Quick and Honest Phoenix Air Conditioning Repair

In and around Phoenix, air conditioning repair service is serious business. While homeowners in other climates might find it an annoyance or an inconvenience, when Phoenix air conditioning repair is needed in mid-summer, local homeowners are likely to feel a little more than hot under the collar! You know you need to get it fixed quickly, but you also don't want to pay an arm and a leg if you don't have to. While most homeowners know they need to do their homework, the oppressive heat of the Valley can cloud nearly anyone's judgment! ServiceMagic offers a way to expedite the process of contacting professionals so you can get your air conditioning fixed quickly and at a reasonable cost.

Phoenix Air Conditioning Repair Contractors
Many air conditioning problems are far from obvious. You could spend several hours a day, several days a week, learning about your air conditioning system and still not know what's going on. Of course, many homeowners are leery about blindly accepting what a contractor says, even if their credentials are up to par. It's never a bad idea to familiarize yourself with common sources of the problems you're experiencing, such as warm air, no air, etc., but the number of HVAC contractors you discuss your project with has just as much (if not more) to do with the price and service you end up getting.

How Many Phoenix Air Conditioning Companies Should You Contact?
Most experts would suggest discussing any home improvement project with at least three different contractors before you settle on the one you'll hire. That being said, the only real magic number of companies to contact for Phoenix air conditioning repair service is more than one. If you have the time, it might be very helpful to talk to 4 or 5 companies before you decide who you'll hire; if the matter is pressing and you need service ASAP, talking to two companies may be enough. Due to the high temperatures common to Phoenix, air conditioning repair companies are plentiful; the best price and service, however, is usually not found on the first try. Numerous Phoenix air conditioning repair clients, have echoed this sentiment back to ServiceMagic: "Get a second opinion." "Get more than one estimate." "Make sure to get a few different prices."

Costs of Phoenix Air Conditioning Repair
Typically, we inform homeowners of the average cost of a home improvement project in their area. In this case, the average cost of Phoenix air conditioning repair service is $350. This is one case in which the average is far from helpful. The vast majority of air conditioning repairs will cost $50 to $250 for easy fixes and $700 to $1,000 for major repairs. Sometimes it's easy to guess which category your problem fits into, sometimes it isn't. The overall goal, naturally, is to reduce the cost of repair, and this is yet one more reason to talk to several contractors.

Phoenix Air Conditioning: Repair vs. Replace
One of the most difficult decisions you can face is when a major repair brings up the notion of having your air conditioning unit replaced. Here's a story we were told by one Phoenix homeowner: "I used two ServiceMagic recommended companies. The first company tried to convince me to install a new unit. Their estimate was almost double the price of the second company, who I ended up using."

While some companies may specialize in the more involved process of replacing your air conditioning unit, there may not be one right answer. Plugging a leak or pressurizing your air compressor is generally an easy fix and one worth making. Older units may be on their last leg and simply waiting for an excuse to be replaced. It's not uncommon, though, to have a repair that will cost a few hundred dollars on a unit that is 15 or 20 years old. Like repairing a used car, you might be able to get several more dependable years with a repair or your unit may fail again the very next year. When this scenario happens, talk to several contractors and listen to what they say and recommend, but know that the right decision really is a crap shoot.

Energy Efficient Phoenix Air Conditioning
Of course, A/C units that are 15 or 20 years old are sometimes replaced to improve home energy efficiency even if they are working relatively well. If you haven't shopped for air conditioning units in a few decades, you'll be amazed at the wide range of models available. All of these will be light-years ahead of any unit installed more than 15 years ago when it comes to energy efficiency and quiet operation, but those that carry the government's Energy Star label are the best of the bunch. In a place like Phoenix where temperatures run high for extended lengths of time, the amount of money you can save on your cooling bills by replacing a decades old model with an Energy Star approved one are very impressive, and well worth considering if you see a new condenser unit in your near future!