DiBiase Heating + Cooling takes a different approach to heating and cooling challenges among homeowners and buildings in Chester and Delaware counties.

It’s an approach that requires not only HVAC knowledge but also an eye for the science of how to make homes and buildings more comfortable.

Besides fixing or replacing ailing systems, the Valley Township-based company uses building science to find ways to make a structure more comfortable and efficient. That includes services like energy auditing, air sealing, and insulation services.

“We take a different approach than everyone else,” said owner and founder Joe DiBiase. “By combining our experience in heating and cooling with home performance we can create comfort and efficiency in homes like no other contractor.”

DiBiase Heating + Cooling was incorporated in 2008, and Joe started the company full-time in 2010. It remains a family-owned and family-friendly business, where customer service is key.

“We take pride in what we do, and are at the forefront of how we do things,” he said. “We are a people business and we try and understand people, from our team of professionals to our outstanding clients -- everything we do is people-centric.  We spend so much time training our team on technical aspects of the business and also the art of customer service.”

Each call begins with a look at the whole house to find where the problem is and how it could be improved. Often it could be with the heating or air conditioning units, or with inadequate insulation.

The energy audits that the company performs include an on-site visual walk-through and inspection of the entire building, followed by diagnostic testing of the structure. According to Joe, they depressurize the building and use thermal imaging to see where air is leaking into or out of the building. It also helps with identifying where insulation can be improved.

After the diagnostic testing, all the information about the structure is put into a software program, which allows DiBiase staff to let customers know where they can spend the money to have the “higher payback,” Joe said. There’s a priority list created that identifies which projects will have the biggest impact.

Besides heating and air conditioning, the company also specializes in water heating and water treatment, indoor air quality, energy auditing, and air sealing and insulation.

One customer said in a review on the company’s website that a technician was quick to locate the problem when her electric bills doubled, writing, “Found our problem – the thermostat was set to conventional instead of heat pump. Probably cost us $800 extra. Dean (the technician) located the problem, fixed, and educated us.”

Another customer wrote, “I’ve been using DiBiase for 15 years while it was still a one-guy business. It’s incredible how the business has been grown and its core ethics still exist.”

The company has about 27 people working for it, and Joe said the focus remains on maintaining “the people and the customers and the culture of the company.

“We’re here to provide people with the customer service experience,” Joe said.