Years ago I owned a pickup truck that was in very rough shape. It was a secondary vehicle for my little business. The truck was used to haul equipment to jobsites, and scrap units to the recycling center. I had paid very little for it and considered it on its last legs. One day it left me stranded on the side of the road. I called a guy to have it towed to his shop. After a couple of weeks he called. The truck was fixed. It cost $1,400.00. Now I was a little upset that he did not consult with me before making the repair. The truck was not that reliable, and I was ready to part ways with it.
At the time I was an HVAC service Tech. I started to wonder how many times had I made a repair without consulting the home owner. How many times did I rob the home owner of their chance to get out from under their old beater furnace?
From that time forward, I would ask every home owner how they would like to proceed before making any decisions in regards to their heating or cooling system. Surprisingly many home owners wanted to get rid of their old systems. Some were tired of making repairs, some were thinking of selling the home, and others feared a break down in the middle of summer or winter.
The moral of this story is, always ask home owners for their input.
Article: Lutz Cochrane, Service & Technical Manager, Stevens Equipment Supply
Photo: Goodman Manufacturing