BBB issues caution when shopping for A/C this summer

TUCSON - The BBB of Southern Arizona wants to caution you, as summer temps are well into the triple digits, to be careful when shopping for a HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air-conditioning) unit and a contractor to install the unit.

There are the three major problems to look out for listed below in this warning released by the BBB:

An A/C unit or some sort of cooling system is more or less a necessity during Southern Arizona's hot summers. Every year BBB sees a dramatic rise in consumer inquiries during the spring and into the summer as consumers look for HVAC contractors to tune-up, replace, or install units.

In 2011 BBB received over 9,500 inquires from consumers about heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) contractors in Southern Arizona between May and the end of September.

Unfortunately, complaints against HVAC companies increase along with inquiries. As HVAC contractors ramp up their advertising, unscrupulous contractors often make misleading, or even false claims about the price of their services, and even the quality of the equipment they're selling. Wade Hamster, of Hamster Heating and Cooling- a Tucson HVAC contractor doing business in Southern Arizona since 1983- says that there are a few "red flags" consumers can look for to ensure they're not being ripped off:

RED FLAG #1 - THE LOW-BALL PRICE Ever see those ads that say "$39 Heating or A/C Tune-Up!"? Sounds great doesn't it? Don't be fooled: an average heating and cooling service technician makes at least $18 per hour. Add in the costs of fuel to get to the home, the service van, overhead expenses for a basic office- people to answer the phone, schedule calls, process paper- and the average HVAC company has, at a bare minimum, expenses of $50 per hour. When you add up all these expenses it's very unlikely you'll ever find a true $39 tune-up.

RED FLAG #2 - THE 400 SQUARE FEET PER TON OF A/C "RULE OF THUMB" Just about any consumer who has researched buying a new A/C system has read about, or had a contractor tell them about the "Rule of Thumb" for equipment sizing: "Mr. Johnson, your home is 2000 square feet, at 400 square feet per ton; you need a 5-ton air conditioning unit today." "This is the most bogus and lazy lie that exists in our industry," Hamster says. "Every reputable heating and cooling company will insist on performing a Manual J Engineering Load Calculation- as required by the International Residential Code book, Tucson Electric Power and Energy Star- to determine the size of system you need. This process takes a lot of education and extra time to perform, but is essential for proper sizing. A system that is not properly sized will not keep a home comfortable, and will drive up energy bills at the same time it decreases equipment life."

RED FLAG #3 - NEW SYSTEM QUOTES OVER THE PHONE ARE NOT ACCURATE! There is a large range of variables when performing a system replacement. For that reason it's virtually impossible for an A/C contractor to give an accurate estimate for a new system over the phone. Hamster lists three reasons why it's not possible to give an accurate estimate over phone:

1. The home might have experienced changes since the original system was installed (new windows, added insulation, added addition, more internal heat loads like appliances, TV's, computers, people). All of these factors will affect the system size that the home needs. The only way to ensure proper sizing- which leads to better comfort, energy efficiency and longer system life- is to visit the home, take all the proper measurements and run a computerized Manual J Load Calculation.

2. There's the issue of physical unit sizes: the contractor may need to visit the home to make sure that it has the physical space needed for a new model A/C unit.

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BBB issues caution when shopping for A/C this summer