protect yourself.
Air conditioner installation technicians don’t recommend installing these items if you have any safety concerns, except for a cracked heat exchanger. As a result, you may reserve some time to ask for second opinions. Some homeowners use these home warranty companies only once when they experience their first problem that necessitates filing a claim. Homeowners frequently find dealing with them very frustrating, and comfort and dependability aren’t what make the home warranty industry successful.
Duct Cleaning
Duct cleaning is necessary. However, the only heating and air conditioning systems that require duct cleaning are those with an accumulation of dirt and dust. This means that before an air conditioner installation technician cleans your air ducts, you must have noticed signs that scream that the ducts are dirty. Even after then, the professional will have to inspect the air ducts to ensure that the problem comes from the ducts.
The air ducts are a closed system. Additionally, there are, or there should be, filters at the intakes. However, the air filters might become clogged by dust, grime, pet dander, and dirt. The air must be forcing its way into the ducts, pushing the dust with it. Alternatively, the air ducts might have been dirty because they have a puncture through which the dust enters. Otherwise, the air ducts should remain fairly clean.
If an air conditioner installation technician in Dallas, TX comes for a duct cleaning service, they must show you evidence of mold, mildew, dust, grime, pet dander, or other dirt. Even then, you should ask them or another technician to explain their views on how the dirt got into the air ducts. This is essential as it can help you avert the issue in the future. If the technician cannot show evidence of such, then know that you are being scammed. There’s no need to clean the air ducts. The ducts are clean if none of you or your family members show signs like coughing and wheezing.
Although you might think that besides the money you could waste, it couldn’t hurt to clean your ductwork. It can. Improper cleaning of your HVAC system’s air ducts can also have a detrimental effect on them. This is especially when done by an inexperienced air conditioner installation technician. They might be punctured or misconfigured, resulting in air loss and poor airflow. Hence, ensure that the “technician” you are about to hire to clean your air ducts is experienced, licensed, and qualified.
UV Filters
Every homeowner wants clean air to breathe at home. It is well known that mold can quickly affect the health of your entire family. Everyone should have a robust UV filtering system installed by an air conditioner installation technician in their HVAC because UV light kills these harmful pathogens, right? Wrong. The UV system is high on the list of upsell opportunities for HVAC contractors, especially if they look inside the primary air distribution or air return box.
They start using scare tactics because they know you don’t want this mold to spread throughout your home. However, a trustworthy air conditioner installation technician will first attempt to address the underlying problem of why condensation occurs in the wrong place rather than immediately recommending an expensive addition. Sometimes clearing any condensation from your ducts only requires setting your thermostat in a way that it runs the fan for about five minutes every hour or an additional five minutes after the compressor shuts off.
Ask your air conditioner installation technician to explain the causes of this problem and what they can do to address it to get this problem-solving process started. It is extremely unlikely that your system will need a UV system if it is installed and properly configured. A well-designed UV system can be useful in some circumstances, such as when it will be less costly for a homeowner than redoing a bad installation.
Repairing a Cracked Heat Exchanger
Any air conditioner installation technician will tell you that when the heat exchanger in your furnace cracks, it poses a very serious issue. However, it is also incredibly rare and cannot be repaired. If it cracks, the only option is to replace it. Avoid focusing on your technician’s ominous descriptions of fire, carbon monoxide, and safety concerns for your Dallas, TX home, and family if your furnace is diagnosed with this problem during a maintenance visit. While it’s critical to heed any warnings and protect your family, you must also ensure you aren’t being taken advantage of.
A heat exchanger replacement typically costs more than $500 and could even cost more than $1,000. If your technician claims that he just so happens to have a heat exchanger that matches your system in his truck, that is the first sign that you are getting ripped off. A trustworthy technician wouldn’t waste space transporting parts that hardly ever break, much less enough varieties to fit different systems. He would then go to the warehouse to get the right part of your furnace heat exchanger that is cracked. Find out when the fix will be finished from the air conditioner installation technician.
You should be concerned if the “technician” claims it will take less than an hour and that no trip to acquire the part is necessary. Before approving the repair, if at all possible, request to see the damaged component. Even though it might not be convenient, you must be able to stand where you can see the technician photograph the malfunctioning component. Make sure there is a crack present and not just a simple scratch.
Power Saver
The small appliance you recently added to your home can instantly reduce your electricity costs by 30% or more. Is there a need to say anything else? Any assertion that seems too good to be true almost always is. These gadgets are a scam because they can only lower the power factor of the load on your home, not the kilowatt-hours units of electrical power that the utility company charges residential customers. Therefore, they may result in hazardous voltage fluctuations. You are wasting money and possibly risking damage to your expensive appliances and delicate electronics instead of saving some money and protecting them.
Any person who asserts to have made actual savings is misrepresenting a decrease in their bill brought on by other factors. Statistically speaking, the con artists were right on the money because some people see their bills go up each month, and others see them go down. Worst of all, your contractor might not even know they are taking advantage of you. Even a knowledgeable air conditioner installation technician in Dallas, TX might need to be more familiar with electricity to comprehend why these are unable to perform as promised.
Free or Cheap Tune-ups
As long as you get what you pay, inexpensive tune-ups are fantastic. The issue is that performing a full tune-up, which involves thoroughly inspecting and servicing your equipment, takes around an hour. Many HVAC repair companies in Dallas, TX enter the market by promising to perform this crucial work at a reasonable cost, but they may still need to complete the task. They may only provide you with a list of issues purported with your system. Once again, you lose. First, you are still determining whether the necessary maintenance has been done. Next, you might spend money having things “repaired” that are not broken.
The first thing that you must do in that circumstance is to check to see whether any of the air conditioner installation technician’s suggestions are included on this list. Keep in mind that the business will seek ways to recover the cost of that low-cost or free maintenance visit to turn a profit. A comprehensive tune-up can identify any faults you may have with your system, ideally before serious harm is done. However, a reliable expert will explain and illustrate to you what is happening and why.
Swindlers are everywhere and are looking for new tricks with every passing day. Therefore, you must know their various tricks to scam you. For reputable services from licensed professionals, contact us at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Dallas, your trusted air conditioner installation company in Dallas, TX.