MICHAEL I NEWBERN HEATING

In April of this year I contacted Newbern AC with cooling issue. Chris Newbern came out and told us our refrigerant was low and that our Evaporator coil needed to be replaced. I paid $1400 for a new coil and labor. His tech was professional and informative, we were told that we shouldn't have anymore issues with low refrigerant and that as a courtesy they cleaned everything and we should not have anymore issues and we should see a decrease in our electric bill. I understand it's summer and Florida, so I was okay paying a little extra to keep my home at 75. On Thursday July 22nd we noticed our AC was running continuously all day and our home was actually 2 degrees higher than the setting. I called Newbern AC first thing the next morning and Chris came out (July 23rd). He immediately checked our refrigerant and said we were "about 2 pounds low". I told him his tech told us that we shouldn't need refrigerant unless there's a leak or another problem and he said that its summer and sometimes it happens. He charged the refrigerant and told me we should be good to go without checking anything else. I asked for a recommendation on a long term fix and he suggested a 5 ton unit that he could install for $8000 with a $800 credit for the coil he installed 3 months ago. So $7200 out the door. I told him Id get back to him and he left. Fast-forward 3 hours later and my house actually increased in temperature despite running the entire time he had left. I gave Chris a call and he said it was normal and he couldn't help me. I explained that I had called Gould's AC to get another quote and they said it wasn't normal that it couldn't even hold temp, much less actually going up. If it was truly the refrigerant, we would have seen a difference by now. Chris promptly got defensive and told me to tell Gould's thank you and hung up on me. I texted him explaining I was disheartened that he would hang up on me given that I just wanted a resolution. He told me he "did the best he could" and that "maybe he could come back out next week". Gould's came out on Monday and it was the capacitator tripping that was causing the issue and not the refrigerant. Our system was also full of sludge that Chris' technician said he drained. In actuality, our system was overcharged with refrigerant causing the coils to leak and have refrigerant floating in the condenser coils. Gould's also recommended that the handler be rotated 90 degrees to allow better and more efficient cooling since Newbern AC installed it in an awkward position, in addition I was quoted a better system at a price on $6380, which with the discount from Newbern was still $860 less. I called Newbern AC and asked to speak to Mike Newbern who is the founder of his company, and he was just filled with excuses and hostility. All he could offer was to come and drain some of the excess refrigerant his son added. He then said I was unreasonable and they would be "putting a strike through my name" so they wouldn't service my home any longer. Read other reviews, this is what Chris Newbern does! If he says your refrigerant is low, it's because that's his quick fix. Overcharging my system could have broken it, and they don't seem to care. They aren't in the business of keeping customers, the second you try and get another opinion they drop you. My refrigerant was never low, Chris just didn't want to actually find a problem so he made one up that could've killed my system. This company doesn't care to keep your business or work with you. I'm a new resident to Auburndale and I will make sure everyone knows how Newbern AC treats customers.

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I've used Newbern AC for years, and I have always been incredibly happy with their work. They just installed an CHA unit at one of my properties, and I could not be happier with the installation. Chris Newbern always works to assess the situation to determine the most cost effective way to address a cooling and heating problem. In this instance, he was able to assist us by installing a particular type of AC that worked best for the property and budget. I highly recommend them for any of your AC needs. The company exemplifies professionalism and honesty in an industry where it is often hard to find. I know when I call them that I will get an fair and honest assessment of the problem and even more importantly, a fair and honest price!