I can remember somebody telling me that finding an honest mechanic is more valuable than finding a great doctor.
And honestly, there is some truth to that but not in a strictly literal sense. However, it really has paid for me to know people who know how to work on things. I’m more of a sit in the air conditioning sort of guy and not really handy around the house. I can change the HVAC air filter and mow the lawn. But that’s pretty much the extent of my household expertise. So, I’ve always relied on knowing people who can work on stuff for me. I’d rather pay somebody who is a handyman that mess it up myself or pay the going rate for professional service. However, when it came to a recent HVAC repair, I found out that going the handyman route was not the answer. I came home to find the house just not cooling off the way it normally did. We have a smart thermostat that starts cooling the house off just before my wife and I leave the zone controlled HVAC of the office. Normally, when we get home, the house is nicely air conditioned. But that wasn’t the case and it was late so I decided to call a handyman guy I knew to see if he’d come have a look. He was quick with the no. And to his credit, he took the time to tell me just exactly why only an HVAC technician should be messing with the HVAC equipment. That was enough for me and I called the HVAC company. The HVAC professional was there within the hour and had the HVAC equipment fixed in minutes.