Choosing the right Air Conditioning Company
For most commercial office buildings, air conditioning is an essential part of environment control; keeping occupants warm during the winter months and cool during summer. Keeping an A/C system in good working order requires having a maintenance company nearby who can repair and maintain the system.
For facilities managers serving offices in Buckinghamshire, including Aylesbury, Oxford, High Wycombe, Leighton Buzzard and Milton Keynes, there are a number of different companies operating in the area, with varying levels of service and expertise. The following seven tips will help you choose the right A/C company for you.
1) Response Time SLA
When your A/C system develops a fault, it is essential that you get it fixed quickly, as failed air conditioning can make it impossible for office occupants to conduct their business. So the first thing you should check is a company’s response time SLA (Service Level Agreement). Some businesses will offer different packages with varying SLAs depending on how much you pay. Good contractors should guarantee a same day response for critical faults, and a two to four hour response time if your system shuts down completely.
2) Number of Site Visits
Once an engineer has arrived on site, you want to be confident that they have the expertise and parts access to fix the problem in as few site visits as possible. This information may not always be available on a supplier’s website, but it is worth asking them how many of their faults are fixed on the first visit, as a proportion of the total calls. If possible, see what you can find out about the company through client testimonials and what you know about their supplier relationships. For many faults, the most common reason an engineer cannot fix on the first visit is because parts have to be ordered in. This leads us onto our third point:
3) Parts availability
Whether your maintenance company is a sole trader, a large national franchise or a local family company, they should have sufficient relationships with major manufacturers to offer you reliable access to parts. Their engineers should keep a sufficient quantity of common parts in their van that most basic issues can be fixed first time.
For more serious faults, the company should be able to order parts in, either same day or next day. All the leading A/C systems should be covered, including Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Toshiba etc. Check that your maintenance company has a supplier relationship with your A/C system manufacturer before you sign up for any agreement. You shouldn’t settle for anything less than manufacturer approved parts.
4) Accuracy of fault diagnosis
When an engineer arrives on site, how accurately do they diagnose the problem with your air conditioning? A well trained engineer should get the fault diagnosed correctly 90% or more of the time. If they don’t, then this will only result in delays and increased downtime for you. Some companies may be upfront about their diagnosis accuracy, while for others you may have to do a bit of digging by seeking out customer testimonials and online reviews.
5) Speed of repair
Response time is one thing, the amount of time an engineer spends on site is another. Some issues are, of course, more complex than others. However, a well-trained engineer should be able to diagnose and repair a range of common issues on established manufacturers within a reasonable timeframe. Having an engineer take too long over a simple problem is as bad as having to wait an excessive time for one to arrive on site.
6) F-Gas Compliance
Every air conditioning maintenance company should now have a REFCOM approved F-Gas certified engineers and a Company Certificate, which is renewable each year. This certificate indicates that the business meets compliance with fluorine gas handling standards when working with refrigeration systems. It is now a statutory obligation for A/C maintenance companies to comply with F-Gas standards, so the impact of environmentally harmful refrigerant emissions is reduced.
7) Preventative Maintenance Vs. Breakdown Cover
What sort of service does the A/C maintenance company offer? Do they simply offer breakdown cover when repairs are needed, or do they offer preventative maintenance? Look for a company that not only responds when things malfunction, but who offers scheduled cleaning and repairs throughout the year. These services may mean a slightly higher quote, but the value they offer in avoiding common faults and extending the life of your system is well worth it in the long term.
Book a call with ACE Services todayy
ACE Services is an established, family run air conditioning and refrigeration maintenance company with more than 30 years’ experience serving businesses across Buckinghamshire and the South-East. If you are looking for a new maintenance partner for your facility, or would like to know more about our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling 01296 326 028.