When your heater breaks and you need heating repair, a few questions are going to cross your mind: Why me?, How do I get my heater fixed ASAP?, & Who is going to repair my heater?

Unfortunately, everyone gets unlucky with a broken furnace from time to time. During the winter months, you’ll want same day heater repair. You might be worried that a heating repair company will take advantage of your situation and overcharge for their services. This is a valid concern, but don’t worry, we have tips on finding the right heating repair company in Philadelphia so you never pay inflated repair costs.

Now, you might be tempted to have a handy friend do the repair. You might even be tempted to find someone on Craigslist (we hope you aren’t). It’s always a better idea to hire a professionally licensed heating repair company, and we’ll tell you why.

Let’s start with an botched heating repair horror story from one of our technicians:

“So we get a call from a new homeowner in Fishtown about the heater in her new house because it kept shutting off after running for a few hours. The house had been renovated, and everything in it looked new, but the leaky sink was causing the electric breakers in the bathroom to trip and stop her heater from working. The client was very angry and mentioned that she was going to file a law suit against the seller and his general contractor.

When we had our technician inspect the heater, he found it was grossly over-sized and had under-sized ducts. It was a nightmare. The improper installation was causing the heater to overheat and cycle on and off repeatedly.

He also noticed the high voltage wire gauge was wrong on several wire cap connections.  Even worse, the chimney didn’t have a cap or clean out, and an old mercury filled thermostat was mounted on the wall. The builder/contractor may have been instructed to cut corners in an effort to save pennies here and there. This unprofessional work was extremely dangerous to say the least, and the homeowner had to pay a small fortune to correct the issues.”

Need any more convincing you should go with the pros for your heating repair? Here are a few more reasons…

Heating Repair is Dangerous:

If you play with fire, you might get burned. If you play with carbon monoxide, you might put your life in danger. There are simple heater repairs you can perform yourself, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, heater repair can be extremely dangerous. Licensed heating repair companies like HVAC Philly have technicians with decades of experience.

A Professional Heating Repair Company is Insured:

Can the guy on craigslist say the same? Probably not. Even if your friend is a self taught HVAC repair wizard, having your heater repaired by someone who doesn’t have insurance is risky. In Philadelphia, heating repair companies are required to be licensed, bonded, and insured in order to operate. Let’s take the worst case scenario and say you hire someone on Craigslist to fix your furnace. If your Craigslist repairman explodes your furnace and gets injured while he’s working on it, you could be held liable!

Amateur Repairs Cost More in the Long Run:

Have you ever started a home improvement project and wondered how you went $300 over budget building a birdhouse that should’ve cost $20, and the birds don’t even appreciate the time and effort you put into building it? It happens to the best of us. Sorry, where was I? A professional heating repair company will provide you with a detailed estimate including thoroughly documented details about your repair. With the pros, you’ll know how much you should and will be paying. Don’t forget about our heating repair horror story from earlier either. A general contractor might promise to save you money, but if they aren’t heating specialists, there’s a good chance they’re going to do something wrong.

If you need heating repair or service and live in Philadelphia, Montgomery, or Bucks County, give the experts at HVAC Philly a call at 215-725-6111. We have over 20 years of HVAC experience offering competitive pricing, free estimates, and unparalleled professionalism.

Stay warm my friends.