If you are a homeowner, you aren’t asking too much to have a contractor listen to you tell them about your HVAC equipment’s problems and perform an efficient repair. Yet many companies employ impatient technicians who seem incompetent, unconcerned with customers’ needs, and want to gouge people for as much money as possible! If this happens to you, it forces you to pay for heating or cooling services that don’t adequately address your issues.
No homeowner should have to experience this. That’s why it’s crucial to find the right HVAC contractor to assist you. After all, it shouldn’t be difficult for you and your family to be comfortable in your home.
You want an efficient HVAC system, in-home comfort from your heating and air conditioning, and a relationship with a trustworthy contractor. We can help you get all three! Read on to learn about why selecting the right HVAC company is so important, the criteria to keep an eye out for when searching, signs of good vs. bad technicians, some of the best HVAC companies in Maryland, and why SuperTech’s HVAC professionals are the best choice for anyone in the Baltimore area.
And if this article does convince you that we are your best option, schedule an appointment with us for your next HVAC need. It will help you see exactly why!
Look No Farther For Maryland's Best HVAC Contractor
First, An All-Too-Typical Contractor Story...
Our company’s co-owner needed service from a contractor. She called several companies and had to leave a voicemail for almost all of them. Most never called back, and for those who did, all the people to whom she spoke seemed uninterested in their jobs.
After a lot of time and frustration with searching, she finally got an appointment. However, the day the repairman arrived, she immediately noticed that he reeked of body odor and tobacco. To his credit, after she told him what her issue was, he got right to work with the information she provided, so kudos to him for wanting to jump straight to the job. But the problem was that when she tried to tell him more, he did not seem interested in listening. He also came off as too impatient to explain what he would try to do to fix the issue, which she took as him questioning her intelligence.
Once the so-called “repairman” had finished, our co-owner felt her problem was not solved, but she still paid him for his time because he had been there for several hours. However, her husband did not react well to her doing this, saying she should ask for her money back. Unfortunately, the man was quite large, so our co-owner - who considers herself a medium-to-small-sized woman - felt too intimidated to confront him and allowed him to get away with the payment she thought he hadn’t deserved.
Eventually, our co-owner got a new system quote, and the next repairman to assist her spent about ten to fifteen minutes taking pictures and left without providing much helpful information. He didn’t even tell her how much a new unit would cost! To make matters worse, he took forever to send her a written quote with a dollar estimate.
A situation like that is far too relatable, as many homeowners have had experiences almost identical to it. You may have dealt with one yourself. Fortunately, incidents like these have helped our company realize what kind of HVAC service customers want from contractors.
Why You Need To Have A Good HVAC Contractor
While it may be easy for homeowners to judge a heating and air conditioning contractor’s customer service standards by their timeliness, attitude, and willingness to answer questions, many have a hard time telling the difference between competent and lousy HVAC work. They usually only know the quality of the job done once the technician is finished based on whether their AC or heating system goes back to functioning correctly or continues having issues.
A homeowner wants a technician to solve their heating and AC system problems as soon as possible - preferably within a day. If the issues can get diagnosed and repaired quickly, there is no need for them to set aside more time and pay extra for another company’s services. Otherwise, the stress of searching for the right air conditioning company could get prolonged, and - god forbid - further damage to their system may result.
Beyond this, many homeowners make the mistake of treating their HVAC system as a one-time expense. The truth is that while you may not have to worry about buying another system for a while after getting a new one, you need to keep it running either by getting maintenance done on it every year or repairs done every few years. Furthermore, getting an HVAC system installed is not a trial-and-error process. Whichever one you select, you will have it for 10-20 years, as you cannot afford to install, test, and remove more than one HVAC unit to try and find the perfect one. So you need to make sure you purchase a quality, satisfactory product.
For these reasons, a contractor’s first time serving you should be so excellent that you’ll want their assistance for years to come. Not only will it give you peace of mind that they know what they’re doing, but a long-term relationship with them can benefit you in terms of priority scheduling, honesty of suggestions, discounts, and other similar factors.
Criteria Of A Good HVAC Contractor
When selecting a contractor, you want them to be capable of providing quality HVAC service within a short time frame and at a fair price. Here’s the reality: you will NEVER get the best of all three at once. You may get great AC or heating service at a fair price, but for that to happen, you will likely have to allot more time for the technicians to work. You can also get a quick HVAC repair at a fair price, but the result may not be as good as a repair that takes longer. And sometimes, a company may do excellent work quickly but charge more because of it.
You want a company that can supply a satisfying degree of all three. So how do you find them?
There are many things to keep in mind. If a company does not have all of the following, you should not hire them:
Great Customer Reception
Always start here. Never rely solely on what an HVAC company tells you about itself. Instead, trust your gut and judge them based on your opinion and the claims of past and current customers.
When researching heating and air conditioning contractors, check their reviews. Search engines such as Google and Yahoo and sites like Yelp and HomeAdvisor allow users to give their opinions on companies they have serviced, typically by rating them out of five stars and providing written feedback. A company is significantly more trustworthy if it has been reviewed hundreds of times and has a rating of 4.5 or higher. Conversely, if they have a good deal of reviews and are around or below four stars, that means a decent amount of people took issue with them.
But don’t stop here! If possible, get people’s opinions from word of mouth. Ask the contractor for references to hear people’s thoughts about them from word of mouth; if a company cannot supply any references, that is a red flag. For all you know, someone who left a five-star review of a company may have since had a dreadful experience with them and forgot to change their rating.
You can also check the rating a contractor has received from the Better Business Bureau. These ratings range from A+ to F, with an A+ meaning that the BBB considers them to be of the highest quality.
A Large, Experienced Staff
Not only do you want the heating and air conditioning contractor servicing you to have well-trained and knowledgeable technicians, but many of them. Individual technicians should have several years of professional experience in numerous situations. A rookie repair person may have done great with their schooling, but they won’t prove that they know anything of value unless they can diagnose and fix customers’ problems by themselves. The more hands-on experience they have, the more expertise and skills they develop.
Furthermore, the highest standard for technicians is certification by NATE (North American Trade Excellence), an organization that heavily tests the knowledge of HVAC repair people. Therefore, it would be much better for the company you service to have at least one - if not multiple - NATE-certified technicians.
Beyond this, the more individuals a company has readily available, the more customers they will be able to service at once. As a result, homeowners will be more likely to get an appointment sooner if they select said company. You also want to ensure that a contractor holds its technicians to the standards of being polite, explaining repairs to customers, and performing safety tests after completing their work.
Licensing & Insurance
Licensing and insurance requirements vary according to state, so it is essential to know Maryland’s laws and whether the contractor you have selected abides by them.
If a heating and air conditioning contractor is not insured or licensed to perform HVAC work, they cannot be held liable for anything they do to your systems. For example, suppose you don’t ask for proof of their licenses and insurance before they start their work, and one of their technicians damages your home or causes injury to someone. In that case, you will be held legally responsible because you selected an unqualified company.
Don’t let yourself end up in this situation. Make sure you receive sound proof of licensing and insurance when working out a deal with a contractor.
Past Experience With The Jobs You Need To Have Done
A contractor may be licensed and insured, provide quality and affordable service, and employ a large staff of certified technicians. But they also must have experience with the heating or AC unit you need to have tuned up, repaired, or replaced.
Compare different whole-house heating and air conditioning systems the way you would the HVAC units of a house and car: they produce the same outcome but do not work the same way. In fact, the indoor unit of an HVAC system is responsible for completely different functions than the outdoor condenser. Therefore, you can’t figure out how to work on both units strictly by having experience with one.
What’s more, the makeup of HVAC systems differs based on their make, model, and production year. For example, based on technological changes over two decades, a Carrier-brand furnace or air conditioning system produced in the 1990s works very differently than any Lennox model from the past five years.
You need to make sure that the company you select for any furnace or AC repair has experience working with the system in your house and can accurately diagnose it. If you let them try to learn how by practicing on yours, they could further damage it and leave you with more repairs that you’ll need to have addressed.
Conducting Home Evaluations
Before a contractor works on your system, they should always do a home evaluation. This assessment allows them to identify any problems your house may have and take note of factors such as the size and age of your house, the location and number of windows, and the presence or absence of insulation. Knowing these factors helps a technician determine the right system for your home if you purchase a new one.
A home evaluation is essential to ensure your in-home situation does not turn out worse than before the technician arrived. If a heating and air conditioning contractor does not plan on conducting one, rule them out as an option.
Appropriate Payment Terms
You want the total cost you spend on an HVAC-related need to be within your budget and not stress you out financially. If a contractor truly cares about how their services affect you financially, they will continue to work out a price with you until you feel comfortable. If not, they will repeatedly emphasize specific options until you either buy from them or grow intolerant of their behavior.
Never feel pressured into agreeing to a contractor’s demands just because you don’t want to spend time looking for someone else. They are working with your home, system, and money and should respect all three. It is also proper for them to bill you after completing their work. If you pay them upfront in cash without a written agreement, they could disappear with your money before they do any work on your system, and you may never hear from them again.
Drafting Estimates & Proposals Before Doing The Job
As with any significant transaction, you want to have everything in writing before an HVAC contractor serves you. In particular, you want to compare costs and warranties, as a higher price can sometimes be the better option because it provides you with more benefits. In addition, you want everything laid out in the most straightforward terms possible so you can see everything you will be agreeing to before actually doing so.
Signing a proposal or contract is also a means of protecting yourself. It leaves the contractor entirely responsible for anything that may go wrong as long as you keep up your end of what you agreed to in the written documentation.
Special Offers
Special offers are not necessarily something every HVAC contractor should have, but they are something to keep an eye out for when searching.
You usually expect special offers and discounts to be available during holidays and occasions such as the release of a new product. But some HVAC contractors become successful by regularly offering more affordable prices. They understand that they don’t have to charge a crazy amount to supply excellent service and be profitable because so many customers want great results at a fair cost.
Prices can often be the way to judge whether or not a contractor truly cares about their customers. If they lay out and explain all their costs and options to you and don’t pressure you into buying certain products, then you know they understand boundaries and are trying to help you get what you want. But if they aggressively push specific options at you and seem to pay no attention to your requests and needs, their priority is clearly trying to get you to spend as much as possible.
You can often find reduced prices when looking for a new HVAC system. When speaking with a sales technician, they might present you with a cheaper option and highlight its benefits to draw you in. It isn’t always bad for them to do this, but pay close attention to what they AREN’T telling you about the system. You don’t want to get tricked into purchasing a product you don’t know everything about just because it is affordable and someone else told you it is high-quality. Make sure you know everything about any HVAC product or service you buy, and keep a sharp eye out for scams!
We Provide Everything You're Looking For In An HVAC Contractor
How Can I Tell If An HVAC Technician Is Good Or Bad?
Often, a contractor’s first impression can make or break whether the problems with your system get fixed and whether you are satisfied with the service you receive. Here are some examples of appropriate behavior from technicians:
You receive a call in advance that the technician is on their way, preferably within an hour of when they are supposed to arrive.
The technician shows up on time, comes off as positive, and appears ready to inspect and fix your system.
The inspection or repairs get completed within a timeframe that does not inconvenience you. Ideally, the technician will estimate how long they’ll need to complete their work and have everything finished by then.
Once they have finished their work and know what caused the problems, the technician explains them to you in detail. If you have questions about what they tell you, they display patience and provide helpful answers.
If you need an additional heating or air conditioning repair or a replacement for your system, the technician helps you work out a price for a satisfactory product that fits your budget.
Unfortunately, many technicians do not come off this way, and you’ll need to know if the one you select is not a good fit. Keep an eye out for the following scenarios or anything related:
- A technician should be able to inspect and diagnose your system’s problems easily. If they seem confused about what they are doing or cannot figure out what caused the issue, you should not allow them to continue.
- A technician can act disrespectfully in several ways, even by simply not responding to you when you greet them. Other examples include displaying negative attitudes or short-temperateness, responding sarcastically to what you tell them, saying or doing anything to question your intelligence, or outright insulting you.
- If you do not repeatedly check on a technician while they work, they might take advantage of it. After finishing their work, they may claim they did everything to fix your system, but you must decide for yourself. If issues with your system persist after the technician leaves, they may have done something incorrectly or not done everything they claimed to have.
- A technician’s ultimate goal may be to get as much money out of you as possible. They can often take on the aggressive salesperson role and relentlessly try to push you into buying expensive or unnecessary products.
- In the worst-case scenario, technicians may display suspicious or outright criminal behavior, such as consuming alcoholic beverages or illegal substances on the job. They could also steal things from you; it should be easy to tell if something in your house is missing after they are gone. And in a situation we hope isn’t common, they may even lay hands on you. In any of these scenarios, you should inform the police immediately.
If any of this occurs with an HVAC technician you encounter, do not elicit their help again. And if it seems necessary, inform the contractor about the technician or turn the situation into a legal matter. We at SuperTech heavily frown upon these situations, so please let us know if you ever feel that one of our repair people has mistreated you.
From that information, let us briefly summarize what a proper visit from an HVAC technician should look like:
- The technician shows up on time with a friendly manner and a desire to get to work.
- From the issues they are presented with, the technician thoroughly examines your system to get to the root of the issues; they then explain those problems to you in a way you can understand.
- The technician works out a price with you for any necessary HVAC installation or repair, as well as a date and time to complete them if they cannot do so that day.
- On the repair or installation date, the technician does any necessary pre-installation work, completes the task, performs tests when finished to ensure they have fixed the issue, explains to you what they have done, and answers any questions you have.
If the visit does not run this smoothly, or if issues with your system persist after the technician leaves, make sure not to select that same company again.
Some Of The Best HVAC Contractors In Maryland
SuperTech HVAC Services
In simple terms, we’ll summarize what we’re about: we are the Baltimore area’s top-rated HVAC contractor because we are known for our on-time and professional heating and AC service, willing to explain our processes to customers in precise detail, patient with answering questions, and care about working with customers to fulfill all their needs. In addition, as a family-owned business, we place ourselves in the shoes of every homeowner we service and always try to leave them completely satisfied with - and not at all stressed out by - our work.
We provide maintenance, repairs, and installations for various HVAC systems, including any air conditioner, furnace, heat pump, ductless mini-split, and whole-house dehumidifier that we come across. We also provide commercial HVAC, water heater, and air filter changeout services. And, of course, we ensure that the HVAC products we sell abide by the nation’s safety and energy efficiency standards. Our reputation reflects in our A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, EPA certification, 4.9 rating on Google, and numerous awards. We are also a community provider and help give back through our partnership with Lowe’s and their Hero’s Project.
While we believe you should come to us for any of your HVAC needs if you live in or around Baltimore, we will also provide the names of several other great Maryland contractors:
Horizon Services
A large multi-state chain enterprise, Horizon has been in business since 1987. They provide plumbing services alongside heating and cooling and specialize in same-day maintenance and repairs and next-day installations. They also offer many other benefits, including no-charge 24/7 emergency service, an “on time or it’s free” guarantee, and wearing appropriate clothing and shoe coverings during jobs to avoid dirtying people’s homes. They have held an A+ rating from the BBB for over fifteen years, received eight Dave Lennox Awards, and have 4.7 stars on Google from almost 1,200 reviews!
Minnick’s
Another local family-owned company based in Laurel, Minnicks has been in business for almost 70 years and had three family generations work for them. Like Horizon, they also provide services for emergency plumbing. All of their technicians have NATE, Maryland HVAC Journeyman, BPI, and Energy Star certifications, and they provide free service if their work doesn’t 100% fulfill the results they promise. They, too, are rated 4.7 stars on Google from over 270 reviews.
Blue Dot Heating & AC
Another multi-state enterprise owned by ARS, Blue Dot has been in business for about 50 years and services people every day of the week. They instill courteousness in their technicians and offer convenient appointment times, free estimates, guaranteed satisfaction (or a full refund), and “Blue Carpet Service,” in which they provide small in-home assistance such as changing a blown light bulb for free. They have faced and fixed countless HVAC problems, and their excellent status can be seen in their 4.5 Google rating based on over 2,500 reviews!
One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning
The last multi-state chain we wanted to mention, One Hour serves locations across the country and lives up to its title with on-time and efficient service. The company abides by a “strict code of ethics” and is locally based in many states due to its locations around the US. They promise to show up to their customers’ houses on time and try to solve any problems they face in a day. All those qualities are part of their 100% satisfaction guarantee. Their Mount Airy, MD location has 4.7 stars on Google out of almost 400 reviews.
JDL HVAC Services
JDL has an NCI membership, uses the highest quality equipment and parts for installs, and has a 4.6 rating on HomeAdvisor from over 750 reviews.
James A. Wheat & Sons, Inc.
This company is also family-owned and has an NCI membership, as well as a 4.8 Google star rating from over 500 reviews.
Amazing Heating & Air Conditioning
Amazing claims that it was “founded on the principle of providing the highest quality customer service,” serving eight locations in Maryland and holding 4.6 stars on Google from over 650 reviews.
At Your Service Heating and Cooling
They may have only been around for nine years, but this family-owned and Baltimore-based contractor has won numerous awards and a 4.7-star rating from over 230 Google reviews.
Reliability Home Services
A Dundalk-based company that serves locations in Pennsylvania as well, Reliability Home is also based on the principle of showing the personal care that so many contractors avoid. They have a 4.7-star rating from slightly over 300 reviews on Google.
Strengthening Our Case For Why We’re Baltimore’s Best
We want to expand upon our claim that we are the best in Baltimore because we strive to be just that. Right up front, you should know that we are the area’s top-rated HVAC business, family-owned, and help to give back to the community. But we’re also so much more!
Our founders built our company on the principle of empathizing with customers’ frustration when they do not have sufficient air in their houses. We genuinely care about addressing customers’ complaints and want to provide them with the service they need to keep them from experiencing further pain and anger. Because of this, we hold our technicians to the standards of timeliness, politeness, patience, efficient work, explaining things thoroughly to customers, and answering any questions customers ask them. They all also have many years of HVAC industry service.
We also have many awards, including Next Door’s Neighborhood Favorite Award, the Angie’s List Super Service Award, the Best of HomeAdvisor Award, and an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Beyond this, our certifications include NCI (Natural Comfort Institute), BPI (Building Performance Institute), CFC (chlorofluorocarbon), and - as previously mentioned - NATE.
What’s more, we aim to work around customers’ time, so we alert them at least half an hour before our technicians arrive, contact them in case of emergency, and finish our work as quickly as possible. And when working out transactions, we may recommend helpful products and services but never pressure anyone into purchasing anything.
But don’t just take it from us!
We’ve been reviewed on Google by over 250 users, with over 96% of those reviews being five out of five stars. 17 customers on Angi have reviewed us as well, with 15 being five-star. And on HomeAdvisor, we have an average rating of 4.8/5 stars from almost 120 reviews, with 97% of users recommending us.
Customers have repeatedly pointed out the excellent qualities our technicians have displayed while servicing their systems, such as:
Respecting people’s time by showing up as scheduled
Being friendly and “guiding”
Taking time to answer questions, explain what they’re doing and why, and make recommendations for how to maintain systems long-term
Having the confidence to fix every problem they confront
Being incredibly knowledgeable
Going the extra step to show great attention to detail
Focusing on whole-system fixes rather than just applying band-aids
Customizing solutions to fit the needs of different individuals
Displaying excellent professionalism
Showcasing honesty, integrity, and morality
Not gouging customers for money
Always leaving customers satisfied
Standing out as significantly better than many other contractors
Providing consistently good service from start to finish for years on end
More specifically, here are the testimonials of two of our customers:
“I had called a couple other companies - I’m not gonna mention their names - but I would say that those companies, one, their professionalism was...not good. I’ll just say it was a little on the horrific side. Another company was a little astronomical in price. I saw the SuperTech sticker on [my] furnace, so I said, ‘I think they installed it. Let me call them.’ They were familiar with the equipment and all that other stuff.”
“They were outstanding with their service, they were outstanding with their customer professionalism. One of the things I really enjoyed was that the owners came out and actually talked to me. They were the ones that actually made the suggestions about where I could save money, where I could add money, where I could take away money.”
-R. Epps
“We have been working with SuperTech for a few years actually. The first time we called them, my husband’s father had just died and we had a lot of people in the house and the air conditioning had gone out and it was July 5th. So the house, as you could imagine, and I just picked out a phone number to call of anybody and SuperTech was the one that answered. Steven came out and fixed it, and by the end of the seven days that we needed to sit, the house was cold and comfortable.”
-R. Moses
That should prove we’re the area’s best HVAC company. But want to know more? Go ahead and look us up.
How To Develop Trust In SuperTech
You don’t need to deal with another insufficient AC or furnace repair from an HVAC contractor who doesn’t care enough. Give us a call, and we will make the following happen:
Schedule an appointment with us for an HVAC repair or maintenance check-up.
Allow our technicians to create a customized plan by providing you with an evaluation form and making recommendations after inspecting your system.
Let us execute the plan with you!
Do you want to continue receiving lackluster and unreliable service from inadequate contractors? Of course not! Selecting our company guarantees in-home comfortability, polite and helpful service that you look forward to, same-day or within-several-days fixes, and a long-term relationship with a contractor you trust. You will go from being stressed about the broken HVAC equipment in your home to a homeowner with such high-quality systems that you’ll want to preach about the contractor you’ve selected.
With SuperTech's Services, Painful HVAC Problems Disappear!
To Conclude...
We hope that after reading this blog, you feel confident in determining the proper HVAC contractor for your needs. Heating and cooling systems are essential for in-home comfortability, so you need to ensure that the prices you pay to maintain and repair them are satisfactory.
So do everything you can! Take time to research and ask around about companies, keep an eye out for the way technicians address you, and make sure the prices and services you agree on are well-suited for your wants and needs.
And remember: SuperTech HVAC can provide all the help you need with any of this. So for any HVAC assistance in Maryland, don’t hesitate to contact us!
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