The quality of your heating and cooling system is largely determined by the quality of your installing contractor. Here are some tips direct from contractors.

A top leading consumer magazine recently surveyed over 500 contractors and reported the following tips on purchasing a central air-cooling system.

What over 500 surveyed contractors say …

• Choose the right-sized air conditioning system. If it is too small, then it won’t cool properly; if it is too large, then it won’t dehumidify properly.
• Beware of replacing only one of the two main components if shopping for a replacement system. Replacing only the indoor or the outdoor unit of a system may result in a mismatch that compromises efficiency. Contractors also said these systems are more repair-prone than systems where the two units have been bought and installed together.
• Look for an experienced contractor.One-fifth of the contractors surveyed said the primary reason for their service calls was improper application or incorrect installation.
• Maintain your system properly. At least 40 percent of surveyed contractors said that service calls were primarily the result of improper maintenance.