Sila Heating, Cooling and Plumbing

Joey arrived as scheduled, put on booties, checked the thermostat, went to the basement to check the furnace. He told me that all was well, despite the fact my furnace is quite old. He then checked the house for an appropriate place to install the detector, saying he did not want to place it where it would disturb panelling. Altho this was not included in the offer I received, I asked him to check my smoke detector, which was difficult for me to reach. He did so, and gave me advice. I was extremely pleased with Joey, who was knowledgeable, personable, and kind.

Juan, our technician was thorough, friendly, and very informative. The price was very good, and the service was excellent. The main office was very prompt and courteous, and Juan provided great service. Would use ten again in a heartbeat.

We lost heat on Friday, January 24. I called Sila that day and spoke to Jonathan who extremely helpful. Though they weren't available to come out until Monday, I still felt like they made me a priority customer. On Monday, January 27, both Jonathan and Heather called to confirm my appointment with the technician. They were very accommodating when I also asked whether a consultant (Steve) could come out to provide some information about a boiler replacement as well and were able to coordinate schedules so that they arrived at the same time. Joey, our technician, was very knowledgeable and was immediately able to diagnose the faulty gas valve. Luckily for us, he also had a replacement valve in his truck so he was able to put it in right away. As it turned out, there was an additional problem that Joey found and an additional part had to be ordered. He and his team worked hard to try to get the part to us later that day so that my family and I wouldn't have to suffer through another cold night. Though the part came too late, Sila Heating & Air was in touch with us throughout the process and ensured that we would be the first stop on the next day's route so that they could finish the job. Joey came back and installed the second part and we are back in business. Joey, Jonathan, Heather and Steve made an unfortunate situation a lot more manageable and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

Sila promptly reached out to me to schedule the appointment. They had a variety of dates and times available, so it was easy to find something that worked with my schedule. I was given a 2 hour window. Oscar, my tech, arrived right in the middle of the window. He was courteous and helpful. As we just recently purchased our condo, he helped educate me on the age of the system, efficiency and condition. The service/cleaning did not take very long. It was relatively superficial, but I knew going into it that was what I purchased. I am happy I can check this off my list.

I advised the Sila scheduler on what had already been attempted and the difficulty I had locating the pipes exit to the outside where it was likely frozen. I even had pictures that offered to send, but was assured it was not necessary as their technicians were highly skilled and experienced with diagnosing and tracing such things even in a rowhouse. Once the technician arrived he quickly told me that he could not determine where the pipe was going or where it was likely frozen because the basement was finished and everything was sealed up. So, no help there. He also informed me that because there was very little space in the HVAC closet where I wanted the humidifier installed, it wouldn't be easy. I told him I understood that, and that I had informed the dispatcher that I was working with a tight space. I asked him to follow up with the humidifier installers (he took pictures) and get back to me on cost and feasibility. To date, I have received no follow up. I also asked him to assess some strange sounds coming from the HVAC venting in the upper levels of the house. It sounds like water dripping on metal, then water dripping on wood, along with assorted other sounds. His response was that in 10 years in the business, he had never heard anything like that, so again, no help there. In short, very disappointing to have an HVAC "expert" come out to assess problems and have absolutely nothing to offer in the way of possible solutions or even causes.

Oscar was extremely helpful, nice, and thorough. I called on a Saturday morning and he came just a few hours later. After looking at my unit, Oscar explained to me the various components and ran several tests to determine what was causing my unit to overheat and shut off. He determined that a switch was faulty, and planned to return this week to install it once the part is ordered. I was very happy with his service and professionalism.

Fast and good service. The technician Oscar Robinson was extremely helpful.

The technician was supposed to be there between 1 and 3 but was running late (probably because of volume due to heaters breaking from this cold spell) and didn't show up until about 5:15. Jason did call from the office before 3 to let me know what was going on and was very apologetic which I appreciated. Once Oscar showed up, he quickly found the problem even though my heating unit was not a type they usually serviced. Oscar very nicely informed me that I would normally need a plumber for my type of unit, but fortunately he was able to take care of the problem. Oscar was in and out in about 30 minutes, and my heat was working perfectly when he left.

Everything went smoothly. We plan to use them again!

First, the customer service rep-Jonathan was fantastic. Very polite and pleasant to talk to. He promptly scheduled my initial appointment and was able to check everything in advance for my 2nd appointment. For the first appointment, Oscar (technician) visited on time and was very courteous. He diagnosed the issue with the boiler and re-lit the pilot light. He accurately noted that the knob was broken. Additionally, he waited for about 20 mins (after re-lighting the pilot light) to ensure that we had hot water. He also helped me schedule an appointment for Mon to install a new boiler. Throughout the appointment, Oscar was very courteous and polite. This company is very pleasant to work with and I will definitely hire them again!

The sales call was fine. I was given several options to replace my existing Gas furnace and A/C unit. The issue was that the A/C unit was draining the water into the hall way and not out through the drain pipe. I consulted 3 companies and after the second company telling me that it was probably the Drip Pan in the condenser. It would be about $2,000 just to begin the repair to take the condenser apart. Since the system was old I figured it would be more cost effective to replace the entire HVAC system. Sila was the only company that gave me a price on a 98% efficient unit and I was told that Lenox was offering a $1,000 rebate which would bring the price down and they were rerouting some of the piping, I figured their price was equivalent to a quote that I received for $9,000 for an 80% efficient unit. The work was done 7/17/2013. The installers were very nice and did a fine job getting the new unit done in one day. Of course it was one of the hottest days of the summer, so I was glad to have the central air working again. I was to receive a $500 rebate from BGE. In August I contacted Sila regarding that rebate. I had to fax them the rebate form on August 9th so they could process it. I did get the BGE rebate. On 9/27/13 I called about the $1,000 rebate from Lennox and they said they would check into it. On 10/14/13 I called to check again. I was told they were supposed to order a special thermostat to get the rebate which they said they would order. On 12/5/13 I called again. Now they wanted to come out and install the thermostat, I said I really don't need it, I would just like to get my $1,000 check. Today 1/24/14 I called to check on the status of the rebate. I asked for the woman that I had been working with and was told she no longer works for the company. I am very disappointed at this point. It will be interesting to see how long it will take for me to receive this Rebate. This was a major selling feature as to why I chose Sila to do the work. I will not use them in the future.

punctual, very polite, seemed quite professional

I got a phone call to let me know that Oscar was on the way and would actually be a little earlier than my original appointment. Oscar showed up and he was polite, professional and knowledgeable. He diagnosed the problem as a burned out fuse in my inside mechanicals. He replaced BOTH fuses because as Oscar said, "When one fuse goes, the other generally goes." I agree. I had checked my breaker box before I called Sila, but everything was normal. I turned on my emergency heat and nothing happened. Now, everything is working well. Oscar repaired it in record time and my house is starting to feel like home again. Thank you, Oscar! You rescued me from the cold! I will use Sila again and I highly recommend them to my friends and neighbors.

Oscar at Sila was punctual, friendly, and professional. He was able to solve our problem in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible, while giving helpful tips for repairs we could do to avoid similar problems in the future. We definitely would use Sila again.

The technician Oscar showed up on time and he was very friendly and professional. He went over the system and he didn't just go through what he had to do but he explained step by step what is going on with my system and gave me recommendations to improve the efficiency. Not only was it a great service but also I felt like I learned so much from his visit.

Maintenance check did not go as planned Joey the technician was great. He performed the maintenance. But, he discovered a leak in the furnace, carbon monoxide. He highly recommended it be replaced. Joey had a sales guy come out the same day. They install a new furnace two days later. Awesome response time! Will be paying for this unexpected expense for a while. But, I have heat in 15 degree weather. Yea!

Amazing. I called at about 1 pm, Oscar came at about 2 pm, determined the problem very quickly, went back to the shop for the necessary part, came back, and fixed the unit. It is not even 4 pm yet. I have never, ever had such outstanding and quick service. To top it off, Oscar gave us information about heating systems (heat pumps are different!), answered some lingering questions about how to efficiently use the heat pump, and told us what was behind a mystery Pepco letter about how to use the heat pump. Since we are not too thrilled with the heat pump generally, he offered suggestions about alternatives available when the heat pump eventually dies. So: quick service, the heat is back on in just hours, Oscar was wonderful (clean, efficient, professional, helpful), and I will not hesitate to call on them again or to refer my best friends to Sila Heating and Air Conditioning. Thanks, Oscar!

Phone Service Called at12:30pm on Tuesday January 14th, 2014 and they were able to schedule in an 8:00am appointment tomorrow. Phone service guy was super nice. A++. Technician The technician was very fast and smart. I pulled up at 10 till the appointment and he was already there which is rare for plumbers. He explained to me how the bleeding works. Then we proceeded to fill the boiler and bleed out the air. He gave me an estimate of $6000 to change out my old boiler. The cost was $274 which is a bit pricey. $98 for the evaluation then $176 an hour.

Boiler service was performed quickly and efficiently. The technician was friendly and answered several questions I had about the boiler and it's condition. He informed me about a couple of service contract options that Sila offers but there was no hard sell. He left the work area cleaner than when he arrived. Overall a good experience.

During the coldest days of the decade, condensation water backed up in my my rental house's heating system and caused the system to shut down. Sila technician Oscar came as scheduled the day after my called in and called me 30 minutes prior as I requested. He quickly determined that the condensation pipe was frozen so water couldn't drain. He said he had saw five similar cases the past few days. He told me this is a common problem where contractors drain the condensate directly to outside where it should have been drained to an indoor drain with a pump. He called in to check if the office has the parts to repair. When he learned that the house was renovated only two years ago, he said said the original contractor should be able to correct the situation because this is a code violation and should not have passed inspection. Armed with this information, I called the original HAVC contractor about the situation. He came in to install the pump and drain hose.

Cleaned, checked all HVAC systems and cleaned.

Did a seasonal check on our heating system.

When the technician was here on the first call, I mentioned to him that I was concerned about my old gas furnace which Sila had never serviced as the air in my basement was warmer and more humid that in past years. He volunteered to look at it and suggested that I schedule a furnace service call. During that call which involved checking and cleaning the furnace, he told me that the reason for the humidity was an apparent blockage in the flu and advised me to have the chimney cleaned. He also installed a carbon monoxide detector in the basement. This morning. after having bee awakened early by a bad head-ache, I could hear the detector beeping loudly. I vacated the house and called the DC fire department who came and tested the air (the CO was high), turned off the furnace, and ventilated the house. I called Sila and they promptly sent the techician who checked the vent again, made sure that the basement was further ventilated, showed me where the furnace part of the chimney is, and made sure that I would call a chimney cleaner. Thank Heavens he installed the CO detector or I hate to think what might have happened!!

Really smooth, pleasant experience. I called at 8am to report that my furnace was not working. Jonathan scheduled a window for me between 11am and 1pm. Another rep called me at 1015 to say the technician was on his way, and the technician (Joey) arrived at 1045am. Joey was super friendly and very professional. He quickly inspected the system and told me I needed a new thermostat, giving me the option to do it myself, or to schedule another service call. While he was here, he looked at a couple of other things, in a very reassuring way. Much better than other contractors I've had where they're always trying to convince you something is wrong. This was my first experience with Sila, but they now have my business for any HVAC work, large or small.

Oscar was great. He took the time to answer all of my questions and provided answers to questions I didn't know to ask. I will be scheduling the necessary follow-up with Sila this week.