When considering the purchase of a new air conditioning system, you should always shop for quality first and price second. But the most important thing is to have the right contractor install the system. If you choose the wrong contractor, you could face many years of headaches, frustration and high energy bills.

All Contractors are not the same.

There is a huge variation in competence and ethics. You've probably seen the undercover reports that expose dishonest contractors. Even though only a small percentage of HVAC companies are blatantly dishonest, the Better Business Bureau ranks heating and cooling as one of the highest complaint generating industries.

The majority of Air Conditioning companies are honest, but most of them simply do not have the ongoing training or business systems in place to properly serve their customers. Using a company that is not up to date with the newest technology may result in excessive utility bills, inefficient operation of the new system, premature system failure or high repair bills.

Take the time to find an air conditioning company that is ethical, keeps their employees well trained, and makes customer service a priority.

Heating and air conditioning is the most complex home service trade. You cannot risk having an amateur or a dishonest contractor install your new equipment.

Make sure they are able to answer the following questions and provide you with copies of licenses and certification.

• How many years has the company been in business?

• Do you have a copy of your HVAC license?

• Do you carry liability and workers comp. insurance?

• Are your technicians certified to handle refrigerant gas?

• Do you have a permanent non-residence place of business?

• Can you provide customer references?

Do not hire a contractor who can quote a price over the phone. And definitely don't be mislead by contractors who will offer to replace your old equipment with the same size unit without doing any measurements, inspections or diagnostic tests. Over half of new systems are the wrong size, installed improperly, and attached to an inadequate existing duct system. As a result, they waste an average of one third of the energy purchased to run them.

A good contractor is committed to 100% customer satisfaction and should be asking you a lot of questions before they go ahead and just give you a quote. The HVAC contractor should also explain your different options and not just give you a quote for the cheapest least efficient product that will be "good enough".

A quality contractor is more interested in serving you than in selling you. He builds his business on long term service relationships and referrals from extremely happy clients, rather than making the quick buck. He believes in truly solving his clients' problems and only putting in systems that really work right, even if it may mean he initially sells new equipment to fewer homeowners.

While price matters, don't let the initial price be the only consideration when choosing a heating and cooling contractor. As with most things in life, price is usually an indication of quality. And high quality is essential for a new heating and cooling system.

The low price you see advertised may not be the price you end up paying. Some contractors offer an unrealistically low price to get the job and then pressure you into paying a lot more after starting.