FAQ

1. What type of warranties do you provide?
2. Are you certified to perform heating and cooling work within the city of Pittsburgh?
3. Do you offer any financing options?
4. Are you insured?
5. Do you provide emergency service after business hours?
6. What sort of services do you provide?
7. How long has your company been in business?
8. How far will you travel?
9. Are you affiliated with any professional organizations?
10. Is a less-expensive, less-efficient system a better value because it has a lower price tag?
11. Are tank-style water heaters a better value than modern on-demand units?
12. Do you recommend any particular brand of equipment?

1. What type of warranties do you provide?

Installation: One year from date of system installation or start up
Service: 30 days from service date or completion date for repairs
Equipment: Full product warranty as specified by the various manufacturers

2. Are you certified to perform heating and cooling work within the city of Pittsburgh?

Yes. Any contractor who performs HVAC work within the Pittsburgh city limits must pass a certification examination to become licensed by the city’s Building Inspections department or else risk being fined. Gravener Heating & AC has been certified to work in the city of Pittsburgh since 1983. We’re registered to perform HVAC and HVAC electrical work, and we have a long list of referenceable clients – both residential and commercial – who are located throughout the city.

3. Do you offer any financing options?

Yes, but only on new-system installations. We can offer several options, so please ask for details when we schedule your bid.

4. Are you insured?

Yes, all of our employees, our work, and your property are covered under the terms of our multimillion dollar liability and workers compensation insurance policy. We are fully insured, licensed, and can be bonded for large-scale commercial or institutional projects.

5. Do you provide emergency service after business hours?

Yes. Our phone answers 24 hours a day, and we have a serviceman on call to respond as necessary during evening, weekend, and holiday hours. Please note, however, that emergency rates will apply for services provided during off hours.

6. Do you do plumbing or refrigeration work?

No. We only specialize in HVAC work – Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning. That includes service, installation, and maintenance for the following:

• furnaces
• boilers
• heat pumps
• air conditioning systems (whole house and window units)
• hot water heaters—traditional tank-style and instantaneous
• air cleaners
• humidifiers
• thermostats
• duct fabrication
• permanent filter fabrication

7. How long has your company been in business?

We opened September 1, 1982, and we recently started on our second generation of service.

8. How far will you travel?

We provide service within a 30-mile radius of Downtown Pittsburgh.

9. Are you affiliated with any professional organizations?

Yes:

Pennsylvania HVAC apprenticeship program
A.W. Beattie Technical School, advisory council
North Hills School District, work study program
RSES refrigerant certification

10. Is a less-expensive, less-efficient system a better value because it has a lower price tag?

Not always. In fact, there are three factors you should carefully consider when trying to determine the best system and the best value for your home:

1. Determine your current utility costs so you can calculate the potential savings of a new system.

2. Consider how much longer you expect to own or reside at the service location. Will you be there long enough to reap the benefits – and the long-term value – of your investment?

3. Think about your own personal lifestyle and daily schedule. For example, the heating or cooling preferences of a senior couple who spends most of their days at home will differ greatly from those of a young professional who lives alone and travels four business days each week.

11. Are tank-style water heaters a better value than modern on-demand units?

As a general rule, based on the way they operate, on-demand water heaters are best-suited for homes where couples or just a few people will be using hot water; while tank-style heaters are best-suited for locations where families or multiple people will be using a lot of hot water throughout the day.

To maintain a ready supply of hot water, even when no one is home, tank-style heaters fire periodically throughout the day to keep water hot and ready for use. An on-demand or instantaneous unit fires only when hot water is needed, limiting burner operation only to those periods of time when someone is home and using hot water.

Typical warranties on tank-style heaters range up to 10 years, while warranties for on-demand units can range up to 20 years. Of course, you also need to consider installation costs when comparing these two types of units. Because of differences in ventilation and positioning requirements, on-demand water heaters generally cost twice as much to install as tank-style heaters.

In a nutshell, there’s no definitive answer to this question, since individual preferences vary from household to household. But our experienced personnel can help you make the best choice, especially since the specific layout of each home is sometimes a factor that can greatly impact your options.

12. Do you recommend any particular brand of equipment?

Our service technicians are trained, experienced, and have the hands-on skills to work on virtually any brand of heating or cooling equipment, new or old. For new installations, we offer a broad range of furnaces and air conditioning systems from a number of leading manufacturers, all of which offer essentially the same high efficiencies and warranties.

Following our comprehensive evaluation of your home or business, we can provide you with multiple options, ranging from builder’s models to top-of-the-line equipment. And since our installation rates are exactly the same, regardless of which brand you choose, you can make your choice with confidence, knowing that our recommendations are based on your needs and your lifestyle, not your bank account.