Howard Air

We moved into our house in 2008 and just about every year we've had our AC checked and every year whoever does it recommends a new system or a couple of thousand dollars worth of work. These guys are no exception. Part of the process, it appears. BUT what separates these guys is a level of professionalism AND you get the distinct sense they really know what they are doing. I say this because we used them two years ago and skipped a check up last year but our AC has never worked better. They also don't do the hard sell on the recommendations. More than that, this tuneup started off poorly. I specifically went with Howard Air because it said it would do the AC system check up for $98. That was around twice as much as every other provider, so when I check the wording, my assumption was that meant they weren't going to use the ole "per unit" gambit. I saw the difference being "system" vs. "unit," and I still don't think I was wrong to see it that way. Well, guy shows up and immediately tells me it's per unit. So $200. Already grumpy about a work issue, I said, "Well, then no way." He called his boss, his boss was great on the phone with me, stating his position but agreeing to do the job for $98. So, for a loss of $98, Howard Air gained a guy who likely will turn to them when he needs a new system. Something to think about. Anyway... guy who came out (hate that I forgot his name) spent a good deal of time with our two units, so I got the sense of an earnest effort. He certainly seemed to put more into it that other provides we've used for the same service.

I liked their estimate and their quality of work.

Very well, he spent a lot of time checking thoroughly on my unit, shared information willingly and inspired trust in himself and his company.

rTechnician that did the maintenance check was great. This company videos everything so they can show you what they found, and so they can communicate better with other parts of their company. As I suspected the AC was fried--right before the hottest week of the spring was due. Technician arranged to have sales person come and he was equally great. He also used video to show me problems with previous install (shortcuts were taken) and explained how they would correct everything. This company is run by engineers so they know their stuff. Only sell units tested to withstand our summers year after year. They couldn't install my new unit for 3 weeks but they have a "temp cool" program where they had a tech come out the next day and install a temporary unit so I would have AC until the new unit could be installed. Install team of 2 were equally fabulous. Can't say enough good things about this company. Everyone I dealt with was very knowledgeable, courteous, hardworking, and thorough. And the system I purchased is wonderful--top of the line company with respect to service and products. They have a customer for life in me.

This company is terrific! Didn't oversell me. Got a great A/C system for less than I thought it would cost. During the install they found a somewhat smashed pipe that was killing compressors and replaced it. The guys were great to have around and they finished the entire installation in about 7-8 hours. Plus they have a guy who comes and repairs drywall and stucco as needed and repaints. It doesn't get any better than this company!

Courteous, efficient, professional and good value. Wow! What a difference the new Trane system from Howard Air has made on our home. Our air is cleaner and we have less dust. The temperature is balanced throughout the house, no more hot rooms. We are able to keep the comfortable at a higher thermostat temperature, which just amazes me. With our old system, the thermostat had to be at 74 for the whole house to be comfortable and we drop it a little lower at night for sleep. Now, the air is well circulated and the temperature is balanced throughout the house. As a result, we are able to keep our daytime thermostat comfortably at 79/80 and our sleep time setting at 78. We are truly comfortable at the higher, more energy efficient setting. When we initially set the thermostat at 75, like the old system, it felt so cold in comparison. So over a few days we adjusted up to find, to our pleasant, money saving surprise, that the higher setting was the most comfortable. Some people want the cheapest, some want the latest & greatest new technology, I want the best value and it usually lies somewhere between these other two. Howard Air presented me with lower cost "value" options with very reputable Trane and Carrier equipment. They also had the most expensive and cutting edge technology available. The rep took the time to educate me, answer my questions and help me make my own decision about what I wanted to achieve and within what budget. They offered a remarkable financing plan. I expect my monthly energy bill savings to offset the majority of the finance payment. My house was built in 1969 and still had an evap cooler on the roof but not functioning. My existing 5 ton A/C unit wasn't working and I had a different company quote the repair, over $1000, on this 15 year old, inefficient unit that is living on borrowed time. Didn't seem prudent to put a $1000 in repair costs to something so inefficient and certain to fail in the near future. Howard Air assessed my home, the energy efficiency upgrades I had made over the past 2 years, and the efficiency impact of the new duct work they would install to determine that the space that had previously required a 5 ton unit would be more than sufficiently served by a 4 ton unit which is about $600 cheaper than a 5 ton. Within this process, they inspected my attic insulation and calculated how much additional insulation I would need to make the new 4 ton unit most viable as I was already planning to add some attic insulation but wasn't sure how much more I really needed. We discussed our family issues with allergies. The rep explained their upgraded filter options and air scrubber technology in a no-pressure, educational and friendly approach to allow me to decide about this additional cost. Excellent buying experience. The install crew was professional, courteous, respectful of my home, careful and just nice guys. They were patient and courteous to answer my questions about what they were doing and why it was the best way. Overall, just a really great experience. I highly recommend Howard Air.

I hired this company because of the excellent ratings from Angie's List. I was not disappointed. I had called to schedule my spring check-up and maintenance on my air conditioner. They offered a $98.00 complete tune-up. The technician, Chase, showed up on time (always a plus) and went straight to work. Since my A/C unit is on the roof, he took pictures of what he found and showed me all the parts that were in need of service/replacement and even explained what each part did. I really appreciated that he took the extra time with me. The additional costs for the repairs were not included in the $98.00 tune-up. Chase told me about the cost saving annual contract that Howard Air offers and showed me how much of a savings it would be. This company not only does quality work, but they guarantee their work as well. Once the work was completed (again, extra thanks for coming out on a Saturday) I was guaranteed that my A/C would run without a hitch and if anything went wrong they would be back at no charge. Now that is standing by your work! I am very pleased with this company and look forward to working with them again. I highly recommend Howard Air.

We were ready to repair the unit, but wanted to see if the price another company quoted was fair. The technician called to let me know that he would arrive a bit after the window I was given. He was very helpful, and found that the unit did not actually need to be repaired. We hadn't changed the filter in a while, and that was the problem. It would seem that the other company's technician was either incompetent or scamming me, and I am grateful to Howard Air for the free second opinion/quote. Saved me $700 and possibly damaging my unit. I will definitely use them next time.

They did a great job and I highly recommend them.

I don't quite understand all the gushing reviews about this company. In my view the quality of service and support was average, and the pricing is poor at best. Why do they charge $100 per unit for a system check-up when everyone else is in the 30-60 dollar range? Read on for more information about this. In the last 5 years I have had to replace both of my heating/cooling systems as my house is about the age where the builder grade units fail. The upstairs unit failed first and I went with a different company. This was in 2010 before Angie's List, or at least before I knew about it. The pricing was excellent and they gave me a 5 year VIP (FREE) service arrangement where they came out every 6 months and inspected and cleaned the unit for free. There was no upselling or hidden fees. I have since recommended this company to several friends and at least one used them. When the 2nd unit failed I got several quotes from "A" rated companies and one from the company who replaced my upstairs unit even though they had a "B" rating. Although the price I got from Howard Air was in the middle. I got suckered into the Trane brand name and the salesman told me he was a military veteran for which I have a soft spot. I believe they normally only provide one free system inspection 6 months after installation, after some haggling it was extended to one year - two inspections. What they didn't make clear is that they want to charge you $200 a year after that, and if you don't agree to it, they want to invalidate the manufacturer warranty. I find this practice despicable. Basically guaranteeing themselves another 2000 dollars for hosing off the coils every 6 months. The actual manufacturer's warranty says you should get a checkup once a year. Why can't I use one of the local companies that charge $59, or even $39? There are a number of them that also have "A" ratings. I will not be using Howard Air again nor will I recommend them to my friends.

Prompt and professional. I would recommend them.

Malachi was very professional and did a great job. Loved the emailed invoice with all the notes describing what services that he performed.

We had just recently purchased the home, and discovered the AC was not blowing cold air. He was on time, polite and professional. He checked out my system and explained what was needed. He was also extremely honest, as he instructed my wife to check on the paperwork to check if their was any warranty on the unit. He gave us some choices instead. We did discover there is still a warranty on the AC unit, so we will have the original installer/dealer complete the work. This will save us a lot of $$. I want to thank him for being honest, and will definitely consider Howard Air for future work as well as passing the word about this company!

Very professional tech, showed up on time, company was very accommodating to my schedule.

They serviced my unit and replaced a 30-amp electrical disconnect that needed fixed. I had no complaints about the service, but I feel like the cost was a bit high. With the Angie's List discount, I saved about $3.00.

It went quick and the part was under warranty. He had the part in his truck. He only took 25 minutes to complete the repair and came just a few hours after my call.

Company was on time and explained what they were going to do. There were no "surprises" and installation went smoothly and faster than estimated.

They are honest and efficient. We continue to use them regularly.

It was included in the cost of my purchase of two air conditioning units from them a year ago. They were very professional. They were able to meet my timelines. The work they did was extremely professional. Their support has been stellar so far. The price was competitive.

Good service and very professional.

They showed up with in the scheduled time window. The serviceman (Wayne) called to let me know when he was on the way. Very professional, explained to me what he was going to do prior to starting. The job took him about an hour to complete he checked the compressor, advised that the fan motor had a slight knock, but that it would be okay for another 21/2 years or more before it would need to be replaced. Because he didn't just use the knock to sell me a new motor right now Howard Air has a new loyal customer. By the way he even cleaned the coils, when was the last time a service person did that on a discounted A/C tune-up. He also left me some information about there different service plans available, but no hard sell, again refreshing. I will definitely refer Howard Air to my friends and neighbors.

Wayne arrived early, which was good since I had another appointment coming up. He hosed down the heat pump to clean the dirt off, performed a standard 44 point peak performance service. Tested all electrical controls, capacitors, connections and cleaned. Tested the system, checked refrigerant levels, pressures and temperatures. Wayne was very punctual and professional. We used this service with Howard Air last year and were very happy with the service. Will use them again next year.

Matt Barber was very professional, knowledgeable, and willing to share the areas of concern with our cooling system that I should be addressing in the near future.

I wasn't here when they did the service. The A.C works fine. It cost more than the big deal price because they found some components they had to replace. I don't know if they did an excellent job but it wasn't a bad job.

The Howard Air rep very graciously fixed a problem with the aqua switch for no additional charge over the cost of the system inspection. The capacitor replacement was a different story. A GE 5?f 440V run capacitor costs $12.99 retail at NorthAmericaHVAC. Howard Air charged $316.36 for two of them. One expects a markup for on-site service but 1277% is well beyond excessive. The rep was on-time, efficient, courteous and friendly. Service would have been 100% satisfactory except that the labor cost to install two capacitors was roughly three hundred dollars for less than 5 minutes work. Bottom line: The inspection was thorough and reasonably priced,but the replacement parts were outrageously expensive. I learned a valuable lesson ? Buy the inspection but do the part replacement yourself.