Lightning Service Inc

I was very pleased beyond expectations with the diligence and expertise from Barry, Roy, Devin, Taylor, Matt, Heather, and Jenny. I’m very happy that I got the referral from Billy Hughes. Thanks again, Reuben Bryer

Everything has been great and they went above and beyond. Everything was done neatly and they did a terrific job. We would very highly recommend them.

it was repaired

It turned out fine.

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If you want to be separated from your money give this company a call. I had a complete unit installed by them in September of 2009. I have no complaints about that installation. Last Thursday 6/16/16 that unit quit cooling. I called them Friday morning and a technician came out at about 1:00 in the afternoon. He immediately diagnosed a bad capacitor and said the contact was pitted and needed to be changed as well.The estimate was $671 (After the fact I called around, This is less than a $300 job). Anyway, I was on the spot and needed the AC fixed. After these two items were changed out, the technician said there was another part damaged that needed to be replaced which was a delay relay switch. He quoted me $335 to replace this part and said he had tested everything else at the thermostat, attic and outside unit and this was the only thing left that needed replacing. After looking at the relay in the unit, I could not see how it would cost $335 to replace, so I declined. I went to Trane Parts Dept in Harahan and they ordered the part for me. The part came in Monday 6/20. It took me less than 5 minutes to install the part. That equates to about $70 per minute labor based on the estimate from Lightning Service Inc. After installing the part, the AC unit still would not kick on. I called Lightning Service Inc. and was asked why I didn't allow the technician to install the part and explained that I felt a 1000% mark up was not right. After that I received a call from the service manager/owner Barry and he said that he would come out the next morning and diagnose the problem for no charge. I met him at the house about 9:30 on Tuesday 6/21. He did an initial check of the electronics on the outside unit and then went and got his pressure gauges from the truck. After hooking the pressure gauges up he said that the unit did not have freon in it. I asked him why his technician did not do the same diagnostic that he did and he said he couldn't answer that and would have to ask him and would ask him why. Barry then said that there could be a possibility that someone was inhaling freon or the unit had a leak. After he left I immediately called Gulf Coast Refrigeration and at about 3:00 they came out. I watched him hook his gauges up to the unit and there was no freon in the unit as Barry from Lightning service stated after his technician had misdiagnosed the problem. He hooked a nitrogen tank up to the unit and sprayed all of the brass fittings with a gel to detect leaks. The leak was traced to a valve attached to the compressor. I saw and heard it with my own eyes and ears as the nitrogen was pouring out of the fitting and this was in fact the source of the problem which causes the low pressure sensor to keep the unit from turning on. Bottom line Gulf Coast Refrigeration properly diagnosed the problem and fixed it immediately after getting the replacement parts. Never once did Barry offer to make it right after his technician with 20 years experience mis diagnosed the problem. Never once on 6/17 did the technician use his gauges to test the system freon. Instead Barry just told me that he wasn't sure why his technician didn't follow the same protocol that he did. He just said that he would have to ask him. I am so glad that I did not pay them an extra $335 to change a relay delay switch that was not bad in the first place and was changed out in 5 minutes for less than $35 part and shipping price. The honorable thing for Barry to do would have been to make it right after his technicians incompetence. He did not offer to do that! A fleet of red trucks, uniforms and an Old Metairie business address does not make a company a good one or honorable one. It just makes them expensive. I don't care how long they have been in business. If you want an honorable company that will shoot you straight, have fair prices and fix your problem contact Gulf Coast Refrigeration. I am not the type of person that would do something like a negative review like this EVER but unfortunately I saw this unfold and feel that this was such a rip off that I feel obligated to write a review such as this. I am only stating the facts exactly as I experienced them. I hope this helps someone else from being scammed such as I was!

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Pleasant young man came out and performed what was needed. More updating was needed. He returned and added what was requested. Have use this company for many years because the work was high quality.

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Terrible,I called the supervisor and was told in no uncertain language that their " policy" of not calling in for parts under warranty was true.Basically,they did what they wanted to do,charged me, and " tough luck".The sad thing is that this cost them another company getting a generator,new compressor and amperage upgrade for our home.Another company got $20,000 in work over $500.00. Not a smart business move.I hope the owner pays attention to this complaint.

Attic vent fan motor needed to be replaced.  New motor was louder than old one.  Nothing was wrong with it, but since we weren't happy with it, Lightning Service gave us a reduced price on a solar fan.  We have used this company many times in the past.  They are very good, but their prices are quite high.

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July 14, 2014
My 20+ year old A/C system in an old 1940 house I recently moved into stopped working. I think the condenser fan motor stopped working.  This happened late at night. Lightning advertises that technicians are on call 24/7 for emergency services and I have to say that in 2010, they did that for me when my heater stopped working, they came out at night and fixed it , great service but the last 2 times I called them in 2014 in the evening, the answer service (live person) takes your name/number but they will not come out at night any more.  Anyway, they did come out the next morning and it would have cost about $500 to fix the old unit but I decided to purchase a new unit figuring it would keep breaking due to its age and I have several pet rescues that I do not want to risk having them swelter in a hot house while I am at work.   The sales person that came out is thankfully no longer with this company. He was like a used car salesman and said I could get a $10K  Lennox system which would be a piece of cr@p OR I could get a $25K system with solar panels and get a 15K rebate from the government the next year. I asked him if he would lend me the extra 15K and he said he did not have that to lend and I said I do not have that to spend and we agreed on the Lennox (which is a fine system by the way). That sales guy is no longer there and I hear that another sales person they have (Paul) is reported to be excellent.  They charged me $9034.00 to remove the old system and install the new system.  They charged an additional $400.00 for a steel stand so I could have it raised off the ground.  I debated with the sales guy for a good bit and he finally agreed to include 1 year of maintenance on the new system and the system came with 1 year labor  and 5 years of parts.
October 2, 2014 -
Less than 3 months later (this week) my $9434.00 system stops working at 9pm at night. I call the 24/7 for emergency services number and the answering service pretty much indicated she would send the message but could not tell me if anyone would call me back. I said to tell them to call me in the morning.  They open at 7:30am. I called the next morning and they agreed to come out between 10am-12pm. The service technician arrived around 10:30am.  All good. Their service technicians are always excellent.   The issue AND LEARN FROM ME ON THIS MATTER -- is that when they took my old system out, they left the old PVC pipe that was attached to the old system in the attic from the drain pan area to the side wall where it drains outside the house. That old PVC pipe was clogged up and full of crud so the sensor on the new system turned the unit off automatically.  SO IF YOU BUY A NEW SYSTEM FROM THIS COMPANY, REMEMBER TO ASK THEM TO REPLACE ANY OLD  PVC DRAIN PIPING.  Because.... if you do not,  your $9434.00 dollar system will cost you an EXTRA $500 to run new PVC pipe from the new unit to the side wall to drain.  I wish I was smart enough to think of that at time of purchase but after spending the night in 88 degrees in your house hoping the floor fans are keeping your pet rescue dogs somewhat comfortable, you are so excited to get AIR, you are not evaluating the situation with a rested mind. To be FAIR, they would have blown the lines out for free but they were so full of crud,  I figured I should take the financial hit (as punishment for being so stupid) and have the entire system set up in the most optimal manner.
IN SUMMARY --  I definitely think their service technicians are THE BEST ..... but when making large purchase decisions on your own, get your brother, dad, neighbor, someone with some knowledge of A/C units to help you --- so they can help you figure out what should be included/evaluated during the install and get several quotes.  The problem is that when its 88 degrees outside and you have several pet rescues in the house and you cannot take off of work to get a bunch of quotes, you are not well positioned to take a week to figure this out and they know you want that AIR working right now while they are there because no one is coming out at night or on the weekend to fix your A/C.... so if you need something repaired, I would say call them - you will get good repair service. If you are making an expensive A/C purchase, get someone to come help you talk with them and remember to request new PVC pipe for draining with your new A/C system, even if it is an up-charge at time of install. They will likely charge you less as part of the install rather than an a-la-carte charge at a later date because then they have to charge you for the service call.  I would also highly recommend getting a window unit installed in one bedroom in your house too (very inexpensive on walmart.com) because if your A/C system breaks at night, no one is coming out and you will be so grateful to have one cool room to stay in (and your pets will be grateful too) until the next morning as you wait for a technician to arrive to make repairs - especially if you do not have the luxury of just taking off of work as needed. You may have to wait a few days to take off work so I think it is worth the investment to have at least one room in your house with an installed window unit. Hear me now and believe me later!
Now that my 3 month old A/C system is working again ..... I am pleased with my new system.

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It was okay, I probably wouldn't use them in the future.

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The tech was very nice. I felt bad because I am sure that he was only following Lightning Services orders. Estimate to wire and install 2 ceiling lights was over $800.00. We felt as though that was entirely too high. Just to run 1 wire the charge was $275.36 less the $200.00 Angies list discount, then I was charged a $99.00 service fee but they took part of that off I wrote a check for$ 120.36. I WOULD CERTAINLY NEVER USE THIS PROVIDER AGAIN NOR WOULD I SUGGEST THEM TO ANYONE THAT I KNOW.

Way overpriced. The original problems that I called this company for were not fixed and they created additional problems and charged me for them.

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