HVAC questions, answered

No. That 30-day clock and its leak-rate triggers apply to appliances with a full charge of 50 pounds or more, which is commercial scale. A home split system is far below it. What applies at any size: no venting refrigerant during service, and whoever opens the system must hold EPA Section 608 certification.

Read more: Refrigerant leak repair

Because it is leaking. Refrigerant is not used up. A sealed circuit is designed to hold the same charge for the life of the equipment, so a yearly top-up means a hole nobody has found or fixed. Repeat top-ups are the most expensive way to run a system over several years.

Read more: Refrigerant leak repair

No. EPA’s final reconsideration rule, effective July 27, 2026, removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for R-410A equipment. What did take effect is a limit of 700 GWP on manufacturing and importing new equipment. That governs what is built, not what you may keep running or repair.

Read more: The refrigerant transition

Compare the repair quote you were given with the remaining service life of the equipment, not with a rule of thumb. Our repair or replace calculator does exactly that, and our lifespan research supplies the horizon from fitted survival curves rather than a decades-old guideline.

Read more: Repair or replace calculator

Longer than most cost pages assume. Our lifespan research fits survival curves to federal survey data and finds a mean of 18.6 years for central cooling and 22.7 years for a central furnace. The common 15-year figure traces to a 2006 telephone survey of manufacturers that calls itself a general guideline only.

Read more: How long HVAC equipment lasts

Whatever a Manual J load calculation for your house says. Sizing from the old unit’s nameplate is the most common installation defect. An oversized system short-cycles, removes little humidity and wears faster. Ask to see the calculation, not just the tonnage.

Read more: AC sizing estimator

No. The §25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit ended for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025, under Public Law 119-21. For an install completed in 2026 the federal tax credit is $0. State and utility programs are separate, and many areas have no open program.

Read more: The federal tax credit, quoted

EPA Section 608 Type II or Universal for refrigerant work on a home split system. The certification does not expire, so ask which type they hold rather than when they got it. State trade licensing is separate and differs sharply by state.

Read more: EPA 608 certification

License status with your state board, not a number on a card. Proof of insurance in the contracting company’s name. Who does the work if it is subcontracted. The load calculation for a replacement. And what the labor warranty covers and for how long, since refrigerant is often excluded.

Read more: How we vet HVAC companies

No. HyreHVAC does no HVAC work, holds no contractor license, employs no technicians and dispatches nobody. We publish research and guides, and we are building a route from them to local HVAC companies.

Read more: About HyreHVAC

No. There is no HyreHVAC rating, tier or badge, and we publish no "best HVAC companies" list, because we have no documented method that would support one. Verification is not endorsement.

Read more: How we vet HVAC companies

We expect HVAC companies to pay to receive homeowner inquiries. Homeowners are never charged. Payment does not buy a recommendation, a ranking or editorial coverage.

Read more: How HyreHVAC is paid