So you have finally decided to replace the old air conditioning or heating equipment that has been breaking down so often costing you a fortune. You have gotten several prices from HVAC contractors and have decided to hire a reputable one to do the job. You call the HVAC contractor and give him a purchase order and tell him to get started. Right? Wrong!

In order for any air conditioning service installation to go well there are several items that need to be discussed. If the HVAC contractor hasn’t already done so, ask him for a scope of work letter. In this letter the contractor will lay out exactly what he intends on doing for you and what if anything he is expecting from you the customer. You may opt to have some of your own workmen do a portion of this project and this should be understood from the beginning.

The contractor should be able to submit to you equipment specifications. These specifications are helpful in determing if this is the correct size, voltage, capacity, ETC. Once you have had enough time to review the specifications and you and your contractor are confident that this is the correct equipment for the project, The contractor should be able to inform you of the delivery date. This information is valuable in helping you plan for the project.

Before work begins you and the contractor should sit down and have what I will call a kick off meeting. At this meeting the following items should be discussed.

• During the project who at your company will be the contractors contact, and more importantly who from the Contractor Company will be directly responsible for the work.
  
• Does your company require any specialized safety training or drug testing above the contractors own polices.
  
• Scheduling, Can this work be done during normal working hours? Do you need to make special arrangements to work in the specified area?
  
• Will your company’s day to day operation be affected by this project and for how long?
  
• What areas of your building will the workmen be authorized to use? Restrooms, Lunchrooms, Phones, Loading Docks, Parking, elevators, etc.
  
• Determine the duration of the project from start to end
  
• Are local or other permits and inspections required?
  
• Obtain emergency contact names and phone numbers for after hours contingencies

Once the project has been completed you should walk through the project and discuss any problems or concerns you have. At this time the contractor should provide you with copies of the operation and maintenance manuals for all equipment he installed. This information will be helpful for future repairs and maintenance.

This would be a good time to discuss service agreements with your contractor. You may request he provide you with a service agreement to insure the equipment is maintained properly and that the equipment warranties remain valid.