Direct-to-consumer HVAC sales

The internet has proven to be a boon for people who would rather shop while sitting at home. The E-commerce industry has widely grown over the last two decades. What more could you want? Online sales save you from a lot of hassle of searching, comparing, and then finally ordering. Not to mention cuts your costs, as well as Installation of such systems, could cost you thousands of dollars.

No matter what you buy for your home, a heat pump, furnace, an HVAC system or, an air conditioner, you have to take some things into account. Especially if you are ordering online as there are numerous risks involved in purchasing an air conditioner or HVAC unit from an authorized source.

So, here are a few considerations you need to keep in mind before you purchase HVAC equipment online:

Size

When you are purchasing an air conditioner for your home, you would want that it is perfectly sized for your home. If an air conditioner is too large, it would cool your home too fast and lead to hot and cold spots. As a result, uncomfortable humidity levels in the house. If your HVAC unit is too small, you would have to run it all day long and pay monstrous utility bills. It also puts pressure on the system as it is running continuously.  The size of your equipment would greatly impact the comfort of your home as well as the ongoing costs which are required for your new air conditioner or furnace.

The best way to determine the right size of your HVAC unit is by load calculation. If you have opted for direct-consumer HVAC product retailer, you have a number of options:

  • You can purchase a load calculation software and do it yourself.
  • You could hire an HVAC contractor to perform a load calculation for you. This would be an ideal solution.
  • You could use load calculation rule of thumb, or determine the size of your equipment on the estimate of the appropriate load for which means you buy the unit of the same size as the HVAC unit you are replacing.

Brand and Model

People mostly buy from the brand names they are comfortable with. Same goes with air conditioner and furnaces as well. Thoroughly go through the warranties which other brands are offering. It is important to do your homework before making the final decision. There could be some other brand/company which is offering you with something more than the brand you are accustomed to buying from.

The brands which offer longer standard warranties to the consumers normally do so because they are aware of the fact that their products have minimal costs for repairs.

Cost of Buying and Installation

Now there are no fixed rules. You won’t find a standard price list for HVAC equipment and other heating/cooling equipment. The installation rates tend to vary between the different brands and manufacturers of such equipment. Also, another factor to take into account is the work/labor involved in the configuration of the unit.

Warranty

This is one of the most important factors you need to pay attention to. Brands which make or sell HVAC equipment happen to have varying policies regarding warranties and whether they would honor the warranties on the HVAC equipment which the consumers purchase online.

Warranty of any furnace purchased online is null and void, says Goodman. On the other hand, Rheem also has a clear policy on it. It clearly states that “Rheem published warranties are not applicable for any equipment manufactured by Rheem that has been sold directly to the consumer via the internet or auction websites without an in-person site visit, inspection, and installation by a qualified, trained HVAC professional.”

A professional Contractor

A prevalent issue online consumers have to face is that HVAC companies are not willing to work with them when they purchase a direct-consumer HVAC product. It is more likely that you would find a contractor to work with you before you have gotten your air conditioner. They can appropriately guide you in getting the right-sized and configured equipment. You have a few options such as:

  • Ask around your friends and neighbors if they know an HVAC contractor. You could call them and let them know that your friend/neighbor recommend them and see if they would like to provide their services.
  • If there is an HVAC contractor you have worked with some time in the past, give them a call and explain in detail what you want to do.

If none of the above works for you, then you could always get the professional services of Relaxed Heating and Air and rest assured that your needs would be dealt with excellently!

(818) 901-0250