When you call for a repair, the first cost you hear about is the diagnostic fee, and it is the part of the process homeowners ask about most. It is also the part that determines whether the repair that follows is the right one. In this post we explain what the fee pays for, what happens during the visit, and what you’ll have in hand when the technician leaves.
What the fee pays for
The diagnostic fee covers a trained technician, a stocked truck, and the test equipment it takes to find the cause of the problem rather than the symptom. A furnace that will not stay lit, an air conditioner that runs but does not cool, a water heater that leaks, and a generator that fails its self-test each have several possible causes, and those causes can differ in repair cost by a factor of ten or more. The fee buys the skilled work it takes to tell them apart. You receive its results whether or not you go ahead with a repair.
At 2nd Wind Heating & Air Conditioning, the diagnostic fee is $99 for a standard visit and $149 for after-hours and holiday visits. Members of the Cloud 10 Membership pay $75 in either case, along with a 15 percent discount on the repair that follows.
What happens during the visit
The technician starts by asking what you have noticed: when the problem began, whether it comes and goes, and what the system does when it fails. Then the testing begins. On a heating or cooling system, that means measuring voltage and amperage on motors and capacitors, checking refrigerant pressures and temperatures, measuring airflow and static pressure in the ductwork, and testing the thermostat and control board. On a gas furnace, the technician also checks gas pressure, inspects the heat exchanger, and confirms the safety controls respond. This is the standard sequence for air conditioning repair and heating repair alike. On a plumbing repair call, the technician checks water pressure, inspects fixtures and the visible supply lines, tests for leaks, and traces a drain problem to the fixture, the branch line, or the main. On a generator service call, the technician tests the battery, the fuel supply, and the transfer switch, reads the controller’s fault history, and runs the unit under load.
The visit includes a safety check as well. A technician who is already testing a furnace looks at the flue and the carbon monoxide risk, and one who is under a sink looks at the shutoff valves and the condition of the supply lines. Anything found this way goes into the report, even when it is not the reason you called.
What you receive before the technician leaves
As part of the diagnosis, the technician records a short video of the problem, so you see the failed capacitor, the cracked fitting, or the frozen coil yourself rather than taking someone’s word for it. You then receive the findings in writing, with repair options and their prices, and where the system’s age or condition warrants it, a replacement recommendation with the cost and operating savings laid out for comparison. The price you see is the price before any work begins. If a repair can be completed on the spot with parts from the truck and you approve it, the technician will explain how the diagnostic fee is handled on that invoice.
What the fee does not include
The fee covers finding the problem. Parts and labor to fix it are quoted separately, and nothing is repaired or replaced without your approval. A few specialized procedures are also quoted on their own, because they require different equipment or take longer than a standard diagnosis. Running a camera inspection through a sewer line, locating a leak inside a slab or a wall with electronic equipment, and inspecting a full duct system are examples. When one of those is the right next step, the technician will tell you so and give you the cost before doing it.
Ready when you are
2nd Wind has served greater Columbia since 1985. Schedule a diagnostic visit for a heating, cooling, plumbing, or generator problem online or through the 24/7 chat on our website, and you will know what is wrong, what it costs to fix, and what you would spend to replace it before you make a decision.