ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has announced new tools that HVAC contractors can use to promote their quality installation practices to customers.
ACCA’s HVAC Quality Installation (QI) Specification establishes minimum requirements for installing a heating and cooling system. The association said the national standard for ensuring the quality installation of an HVAC system is gaining widespread interest and acceptance in the marketplace, including contractors, manufacturers, utilities, and other interest groups.
To help contractors educate consumers about the importance of quality HVAC work, ACCA has produced two checklists to help homeowners ensure that they are getting what they pay for when hiring a contractor.
The first checklist is an in-depth document for consumers who would like to know how closely their contractor will adhere to the QI Specification. The checklist offers questions for consumers to ask a prospective contractor, and explains the importance of each one of the QI’s 13 elements.
In addition, there are general questions which pertain to the contractor’s qualifications. Consumers assign points for each element met and then determine the “value” of the proposed work by dividing the cost by the points scored. This checklist is available for download at ACCA’s consumer Website located at www.acca.org/consumer/.
The second checklist is a more user-friendly piece that contractors can customize with their contact information and then offer to their customers to demonstrate the value inherent in the quality work performed by contractors who meet the QI Specification. Part of ACCA’s “ComforTools” series of consumer-oriented brochures and flyers, this brief checklist summarizes the four pillars of the QI standard (design, equipment installation, duct distribution, and system documentation), and highlights the importance of NATE certification.
Technicians or sales staff can answer questions and explain why customers should choose your company to install a new HVAC system that meets the QI Specification. ComforTools flyers allow contractors to customize the piece by adding their own contact information directly in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader; no other software is required. It is available at www.acca.org/comfortools for ACCA members only.
Contractors will be able to use these tools to explain the features and benefits of each design, selection, installation, and testing element in the QI. In the end, using these resources, an informed consumer can see the value in trusting a QI-oriented contractor.
For more information about the ACCA Quality Installation initiative, visit www.acca.org/quality/.
Publication date:03/17/2008
