Besco Air Inc

The numerous Angie's List awards listed in Besco's half-page display ad in Angie's List monthly magazine lulled us into a false sense of security. Trusting the ad, we didn't demand a quote in writing from Besco. Big mistake. On the first day, their tech said he was doing a pressure test, leaving system charged with nitrogen; he departed after charging a huge, unexplained fee for the work with a promise to return, plus tacking on a diagnostic fee. Fully expecting that these enormous fees were the sum total and that his 2nd day was covered by the first day's fees, we still determined that these fees amounted to a cost much higher than we'd paid last year, and were also much higher than neighbors were paying concurrently for identical systems that same April week. This left us very upset about the first day's fees, but since we hadn't gotten a quote in writing, we chalked it up as a lesson to us. Then the next day, the Besco tech returned to check the nitrogen charge. Besco tech maintained his gauge -- showing a 30 # pressure drop -- didn't show a leak, that the 30# pressure drop was a meaningless drop from attaching and de-attaching his gauges. Besco's tech refused to warrant his work, so that if the leak he maintained wasn't there indeed was there, then Besco wouldn't charge us again for a return visit; i.e., there's no Besco guarantee on their work. To add further insult to injury after not locating the leak, Besco's tech piled more charges on top of the first day's charges, adding another huge fee plus another diagnostic fee for the 2nd day's visit. While trying to get the office to adjust these exorbitant fees, we had to call Besco's office twice before owner finally returned call. Besco owner acknowledged that the 2nd diagnostic fee was actually in error, but refused to credit the total amount of the 2nd diagnostic fee. The two days' fees Besco charged was 3x what we'd paid just last year for another firm to search (unsuccessfully) for leak and also charge system. In discussing one component of the two day's charges, Besco's owner claimed they were charging at cost for the refrigerant; however, we had data showing that in reality, Besco's refrigerant charge was actually greater than 400% times the wholesale price. When confronted with this, Besco's owner arrogantly said that it didn't make any difference, because we couldn't buy it and he could. Enough said of the advisability of using Besco as an A/C vendor. [We're copying/pasting these comments into Word document, for future discussion with Angie's List personnel.]

Besco is the best!! They provided quick service as Chicago was heading into our first truly deep cold snap of the winter. They carefully explained the problem and what my options were. I settled on a high efficiently replace furnace and agreed to replace the air conditioning at the same time as it wasn't working well either. The quickly installed the furnace and set up a portion of the AC to get the heat back on. This spring they returned to complete the AC system (its on the roof and how could blame them for not wanting to go up there in the dead of winter). Everything was easy and professional. They truly care about their customers.

Furnace would not ignite on a sporadic basis. Jim made two visits... one in January when he changed the ignition for about $250. This seemed to solve it but by March the problem reoccurred. I called and they came back right away and this time determined that the more expensive avenue would need to be traveled: replace the gas valve. Jim had the part with him and he was complete in under 30 minutes. I assume it will work next winter, but the weather is warmer so I haven't yet truly exercised the new gas valve to the extent I might like. For sure it has worked on the occasions we've needed it since Apr 2. Overall, Besco Air was quite responsive and I would use them again. I had only one complaint: I thought the markup on the gas valve was somewhat excessive as the same gas valve- which Besco charged $440 for - was on the internet at numerous places for $180 - $220. Even less on eBay. Note they also charged a $70 visit charge (which I have no problem with). I did discuss my concern via phone with the owner Jim Cox who was both patient, and confident that their markups on parts were in line (or even cheaper) than other HVAC operators in Chicago, and I have no particular reason to doubt him in this, as I did not take the time to check around. Hence I would recommend Besco Air to others at Angie's List, especially their service man Jim Cichon.

Went very well! They replaced our old furnace in a very timely and cost-efficient manner. Also, they coordinated with us well to get it done quickly since our heat was out. Very impressed with their service on this job. Also, they kept to the budget.

After getting quotes from several contractors to replace our furnace and air conditioning units, I am very happy we chose Besco Air. First, the sale. The sales guy Joe Pedota was by far the most competent of all the contractors that came to our house. Beside HVAC expertise, he also took a common sense approach helping us choose a system (days per year you use air vs. furnace). I did not see from other contractors. Also, while other contractors had quoted us a single option, Joe presented several equipment options along with their pros and cons and a clear understanding of the cost. By doing this we were able to get the best bang for our buck. Joe is very knowledgeable about the industry as a whole and made sure we understood all the available rebates and incentives offered by utility companies and the Government. Next up, the installation. Jeff and Jorge were right on time did a fantastic job. They even took out some old shoddy sheet-metal work that did not have to be replaced for installation and replaced it with nice new sheet metal work (thanks). They also built a filter harness so i can change the filter without opening the furnace (very cool). It was a big job and when they finished, it looked so much more professionally installed than the old one. Also, my basement was cleaner when they finished than when they started. Joe even showed up to check on things and walk me through the new fancy thermostat. Now, the equipment. Besco offered really great equipment, I went through so many ratings sites (consumer reports, HVAC sites etc.) and the equipement they offered was always highly rated on all sites. The Big finish. Not only did the installers walk me through all the equipment, but Joe followed up via phone to be sure I was happy with everything and offered to stop by to go though the equipment again if we wanted. I have dealt with many contractors in the past and this was pretty much my best experience.

I was so pleased with JD's work, professionalism and recommendations that I signed up for a 3 year Service Program which of course cost more than the duct work price, but I feel it is well worth it. I annually have my furnace, humidifier and a/c cleaned and checked so I am happy to have Besco Air perform this in the future and by signing up for 3 years, I saved a little money.

We called at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. Jim came out an hour later to inspect and it was determined that we could fix a furnace on its last legs or buy a new one. We decided to buy a new one. There was no pressure from Jim to do so, and he laid out all the information needed to make an informed decision. We appreciated that he explained everything to us and walked us through all the different options. Due to the fact that we have two small children, Jim worked with Joe to ensure that we would have a new furnace the next day. They also made sure we got the best price and were aware of any rebates/tax credits that are available to us. The service was excellent, installation was quick and they completely cleaned up any mess they made. They walked my husband through everything and pointed out the features of our new thermostat as well. Hopefully we won't need a new furnace for 15 years, but we will call them again if we do. We will also call them for annual maintenance and any other issues we have with our HVAC system.

Our experience was good. The serviceman was prompt and very professional. Overall a good experience.

Heat had stopped working overnight. Searched Angie's list for contractors in the local vicinity and chose Besco. Called Besco and Andy took my information to check on technician availability. I wasn't sure they would call back, but they promptly called back within 2 hours to let me know a technician was available that same day. They then called me at my office to let me know they were on their way, so I didn't have to wait around in my house. When I got home, the technician John was already there (fast response) and waiting. He came in and did some troubleshooting on the furnace, checking the various parts with a voltmeter. Originally diagnosed a faulty circuit board, but upon additional inspection found a failing inducer blower motor. Got it to work again for the next few days until I could get a new part. After the visit, I was able to replace the faulty part thanks to their diagnosis.

We hired Besco after interviewing four contractors. Joe Pedota was knowledgeable and thorough. We asked a lot of follow-up questions too of everyone we interviewed and he had the most comprehensive answers of anyone we interviewed so we hired Besco. They lived up to our expectations and installed a sophisticated Runtal system for our basement which is finally comfortable in winter after many cold winters. We have also hired them to maintain our forced air system as well. Their pricing is reasonable and are very competent.

Besco came out to assess my furnace and worked tirelessly with my insurance company to work through the issue to the best possible resolution. Besco's sales team was excellent, and their service team was prompt, on time, incredibly kind and very efficient. I will regularly recommend them and trust them implicitly with all my heating and air conditioning needs. I was sincerely impressed.

I was very satisfied with the bidding and installation process with Besco. Besco's office quickly responded to my call for a consultation. Joe Pedota was helpful during the proposal process. The information he provided during the consultation was clear and informative, and Besco offered a high-quality furnace with a high-quality, professional installation at a competitive price. Joe knew that my family was seeking multiple proposals, and I appreciate Joe's not bad-mouthing the competition during the proposal process. He even went out of his way to speak well of one of the other companies that had come in to make a proposal for my furnace. I think that says a lot about Besco's professionalism and about their confidence in the quality of their own work. Joe was good about answering my follow-up questions after the proposal. Besco was also good about scheduling the installation promptly, and the team kept to the schedule. The tight space for our furnace presented a challenge, but the installation team was able to complete the custom duct work on schedule, and they had the furnace up and running by the end of the installation day. Joe was good about keeping me informed about progress during the installation, and the installation team was good about making sure the work area was clean afterward. I am confident that we got a high-quality furnace and a high-quality installation from Besco.

This company was amazing, very professional and efficient. They treated my home like it was their own. Joe, their sales rep., is bright, experienced and thinks outside the box. His bid came in lower than the competition and also his plan of attack was more effective. I needed to move my AC unit to the roof and run the lines inside the house. It was a hard job but they made it look easy by staying focused, starting and finishing on time. Joe made sure that the technicians were clear on all the details by coming to the job site when the project began. My AC unit actually works better than before. Drywall needed to be cut, but they were great about keeping my house clean and not making unnecessary holes. I am confident that I am in good hands with this Besco Air, good prices, experienced , knowledgeable and professional.

I needed to have the furnace inspected in my parents house which I inherited. I knew nothing of the heating system and needed someone to explain it to me. That is what Jim did. He told me my furnace was in good shape and just needed the cleaning I had requested. He also went over how it works and how to keep it working properly. He could have tried to sell me on making unecessary repairs because I would have had no idea, but he was professional and helpful. I would definitely call Besco again.

I am happy with the service I received. The technician arrived a little late, but was very professional and fixed our issue. He also gave several helpful recommendations for maintenance of our furnace, humidifier, etc.

The visit went really well, except that our system was in bad shape. From diagnosis to part replacement and testing, it took about 2 hours. Jim explained every issue in detail and was happy to answer all my questions.

They most recently came out to do a free inspection for me. They did not know that I was a licensed contractor when they came out and I was very impressed that they were completely honest about everything when they could have tried to up-sell me a whole new system. They said that all I needed to do was have it cleaned and it would last for another fifteen years. They came out after that and did a free basic cleaning instead of the chemical clean. They have trained professionals who can handle all of the equipment that they work with. When they came out they were respectful of my home and even asked if I would like them to take their shoes off. Everyone who came out was very personable and informative. I was impressed by there knowledge of HVAC systems. He answered all of my questions and took his time to check everything that I asked him too. The office staff was very professional on the phone. I appreciated that they could take credit card or cash. They had a list of advertisements out which is what caught my attention. The price for the work was fair since they had to have skilled labor. They came out right on time to do the service.

We were having an 'in gathering' of the clan that evening top celebrate three graduations. Our airconditioning was not running up to par - and this was the 1st hot day of summer. We went to the guide that came in one day prior from Angie's List and called Besco - a firm with awards for the past 7 or so years. From start to finish, these people are pros, personable and professional. We will call them for any future heating or airconditioning needs. When we needed it most, they provided top quality service and got us out of a major potential jam.

telephone conversations with the office went well. they were too busy to come out the same day, but made an appointment for early the next day. they arrived as promised, serviced the a/c unit, went up on the roof to add the freon, and educated me on how to care for the unit in the future. they did offer a service contract... but, did not in any way try to use hard sell tactics, which i appreciated. all in all... good service.

Henry arrived right on time and did a thorough job of inspecting and cleaning the air conditioning system.

From first glance, the technician was already making recommendations to help my AC unit run better without any cost. Diagnostic skills and professionalism were off the charts. I was very happy with my experience.

My wife, newborn and I arrived home back from two days out of town to discover our A/C was down. This was during a recent record-setting heat wave. The temperature in or condo was approaching 90 degrees. It was late afternoon on a thursday, and I called around frantically. The first several contractors I reached could not come out to us until mid to late in the following week. I then spoke with Chris at Besco, who was both friendly, patient and professional. He managed to get us on the schedule for the following day. I called Besco in the morning to find out when they would arrive and was advised it would be mid to late afternoon. Ultimately, Chris promised an arrival around 3pm and they in fact arrived very close to this time. Henry the tech did an excellent job. I have only one complaint, which appears to have been a simple and honest mistake. Sometime during Henry's work in our HVAC room, he either moved or bumped into our PVC condensation line that removes water droplets as the A/C unit does its work. Long story short, I checked over his work late that night and discovered a considerable amount of water had dripped out of the condensation line that was not properly lined up with the water disposal pipe. This water was on the floor and caused a great deal of moisture on my CD and DVD books which are stacked in that closet, as well as ruined some miscellaneous unimportant stuff (couple old picture frames etc). I had to take every CD out of my books and hand dry them. This took a loooooong time, as I own over a thousand CD's. Didn't really suffer too much major damage other than a ruined Springsteen boxed LP set I was rather fond of tho the records are fine. Bottom line: They did a good job and s@#t happens.

Air conditioner unit not working, blowing hot air. Joe did everything possible to see if there was a way to get it up and running, but the compressor was shot. I really appreciate him going the extra mile and do whatever he could to try to get it working. I do not have the money to buy a new unit this year, but will be putting money aside for next year and will be giving Joe a call for the purchase and installation.

The company responded with an appointment right away, while other companies I called could not schedule an appointment for at least six days, because of a high volume of service calls. I called on Friday morning, and the appointment was scheduled for Saturday morning 8-noon. They arrived before 1:00, after calling me to tell me that they were slightly delayed. The entire service call lasted 45 minutes. He explained the work to me step by step, as I asked questions. After adding refrigerant, he checked the temperatures in the basement portions of the system. He reminded me to give him the Angie's list coupon and said that if I encountered problems I could call and he would respond right away without charge.

They were so busy with 26 appts that day, the owner of the company is the guy who showed up at my house. He was very nice, professional, right on time and a real trooper to crawl around in the dirt in 90 degree weather! We plan on signing a maintenance contract with them next week. The office staff was great too!