The US Census Bureau estimates that between 2.5 - 3 million residential furnaces and air conditioners fail eachWhile some of these units have served their homes faithfully for decades, others die within days or weeksDealing with heating equipment that fails is often frustrating - homeowners may not know how to contact HVAC manufacturers, they aren't familiar with their HVAC parts warranties, and they don't know who in the HVAC Industry bears financial responsibility for repairs. in the middle of a heating or cooling crisis: keep reading. This article can help you avoid common mistakes and get your equipment running again with a minimum of out-of-pocket cost. If your heating or cooling equipment has developed a problem within the first year of installation, contactMost dealers will cover both parts and labor for the first year following installation. As one dealership service manager interviewed for this article explained, they'll go the extra mile if they

installed a unit that subsequently fails -- but they don't feel the same responsibility for a unit someone else Not sure who the installing dealer is? If the homeowner who purchased the equipment submitted a product registration card with the name of their installer, the manufacturer may have entered that information in theirA quick call to the manufacturer's customer support line may help. If you just bought a new home, the builder should be able to tell you the installer. If those approaches fail, look at the unit itself -- many contractors will leave a sticker on the unit with their contact information. If you can't find the installing dealer or they've gone out of business, don't panic. Your parts warranty remains valid as long as a licensed heating contractor does the work -- however, you will need to pay labor costs out-of-pocket. If your heating or cooling equipment was installed more than a year ago, you may still want to work with the

There can be benefits for you and the dealer in having a long-term business relationship.how to tell what size ac unit is However, you may prefer a fresh face or a second opinion. water from ac unitBefore you schedule an appointment with a newac unit is on but no air contractor, get answers to the following warranty-related questions: If this is the first problem with your heating equipment, read up on HVAC parts warranties first. Be aware of the following issues: If your contractor makes multiple service calls and is unsuccessful in resolving the problem, you may need a secondConsider the following issues before you call in a second contractor. Much of this decision comes down to trust -- do you believe that your contractor is competent and honest?