It is time to get ready for spring

Get AC checked out now before it heats up

The air conditioning industry has a message for Southeast Valley residents preparing for another scorching summer: now is a good time to get your home air conditioner fixed.

"We encourage people to get their air conditioning done early," said Joe Hendel, president of Hendel's Air Conditioning in Chandler. "When the weather's not there, we're not as busy."

When choosing a company to do this work, there's a key first step to take.

"The main thing is checking out a company before you do business with them," said Felicia Overton of the Better Business Bureau of Central, Northern and Western Arizona.

The bureau's Web site has background information about air conditioning repair companies, and complaint histories.

Air conditioning repair is usually among the bureau's 10 most inquired and complained about industries, Overton said.

"If they have unresolved or unanswered complaints, that could be a red flag," she said.

Licensing and complaint information is also available from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.

As a whole, the industry is healthy, said Alan Felber, an associate director with the agency who oversees inspection and licensing.

To have and maintain licenses, contractors pay into a recovery fund that provides consumers money when jobs can't or won't be completed. Felber said air conditioning repair isn't close to the top of the list of the fund's problem industries.

Air conditioners need to be serviced once a year, and filters need to be changed frequently, said Bill Wright, owner of Falcon Air Conditioning in Gilbert. Dirty filters are a major problem his company deals with.

"People forget about it, and then they get stuck with a bill," he said.

Consumers should get three bids from licensed contractors for repair work, and get references from the companies, Felber said.

Hendel said customers should also avoid paying anything until work is finished, and avoid doing business with firms that present them with a long list of needed repairs and offer maintenance contracts.

He warns that there are a lot of companies "that take advantage of people in ways you wouldn't believe."