Best HVAC Contractors in Westerville, Ohio

At Fire & Ice, we know that we don’t land every job we bid on. If homeowners do their due diligence and get three or four quotes, we may not be the best fit. We are realists.

At Fire & Ice, we believe the most important day for any HVAC is the day of installation. A poor installation will mean a call to someone else and more money on repairs for a job that should have been done right the first time. You could pay thousands of dollars for a unit you expect to be maintenance-free, only to discover it is anything but.

However, most consumers think more about finding an HVAC contractor or company that offers the lowest cost and fastest service when looking for one that fits their needs. Unfortunately, not all companies operate with the same standards, leaving you with a wide variety of companies with varying practices.

Even the U.S. Department of Energy reiterates this sentiment, “ Research indicates that training and standards alone are insufficient to influence trade practices, and consumers are driven primarily by low cost and fast service.”

With this in mind, separating good HVAC contractors from bad ones can be even more challenging for the average homeowner. So, what’s the most effective way to choose?

As a locally-owned and operated company, we’ve been serving Westerville, Ohio, for years, but customers are frequently asked our opinion of other companies.

Because we believe strongly in answering the questions we are asked. We put together the following list of the most prominent HVAC companies serving Westerville in alphabetical order.

As you go through the various companies, please remember that although choosing a good company is essential, it is only half of the equation. The local HVAC company with whom you will do business is responsible for installing HVAC equipment the right way and providing exceptional service.

You must choose an HVAC contractor or company who will go out of their way to ensure they complete each step and not cut corners to save themselves time or money and give you excellent customer service.

Care Heating and Cooling

Our list starts with CARE Heating and Cooling. Living in Central Ohio, you’ve probably heard owner Mike Wiens talking about cat toys in the furnaces on the radio. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

They install and repair gas furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, indoor air quality systems, air handlers, and thermostats.

Dor-Mar Heating and Air Conditioning

Next on our list for Westerville, Ohio, is Dor-Mar Heating and Air Conditioning. Dor-Mar has been around since 1962 and has approximately 40 employees serving the Newark, Columbus, Zanesville, and Lancaster areas.

Dor-Mar repairs and installs water heaters, HVAC maintenance, air conditioner installation and maintenance, indoor air quality and duct cleaning services, appliance repair, and thermostats.

Sears Heating & Cooling

In 1950 Johnny and Lillian Sears founded Sears Heating & Cooling. Their current ownership has been in place since 1989.

They currently offer air conditioner repair and replacement, gas fireplace repair and replacement, and furnace repair and replacement.

Uptown Heating & Cooling

Next up is a relative newcomer to Uptown Heating & Cooling industry. They have offered HVAC installation and repair in Westerville and the surrounding area since 2016.

They offer HVAC installations and repairs.

Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating

Last on our list is Westerville Air Conditioning & Heating. They serve Westerville and the surrounding communities and are a part of the Five Star network of HVAC contractors.

They offer furnace repair, furnace maintenance, furnace installation, heat pump repair, heat pump replacement, heat pump installation, plumbing repair, plumbing installation and replacement services, duct cleaning, UV light system, and whole-home humidifier, and dehumidifier.

Keep in mind that this list is not every contractor in the area, so do your research.

Choose the Right HVAC Contractor in Westerville, Ohio

With so many options, it becomes difficult to choose the right one. Here are some factors to consider when picking your next HVAC company:

Standard and Care for Employees

One of the first things you should ask about is the standards and care they set for their employees. Are they independent contractors or W2’d employees with benefits? We’ve seen that systems installed or repaired by independent contractors are often poorly done. This could end up costing you in the long run because you end up having to call someone else to get the job done right. At Fire & Ice, all of our employees are held accountable for the quality of their work, not just the amount of work they do.

Training for HVAC contractors

Next is training. We believe in continuing education and have invested in Central Ohio’s largest training center, where we provide our technicians with over 200 hours of continuing education per year. We also encourage and reimburse our technicians for any certifications they achieve.

All of our installation teams are N.A.T.E certified, the industry standard for excellence.

Follow-ups and Maintenance

We perform thorough commissioning that tracks 57 different variables on every installation we do. This ensures optimal performance of your equipment and helps to sets benchmarks for future technician visits. Commissioning is not always performed industry-wide or not as thoroughly. There’s a chance that your installation is OK without testing it in this way, but no way to know unless that is performed. Commissioning can take up to an hour of extra time. Rather than racing to the next job, we serve it every time to make sure the work we do is up to the standards you deserve.

We also follow up with our customers at two weeks, 90 days, six months, and one year after installing a product in your home. We also offer reasonably priced and scheduled maintenance plans to help service your system to keep you worry-free about your home comfort.

Sales Tactics

Third are sales tactics. If you’ve ever experienced high-pressure sales, you know how uncomfortable the tactics can make you feel. At Fire & Ice, we understand deciding to purchase a new HVAC system is a big decision that will impact your home comfort for the next 20 years or more. That’s why we never use high-pressure tactics.

Load Calculations

Fourth are load calculations. One way to maximize the performance of any HVAC system is to have it adequately sized for your home. The best way to do this is to have load calculations performed during a sales consultation.

A Manual J Load Calculation is a survey by a qualified HVAC contractor to determine your home’s unique heating and cooling load, expressed in BTUs. This load figure is then compared to the capacity specification of available new HVAC machines. In this way, the unit you select can be a perfect match for your home—not too big, not too small.

Often, this process is skipped, and HVAC contractors simply use the same size system you had previously or make guesses about what you need based on the size of your home.

This is not the correct way to size a new HVAC unit because it does not take into account other factors that are included when a load calculation is done, such as the placement of windows on your home, how many you have, and the direction your home faces and more. HVAC contractors who do not take the time to complete this step runs the risk of installing a unit that is not the correct size for your home.

Installation Practices

Last is installation practices and follow-up. If corners are cut, and less accurate tools are being used to install your equipment, it's likely your system will fail sooner than it should. That’s why we use the most accurate digital tools and up-to-date installation practices to ensure your system is installed right the first time. If you’re not 100% satisfied, we will work to find a solution.

Next Steps to Getting an HVAC Contractor in Westerville, Ohio

If you are in the Westerville, Ohio area, please give us a call. Even if you live in the Central Ohio area, please give us a call. Check if you’re in our service area using the zip code map below.

If you are and would like to take the next step to get an appointment, click below to get in touch with our team.