7 Things You Must Know While Hiring A Snow Removal Service

Are you completely torn between the choice of hiring a snow removal service or picking up the shovel by yourself and remove that pleasant looking but highly dangerous layer of snow around your house? Do you know the basics about hiring a service for this task? If you’re doing it for the first time or just need advice, read on. 

While there’s nothing wrong with doing this by yourself, there are certain circumstances under which you must not do it. Hiring is better than shoveling especially when you have some health problems. 

Following are the things you must know while hiring a snow removal service. 

1. Look for services during off season: If you’re waiting for the snow to pile up before you start looking for someone to hire, you’re highly mistaken. Almost all the landscaping companies offer services in off season and thus, have a long list of customers already. Stop delaying your research and start looking before winter sets in.

2. How to begin searching for such companies?: start by asking your neighbours and other people around your area for whom they recommend. Read reviews. Search on internet for snow removal service providers in your area and do a thorough research on them. 

3. What you need to ask while hiring the company?: We often forget to ask the most important questions while hiring such services. Here are some questions which you must ask and consider. 

• Ask for how much snow will trigger their service. 
• Also, tell the company if you’ve some special needs for example if you want to give priority to plowing. Most of the companies consider plowing at the end. So, asking them about their working style and telling them about your own needs is a good idea. 
• And then ask the obvious question about how much they charge. 

4. Look for the license: It is advisable that you hire a company that has appropriate license for the task. Also, ask if they’re sufficiently insured and bonded. A licensed service provider may seem to be costly to hire in the beginning but they can save you from a lot of hassles and damage. So, it is a better idea in the long run to hire a licensed snow removal service. 

5. Inquire about the additional charges: Besides the quoted price, additional charges are applicable during extreme weather. Some services charge extra (by inch) after snow reaches a certain depth. Here you also need to inquire about how the company calculates the size of snowfall and also details about additional charges. 

6. Find out what services are you getting: Try to find out what exactly is included in the estimate provided to you. Are the steps and sidewalks included? Who will cover the cost of salt? Will the company work during snowfall or only after the storm is cleared? 

7. About settling the agreement: the most important part is get a written agreement signed. This is a very safe option and consider it a mandatory step for your own benefit. Also, don’t discuss the agreement on telephone. A face to face conversation should be preferred. 

Now that you know these things, make sure you keep these things in mind while hiring a snow removal service.

6 Ways to reduce air conditioning repair costs

Do you know that air conditioning uses up to 16% of total electricity used in a normal household? In places with warmer climate, 60—70% of summer electricity bill is because of the air conditioning system. That’s a lot of money but what if you had to shed some more money for air conditioning repair? Stop stressing over it. Here are some tips on how you can reduce air conditioning repair costs.

1. Get routine service: Of course, you expect several years of flawless service from your air conditioner but that comes at a price. Routine service of the air conditioner would ensure that it doesn’t face a major malfunction. It is time to keep aside the “set it and forget it” mentality and to be on time for routine service of the unit. 

2. Get a check-up done before summer: You would now be making heavy use of this equipment which was in dormant stage for a long winter. It is important to ensure that all the parts of the unit are working properly before you start dreaming about spending a comfortable day in your fully air conditioned apartment. Call a professional and ask him to check the unit. This would ensure that the unit works with maximum efficiency and would, therefore, reduce the electricity bills. Also, the chances of a major malfunction reduce manifolds. 

3. Keep the unit clean: One of the best tip for reducing the cost of air conditioning repair is to avoid it. With routine service, a large part of your job is done. But here’s something you must do on regular basis to assure your hard earned money stays with you. Clean the unit often. Clean the coils, change the filter and remove debris from drain channels. Keep the unit covered in winters. This also reduces the negative impact of moisture on the air conditioning system.

4. Hire a certified professional: sometimes completely avoiding the air conditioning repair cost isn’t possible. What you can do under such situations is to try and reduce it. Hiring a certified professional is one of the best decisions you can take for the cause. A professional A.C. repair technician can do the job in much better way and can also save you from needless expenditures. Of course, hiring a professional service seems to be costlier than hiring a local technician but this will surely help you in many other ways. You would be saved from major expending which can occur if the unit isn’t properly serviced. 

5. Compare quotes: Before you go for a professional, make sure you compare the costs for different professionals available in the city. Ask them about costs associated with repairing the unit instead of simply asking for a quote. That would help you decide in a better way and ultimately, save money on the repair work.

6. Repair vs Replace: This is the most fearsome situation. Sometimes your unit gets a major jam and even after consulting tons of professional technicians, you find out that it is going to cost a huge sum of money to get the unit fixed. At that time, it is always better to consider both the options – repair and replace. If the issue is in small electrical parts like contactors and capacitors, go for repair. If the issue is in parts like compressor, replacing is a better option. 

To reduce air conditioning repair costs, you need to take measured steps and follow a strict service routine for your air conditioning system. Keep these tips in mind.  They would help.