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These Tips for Homeowners on possible scams that are common for dishonest HVAC Contractors are Provided by Ameri-Serv, Inc.

At Ameri-Serv, Inc. we are Committed to Honest and Ethical Business Practices.


SCAM #1 - If a contractor tells you that your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide and you must replace your furnace, ask to see the proof, if they cannot show you a crack in your heat exchanger and cannot show you a carbon monoxide reading on a carbon monoxide meter or detector then ask them to leave and call someone else you can trust for a second opinion. It's that simple.

SCAM #2 - If you find that you must add refrigerant every spring to your air conditioner, this is a scam to make money off of you every year. Any reputable contractor will find the leak with pressure test or die and repair the leak on your air conditioning system. No air conditioning system should leak refrigerant regularly. It's that simple.

SCAM #3 - If you call for a repair on your furnace or air conditioner and the service technician finds that you need to replace several components you should be skeptical, typically one component fails maybe two but not several components all at once. If this happens you should get a second opinion from someone you can trust.

SCAM #4 - Some contractors will replace something, anything at each and every call even if it is just a seasonal maintenance they will find something. Typically this component will be a capacitor or a safety limit.  Again a second opinion is a great idea before you spend hundreds of dollars.

SCAM #5 - If you are having a new or replacement system installed the contractor must secure a permit. This is to protect the home owner! Do not let any contractor convince you that it is not necessary, it is required by law and it is meant to protect the home owner from contractors that cut corners and do not perform installations that meet the local codes and regulations.

SCAM #6 - With the recent changes in refrigerants (Production of R-22 is going to stop very soon) many contractors are cutting corners when installing newer systems containing the new R-410A refrigerant. These new refrigerants are not compatible with the old refrigerants and as a result the indoor coil and refrigerant copper line set should be replaced. There are some exceptions and methods to overcome this but for the most part your system will not last and may not have the rated capacity or efficiencies if the old components are used.

SCAM #7 - With recent changes to the minimum efficiency rating of air conditioning equipment by the Federal Government there are numerous pitfalls to avoid. Installing a newer 13 SEER air conditioning unit to your old indoor coil is not the best solution because in many cases capacity and efficiency is dramatically lower. While many contractors solve this problem by installing a TXV (thermal expansion valve) and this does increase the efficiency very slightly it still does not provide the rated efficiency. Another common solution is to drop the capacity (tons) of the new air conditioning unit, while again this does increase the efficiency very slightly it still is not the best solution. While these solutions are acceptable practices by many contractors, what you need to watch out for is the contractor that does not spell these problems out to you and honestly  explain the efficiency and/or capacity losses because the only one that pays in the long run is the home owner.