Private equity has been buying out HVAC companies in the US. The technician are forced to drive up sales. So instead of repairing something, they now recommend new equipment. I saw this difference in behavior at an HVAC company I used for a 10 years. The owners were retiring and the private equity bought them out. You really have to go by word of mouth and seek out the smaller companies.
Similar thing happened for Veterinary care clinics.
https://www.reddit.com/r/HVAC/comments/16asntf/lets_talk_abo...