Acting as an HVAC technician today is not quite the same as it was twenty years ago,  The evolution of the products on the market and that of the available technology has led to many changes in what a technician must be capable of.  However, it isn’t just the changes in equipment that technicians must keep up with.  Consumers are better educated on a wide array of topics these days.  Due to that fact, many ask tougher questions when interviewing prospective HVAC teams.  You have to be prepared to answer some rather difficult questions to prove that you are both knowledgeable and prepared to offer the very best value to the customer.  Below are two such questions that you must be expecting when speaking with a prospective client.

Will you do an energy analysis of the whole house?  This is a question that consumers are advised to ask these days.  These days, there are so many tools available to technicians that are both affordable and highly valuable that you should be able to confirm that you are capable of doing this.  Electrical mustimeters to measure power consumption and infrared heat scanners to determine where heat loss is occurring, for instance.  With the right equipment, you can provide an accurate picture of the efficiency of the home, while figuring what new equipment or controls would improve the efficiency of the new- or existing HVAC system.

Can you help us lower our utility bills? In the vast majority of cases, the answer would be ‘yes’.  However, the homeowners are going to be looking for more information than that.  You should be able to recommend sensor and control add-ons that can improve the efficiency of new- or existing systems.  Outdoor air temperature sensors can communicate with controls inside the home, for instance, to ensure that the system is not being overtaxed unnecessarily.  You should also consider the recommendation of new and improved thermostats that are programmable and able to adjust the heating and cooling settings of the space based on the time of day.  This prevents the homeowner having to remember to turn up or down heating or cooling when going to bed or leaving the house.

You will be challenged by the well-informed consumers of this day and age.  Be prepared to provide the knowledgeable answers that they seek.