# When the AC dies, ChatGPT names a contractor every time. Google's AI barely shows up.

*2026-07-18* · *Original Research*

> In our Florida HVAC AI Visibility Study, ChatGPT named a specific HVAC company in all 149 of its searches. Google AI Overviews appeared for just 12%. And 96.9% of the companies AI named showed up on only one tool.

The AC just quit and the house is getting hot. Some homeowners in that spot search Google. Others ask ChatGPT who to call.

We wanted to know what each of them hears. So we ran the Florida HVAC AI Visibility Study: 746 searches across 10 Florida cities and five AI tools, covering AC repair, AC installation, heating repair, duct cleaning, and general HVAC.

We asked the way homeowners ask: the best HVAC company in a city, I need AC repair near a city, and top rated companies with reviews. Then we recorded every company each tool named.

The biggest finding is a split. The chat-style AI tools almost always named a local company. Google's AI summary rarely showed up at all.

## What does ChatGPT say when you ask for an HVAC company?

It names one, every time. ChatGPT named a specific HVAC company in all 149 of its searches. Gemini did the same in all 150 of its searches, and Claude named one 99.3% of the time.

Perplexity was the outlier. It named a company only 57% of the time and often pointed people to directory links instead.

Across all five tools, AI named a specific local HVAC company in 73.6% of searches. That is nearly three out of four.

The type of job made a small difference. Heating repair searches got a named company most often, 75.8% of the time. AC repair was 72.7%, and general “HVAC contractor” searches were lowest at 71.3%.

## What about Google's AI answer?

It rarely appears for HVAC. Google AI Overviews, the AI summary that sometimes sits at the top of Google results, showed up for just 12% of HVAC searches in the study.

AC installation searches brought it up most often, at 20%. For everything else, people mostly saw regular Google results with no AI answer.

That is far below other trades. In our Florida pest control study, Google's AI showed up for 68.7% of searches.

So a homeowner who asks ChatGPT and a homeowner who searches Google can get very different answers to the same question. You need to show up in both places.

> 96.9% of the HVAC companies AI recommended in our Florida study showed up on only one of the five AI tools. Not one company showed up on all five.

## Do the AI tools agree on which HVAC company to call?

No. AI named 2,123 different HVAC companies, and 96.9% of them appeared on just one tool. Zero showed up on all five.

That is worse than what we found for Florida plumbers, where 95.4% appeared on one tool, and dentists, at 94.7%.

So being the name ChatGPT gives does not put you on Perplexity's or Gemini's list. Each tool keeps its own.

## Where does AI find HVAC companies?

Mostly on Angi, Yelp, and the BBB. Angi was the top source AI cited for HVAC, in 181 searches. Yelp came next at 169 and the BBB at 144.

Each tool also has its own habits. ChatGPT drew on Bing's search index, Gemini used Google's own local data, and Claude pulled from Yelp, Angi, the BBB, and HVAC company websites.

## Can a small HVAC company compete with the franchises?

Yes. Independent companies got 95.3% of AI recommendations. Franchise brands like Service Experts and One Hour Heating got 4.7%.

The national brands' ad budgets did not buy them much here. AI named the companies it could find on the sites it reads, and most of those were local.

## Does the city make a difference?

Somewhat. Miami had the highest rate of named HVAC companies at 82.2%. St. Pete had the lowest at 68%.

The study found that larger metros with more HVAC companies got better AI coverage. If you work in a smaller market, do not assume AI has found you just because you have fewer competitors.

## What should an HVAC owner fix first?

Start with the three sites AI used most: Angi, Yelp, and the BBB. Claim each profile, fill it in completely, and make sure your business name, address, and phone number match your website exactly.

Then look at your website. Claude read HVAC company websites when it answered, so each main service, like AC repair or duct cleaning, should have its own page that names the cities you serve.

If AC installation is work you want more of, give it its own page and list it as its own service on your Google Business Profile. Installation searches were where Google's AI showed up most.

Then keep reviews coming, and ask customers to mention the job. “Replaced our AC compressor the same day” tells AI what you do. “Great service” tells it much less.

## Is your company on the list?

Each AI tool has its own list, so you have to check all five. Our free scan checks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews for your company in about 60 seconds.

If you show up on one tool, that is a start. The scan shows you which of the other four to work on next.

**See which AI tools name your HVAC company.** → [Run Your Free AI Visibility Check](https://getlocalvitals.com/check)

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Source: https://getlocalvitals.com/blog/hvac-what-ai-says-when-the-ac-dies
Published by Local Vitals · https://getlocalvitals.com