Well, we all want a great deal, but when the price is too good to be true it usually involves a trade-off.  Shopping around is always a smart move, but you shouldn’t consider a central air replacement as a “commodity” – because the systems and installations are not interchangeable – so instead of focusing exclusively on getting the cheapest deal you should aspire to get the best value deal.  Don’t lose sight of the fact that bids only reflect the initial purchase of the system and installation – there are long-terms costs which will only surface later – cheaper work usually results in higher long-term costs.  Let’s look at some reasons why the cheapest bid is often not the best choice:
 

• A cheap system won't perform as well - as with most products, when you go for the cheapest item it won’t work as well as the mid- or high-end system.  There will be a clear difference in how well your home is heated or cooled, the more expensive units will perform more reliably and control the temperature evenly throughout your house.  Quite frankly any central air replacement is expensive, so why would you pay so much and then never get what you want or need?  

• Repair costs will end up being higher on cheap systems – you will almost certainly have to make more repairs on cheap systems (because the manufacturer had to cut corners to drive the cost down in the first place.)  These are the long term costs associated with buying cheap systems which are not initially clear because only the initial costs are included in the bid.  Plus, we often find that the repairs on cheap systems tend to be critical component failures, while better built systems problems require more minor repairs. 

• Cheap systems will invariably fail when you need them most – often a cheap system will operate fine initially, then when you require heavy usage it will breakdown and once it goes it will continue to break.  Is it really worth investing this much money and still have to worry about the threat or timing of breakdowns? 

• Cheap systems have a shorter life expectancy – obviously this is part of the implied agreement that you make with a company when you sign up for a cheap product or service, even if you don’t realize it at the time.  This isn’t saying that you can’t get great quality without paying an excessive price, it just means the cheapest choice will normally need to be replaced sooner.

• Cheap installations will result in poor efficiency, breakdowns, and reduced life expectancy – cutting costs on installations means cutting corners and that will likely lead to systems that don’t perform as expected.  For instance, some companies use flexes (called “spider systems”) instead of more efficient metal ductwork in order to save time and money, but the system will never be as effective as it should be.  Other companies won’t wrap or insulate the ductwork, meaning that the system will “sweat”, leading to water damage and loss of heating/cooling.

• Cheap installations and systems will impact your monthly bills – companies that undercut other bids do so by skipping parts of the job, whether that is wrapping the system properly, not sealing the unit, or by giving you inferior material (sometimes lower level brands than you agreed upon, because most people don’t check.)  We were recently told of a local competitor that was undercutting prices by taking a part of the system (in this case the remote controls) that came from the manufacturer and selling them on eBay.  Believe me, it happens.  Stop by our shop and we can show you endless photos of installations by competitors that are basically illegal.  And sadly people are being charged top dollar for incomplete work, which will mean their system will not last long and will never perform as it should. 

• Cheap installations look, well, cheap – to reduce costs some companies will save time by running gas pipes up the outside of your home and create an eyesore, which may not initially bother you (though it should) but may impact your ability to sell your house when prospective buyers see the kind of work that you have allowed on your home.  We have been called in many times to fix systems that were installed cheaply (some had flexes in the attic that weren’t even attached to vents), and in some of the cases the customer had chosen the lowest bid instead of ours.  Without exception the choice cost them far more than they ever expected or should have paid.  Your house is likely the single largest investment you will ever make, shouldn’t you treat it accordingly?  

• Some non-local companies will undercut bids and use subcontractors – to reduce costs their emphasis is on speed and getting multiple jobs done in a short time frame, so the job is rarely done completely or thoroughly.  Then when problems invariably arise you won’t be able to get them on the phone, much less have someone show up to address your concerns.  These companies then move to another community and the cycle starts over again.  We’ve also heard horror stories about companies using subcontractors and failing to file warranties, so people end up without the warranty they should have been entitled to.

Here at Berge’s HVACR we believe that “you pay for what you get” and we strive to offer the best value – meaning the highest quality at a reasonable price - because we are certain that people will remember the quality long after they’ve forgotten the price.  We work diligently to keep our costs low so we can bid for jobs slightly below the midpoint of other bids – respecting your budget while still giving you first-class service.  Be wary of companies with very low bids, you will end up facing the real long term cost when you least expect it!