Reporting, Jim Donovan
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When temperatures begin to rise outside, the last thing you need is for your central air conditioning to break down. Getting it fixed quickly is often easier said than done. First you have to find a repairman. But how do you know which one to choose?
The publishers of Delaware Valley Consumers’ Checkbook surveyed its readers recently on their experiences with air conditioning and heating service companies. 148 businesses were rated on everything from price to performance. Robert Krughoff, President of Consumers’ Checkbook says, “There are different ways to do the same job and some will end up being much more effective, much more efficient, much less noisy, much easier to repair.”
Before hiring any company Consumers’ Checkbook recommends that you do your homework in advance. Krughoff says, “You really need to get competitive prices for whatever air conditioner or heating work you want done.” In fact when Consumers’ Checkbook shopped around they found wide price differences for products and services. For example installing a programmable thermostat for a furnace and air conditioner ranged in price from $170 to $662 for the exact same job. Krughoff says, “There is really no relationship between quality and price. So you can get a very good price from a very high quality firm.”
Several companies received Checkbook’s highest ratings for quality and price. They are: