I’m sure most of you have heard of Angie’s List, the online review site where members post their opinions about local service companies. Angie Hicks, who started the site, is now fairly well known, and looked to as something of an expert on many home service issues. But I’m afraid that she may be spreading some misinformation about residential HVAC issues.

I recently saw an article with her byline that was published on an Ohio news station’s website. While it contained some accurate info, it also included some statements that could be highly misleading for homeowners.

The article discussed comfort, and specifically talked about the problem of temperature variance between a multistory home’s floors. Where it started to go wrong was in its suggestions for how to fix this common issue. One of her recommendations was: “Add a second system.”

Really, Angie? That’s your advice for homeowners who are experiencing comfort issues? I can’t believe you’d just recommend buying a second furnace when there are so many other variables that can affect home comfort.

Granted, she did provide some other options, like running the furnace blower, adding zoning, and getting ductwork inspected. But I can’t give Angie much credit because her sensible suggestions are outweighed by her overall comment that buying a second system is “the best option for two-story homes with one furnace.”

You gotta be kidding me. Wouldn’t your customers think you were kidding if you recommended they install a second furnace upstairs?

It’s advice like this — abundantly available on the web — that proves why contractors need to step up and battle the onslaught of misinformation with their own blogs. People are in need of good, solid info about HVAC systems. If you can help to counteract the shady suggestions out there, you’ll set yourself up to be viewed as a trusted advisor. And ultimately, that will attract more customers to you.