How we review: editorial policy

Every guide on this site has to clear these steps before it is published.

1. Competitor and question research

We read the pages that currently rank for the question, note what they get right, what they skip and where they contradict each other. That gap list decides what our guide must answer.

2. Sources we trust, in order

1. Government and lab sources: U.S. Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR, EPA, national laboratories, the Florida Solar Energy Center and the DOE Building America program.
2. Codes and standards: the International Residential Code, ACCA manuals and ASHRAE research.
3. Manufacturer installation and service literature.
4. Trade publications and named experts, used for field context and attributed by name.

Every source is listed at the bottom of the guide with a link.

3. Fact-check

An editor opens every cited source and confirms each number, quote and claim, including the page title and description. Anything that cannot be traced to a source is cut.

4. Safety pass

Gas, carbon monoxide, electrical and refrigerant topics get an extra read to make sure the guide says clearly when to stop and call a licensed technician. We do not publish instructions for work that requires a license.

5. Licensed expert review

A licensed HVAC contractor reviews the guide and approves it in writing. Only then do his name, the review date and the Reviewed by label appear. Until then the guide is marked Expert review pending.

6. Dates and updates

Each guide shows when it was published, when it was last updated and, once reviewed, when it was last reviewed. We revisit guides when a source changes, such as new efficiency standards.

7. AI tools

See how we use AI.

8. Independence

No manufacturer, contractor or advertiser can pay to change what a guide says.