Before you start shopping for an air conditioner, you may want to shop for an HVAC technician. These specialists provide a whole series of related A/C services, all essential to owning and operating an air conditioner. Here is the typical line-up of services.


The HVAC technician (or contractor) installs everything from the cement/concrete block on which your unit sits to the electrical connections and ventilation for the unit. Installation typically takes about a day, from start to finish. You should expect to be home that day in order to allow the technician access to your thermostat and your electrical fuse box.


Like a car, all appliances require maintenance, including your air conditioner. HVAC technicians can return regularly to provide maintenance check-ups and systems tests. Once or twice a year is standard, and you may not have to be at home for this.


In places like Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, air conditioners have to be protected against things like hurricanes and tropical storms. In the Midwest and northern states, the air conditioners have to be protected against snow and ice. In "Tornado Alley," tornadoes are the biggest concern and issue for air conditioners. In all of the above cases, your HVAC technician is the go-to person who can help you protect your investment in this valuable cooling appliance.


Obviously, if anything does go wrong with your A/C, the HVAC technician is also the one to call for repairs. He or she can diagnose the problem and provide you with an estimate of the repair costs. If the repairs are serious enough, you may have to go without air conditioning until you can afford the repairs, or weigh the costs of repairs against a new air conditioner.


Parts replacements are another common service provided by HVAC technicians. There are not that many parts involved in this particular appliance, and some of them are more susceptible to breaking down than others. Thankfully, you will not have to worry about replacement parts for several years after you have installed a brand-new unit.

Removals and Total Replacements

The final set of services provided by an HVAC technician are the removals of old units and the complete replacement of said units. This usually doubles the amount of work of an installation. Ergo, you can expect this process to be a little longer than just a standard installation because of the disconnect of the old unit and the installation of the new unit.

If you have more questions about what services an HVAC technician can provide, reach out to companies like All American Air & Electric, Inc.