Howard Air

The service was very good! I didn't have to spend any more than the big deal amount.

It was an Angie's List Big Deal that I purchased. It turned out okay. They came up with a few things that didn't really need fixed.

Came on time. Very nice and thorough.

We needed emergency AC service on a Sunday, on a weekend where we had recordbreaking heat in the valley. Since Howard Air advertises 24 hour emergency services, and based on AL reviews, we gave them a call at 6 am when we discovered that our downstairs unit had stopped working. I talked with someone in the office, and we were told to expect a call from the tech after noon with a specific time that they would arrive. Understanding that it was a Sunday, and knowing how busy they must be, I was perfectly fine with this. However, when 6 pm rolled around and we still hadn't heard anything, I called back, getting the answering service. They were very professional, and apologized, and said that they would have someone call right away. About 20 minutes later, a tech called, and explained that apparently, our service request disappeared - we weren't on the list at all for the day. He said that he still had 4 jobs for that night, and may not be able to get to us. This was quite surprising, considering they offer 24 hour service (according to their website). He did offer to try to find another tech who was in the east valley, since he was in the west valley at the time. He called back about 30 minutes later, and said that his current job had just gotten more complicated, so he would be much longer, but he was still looking for another tech. About an hour later, at 8 pm, another tech called to say that he'd be there in about an hour. Christian showed up exactly an hour later, and was very quick and efficient in checking out our unit and diagnosing the problem. He had the necessary part on his truck, and provided us with a price that included both the part and the after-hours labor ($142 for the labor, and $199 for the part, plus taxes). We gave him the go ahead, and we had cool air blowing again about 20 minutes later. Ultimately, I'd use Howard Air again, I was just a tad disappointed that our original service request vanished into thin air. Everyone I spoke with, though, was apologetic and very professional - almost more than I'd expect on such a hot day.

Fellow Angie's folks, After signing paperwork to purchase this system, we had a "funny feeling" that Howard's salesman, Scott Bird, was not on the same page as us. I wrote several emails and letters, and had follow-up conversations with Scott. He insisted that the system we were getting was exactly what we had discussed. He said that the only difference between the system we are getting and the one that is a 100% Infinity series is that he is proposing a "non-communicating" system. He stated that neither Howard Air nor any other reputable company is installing the "communicating" systems because they do not work properly here in the Sonoran Desert. The system was installed during the week of March 18. Once it was operating, I asked Scott for a test method to verify the variable speed function of the air handler (indoor unit in attic). During this conversation, I became even more concerned because Scott seemed to be describing a 2-speed air handler, not a constantly variable one. I ran the catalog numbers past a mechanical engineer associate, and asked him to contact Carrier to determine if we have received the correct match-up of equipment for the system we purchased. Here is the response: "John, "Sorry for the delay, but I spoke with a Carrier representative and found out the following: "The rep has not heard of the communicating systems having problems before in the desert climate. Without seeing the actual list of materials and labor it appears to be priced fairly. · "The indoor fan coil will not ramp up or down between the two speed settings however the outdoor unit will switch speeds based on load demand in this configuration. If the indoor unit were an infinity series it would be able to ramp up and down. So the system is part load but not fully part load capable. This system will save energy based on the outdoor units ability to switch speeds but not as much if the indoor unit were also an Infinity series. I hope that helps, XXXXX XXXXXXXX, P.E., LEED AP Electrical Engineer To clarify, when Scott began explaining his recommendation, he used a flip chart to show us the highest high-end unit, but stated that it was "overkill" for our house. He flipped to the 2nd series in line, the Infinity series, and explained that the only difference between #1 and #2 was that #1 used a variable frequency drive for the compressor, and also for the indoor fan, whereas #2 uses a 2-stage compressor with a variable speed indoor fan and would still produce 16.0 SEER. I wrote a lengthy letter to Scott to memorialize my understandings of the system we had purchased. Scott confirmed that my letter was accurate. After receiving the engineer's letter, I realized that we could not have gotten the system Scott had led us to believe we were getting, and that it did not qualify as an "Infinity System" because the air handler was not from the Infinity series. I wrote a letter to the owner of Howard Air, Kevin Howard, and copied Bruce, their service manager. I learned that Mr. Howard was out of town, and Bruce agreed to send someone out to confirm that we received the correct air handler. About two weeks later I received a telephone call from Kevin Howard. We discussed the situation, and he asked me to fax to him copies of the sales documents, as he was having trouble locating a copy that indicated it was the final copy. I had only seen one copy, but went ahead and faxed the info to Kevin. After reviewing it, Kevin called back and acknowledged that we had indeed received an incorrect air handler. It is an approved match per Carrier, but using the lower quality air handler meant that it was no longer an "Infinity System" and would not realize the 16.0 SEER performance shown on our proposal/contract. Kevin further explained that he was at a loss to understand why Scott would have said that the "communicating" system was problematic in our desert climate. He had never heard of any such issues with the Carrier product. He stated that there was a similar issue that he knows about, but that it is regarding a different manufacturer's equipment, not Carrier. He offered to have the correct air handler installed and the thermostat changed so that the system would be a "true Infinity", which is clearly what we purchased. A few days later, a crew from Howard Air arrived with a replacement air handler. Rather than change out the whole unit, which would have involved a second round of drywall and framing removal, the crew removed the parts from the new air handler that were different, and exchanged them with parts in the already-installed air handler.At first the system would not operate properly, and a "mismatch" message appeared on the thermostst. The crew needed to go out for a larger indoor fan unit, as the replacement they brought was too small. Ultimately, they were able to convert the air handler to an Infinity series by replacing parts, and the system now performs as advertised. Due to the integrity of Kevin Howard and the complete documentation of our agreements that I created and was able to present to Mr. Howard, he made it right. The whole experience was much more difficult than it should have been. I'm left wondering whether Mr. Bird genuinely, but erroneously, believed it was Carrier that had the "desert climate" issue. I do not want to believe he was knowingly attempting to sell us a Chevy for a Cadillac price. I'm thinking it was an honest mistake based on a misunderstanding regarding which brand of equipment had the problem in this area. The final result is that we purchased and received an excellent heat pump system, 16 SEER, with a 10 year warranty.

Howard Air did an excellent job and I would recommend them to anyone who needs new AC nuts or service. Other AC Service Companies may be less expensive, but don't be tricked into their pricing. Howard Air delivered on time and with great performance.

We had an intermittent cooling problem with one of our central a/c units. It would cool ok then stop cooling unless we rebooted the system several time a day (and night.) We had another contractor come, he said it needed Freon, I didn't think it did because when it worked, it cooled just fine. He then said the unit was on its way out, they usually don't last more than 10-15 years. These units are 15 years old and the other one worked just fine, as did this one (when it turned on.) We called Howard Air because of the many good reviews it received. Christian, the tech checked it out and said the contacts were burned out, so it made intermittent contact then lost contact and shut itself off. He replaced the contact unit: $88 for the service call, rest was parts plus 10% discount for Angies List. He saved us the cost of a new unit, more importantly, he knew what to look for and found the problem. We were very pleased with this company. A+

Fine young man. Polite. Arrived in later part time frame given. Professional. Did all checking quickly.

I was satisfied with the service. I would recommend them to others.

It was fine, it was simply an inspection. The first one had a limit you can only do one I think so I have to kind of go to the second option. They seem to know what they're doing.

The technician was prompt, polite and professional.

The service provider took an unusually long time to complete the task.

Service was fast and serviceman was prompt and courteous. We had a newer unit (less than 2 years old) that was installed previously by Howard Air, and the service only required a bit of dirt cleanup.

My appointment time was 7:40 a.m. The secretary said the guys leave the shop at 7:30, and that I am right around the corner from their shop. I expected they might arrive as early as 7:30, and set my alarm as such. I'm not much for mornings, but work in the afternoon so I have to arrange all personal business for mornings. It was almost 9:00 a.m. when they finally got to my house. The two men were very nice and well presented. They made no mention as to why they were late. There is no way to actually know how well the work was done, but I have no reason to believe it was not done well. They were at my house a little over the two hours estimated for the job.

service was provided, as expected.

On or about 14 June called to set up service. Stated service needed to be done prior to 21 June or after 2 July. Was given appt. for Weds June 19 between 2 and 3 PM. AT 830 PM that night I finally called emergency number and said that it was 5 or more hours late and to cancel since no one called to keep me updated. At 9 PM that night I got a call saying that they could provide service on 20 June in the morning. I said I needed to clear that since I did not know I was free. At 8 AM on 20 June I called and they said that they could provide service after 2 PM. I specified the exact thermostat type. At 415 PM on that day I received a call from the tech who said he would be in place in 45 minutes. He arrived at 5PM and was knowledgable, professional and pleasant. Unfortunately I noted he had the wrong thermostat and he put the old thermostat back on and had me provide the actual device number. He then said that someone would come by after 2PM on the next day (June 21)with the correct thermostat. I said that we could not deal with another late arrival and was assured this would not happen. On June 21 I had no call and at 6PM had to leave for a dinner engagement. I left a note on the door expressing my disappointment and suggested that my association with Howard HAC cease . Later that night on my return I found no comment listed on my front door note but assumed that some time after 630 PM ( which was my actual time of leaving) the tech arrived.The was no call on my answering machine after I left. The lack of respect, lack of schedulere discipline, and minimal communication made dealing with the company impossible.

When we called for an appt for ac ck up, they were friendly, professional and informative. At the appt time, he was punctual, friendly, professional, informative. He explained what he did, and why, and what he found. He suggested repairing a concern he had noticed, but there was no pressure to do so. We had him repair the one concern. We would use them again!

Air was blowing cold, but intermittently. Technician stated, that the relay circuit was failing requiring more amps. The motor was over compensating therefore overheating, causing the motor to fail.

Fantastic. Tech was punctual, professional, courteous, cleaned up, and gave me candid practical advice on how to best deal with our 13 year old system.

We were really happy with them. It made a huge difference in the home.

All went smoothly after the initial mixup about the time of the appointment. Very responsive to re scheduling. Would definitely call them again. Fair price and excellent work. Tech even wore cloth booties when entering our home.

I was very impressed with the initial assessment and estimate. Brian was very professional and very thorough, spending much more time evaluating my current system and going over explanations and options with me. While not the lowest of the estimates I received, I was sold on Howard Air's professionalism and attention to detail. He took video and measurements during his estimate that other providers didn't even bother with. If I had a complaint at all it was that I had to wait two weeks before my new system could be installed. I guess that is a good thing for them that they were so booked up, however. They did attempt to alleviate my discomfort by installing a temporary new compressor fan but unfortunately my system was too low on freon and when it hit 109 outside my house would get as high as 88 inside. When the installation day came the crew came out on time, were very courteous and professional, and got my new system installed and running. They also did a great job cleaning up after themselves and familiarizing me with the new system. My house is cooling beautifully now and I look forward to seeing the expected reduction in my monthly APS bill. I would definitely recommend Howard Air to friends and family.

Our technician was great and extremely thorough. Even going up into the attic to check things out up there. He gave a very detailed account of everything that was found, (short list, thank goodness) and gave us prices on the repair. I did not feel pressured to do anything immediately, although that was an option as the minor issues we had were common and he had the necessary items in the truck. We will definitely use Howard Air for all of our air conditioning needs.

I would use Howard Air in the future.

Was able to schedule service to my timeframe. Service man arrived right on time, was very knowledgeable, made good recommendations. Very professional. Able to help me find filter for unit!