The majority of AC companies in North America get their required standards and regulations from two main organizations, and the AC companies that are not associated with these organizations are probably the ones that you want to avoid. Here is a quick run-down of what these organizations do.
HARDI – Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International
These guys oversee the wholesale and distribution of products within their industry and aim to promote the business interests for AC companies internationally. They help to educate and regulate the industry with the intentions of making AC companies more efficient and work better as a business. HARDI runs many conferences, training seminars and workshops throughout the year helping to improve the sector as a whole. They are a not-for-profit organization that has members who approximately equate for 80 percent of the industries wholesale sales.
ASHRAE – American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers
ASHRAE was founded in 1894, eight years before (yes before!) the first modern air-conditioner was invented by Willis Haviland Carrier in Brooklyn, New York. ASHRAE have a long history and over 50,000 members worldwide to which they provide the standards and guidelines for all HVAC related issues and systems. They publish four handbooks, updated every four years, a couple of magazines, available monthly and quarterly, and a couple of books too.
AC companies that are not members of these organizations may have out of date techniques, knowledge, machines, and operating methods to name just a few. These two organizations are not compulsory for them to be associated with, they work on a membership basis and you have to join them to receive their benefits. AC companies are required by law to employ Technicians that are fully licensed and qualified to work on HVAC’s, whether it be at a residential, or a commercial building.
The fixing of an Air-conditioning unit is not a task to be undertaken by yourself, no matter how handy a handyman you think that you are. This is because there are many dangerous things inside that can cause an injury or have the potential to be very hazardous to your health. On top of that, there is a huge risk that you could damage the health of your air-conditioner too, making the inevitable repair job likely to be more lengthy and definitely much more costly. AC companies will provide you with the qualified, knowledgeable technicians and they will provide their technicians with the latest diagnostic readers and a set of tools that are specifically designed for the machines and the repair job that is in hand. AC companies will be able to service all your needs from the moment that you decide you want an air-conditioning unit to the point when your old air-conditioning unit is struggling to perform or it’s running on its last legs. They are there to make sure your home or your business are operating within a comfortable indoor atmosphere, no matter what the climate is up to outside.