Air, Plumbing & Heating Solutions LLC

prompt excellent service.

see above

The plan that they have all year long costs $160.00 and it cost 70 bucks extra for Freon shots in the A/C.  They were right on time.  They started early which was good because I was able to be there before work.  They came at 7.30 and they were done by 8.30.  Both the person that took my call when I made the appointment and the guy that came today were very personable.  They were very polite and really nice.  The person that came out today was very knowledgeable so he gave us advice.  That was good.  I think the shots for the Freon were high.  I would recommend Air Solutions.   

At the end of summer last year my A/C stopped functioning.  I called Air Solutions and a tech came out and diagnosed the problem as a leak in the coil.  This would require replacement of the A/C coil.  I had a follow-up visit/consulation with Alan Schwarzschild who did an energy assement of my home.  He wrote a proposal giving me several option: total system replacement, replace of A/C unit or repair of existing A/C coil.  Alan determined the 5 ton unit that was installed when the home was built, was too large and the home only required a 3 ton unit.  The larger unit caused problems with the existing ventilation system as they were designed for a 3 ton unit.  This resulted in corrosion of the a portion of the air ducts. I choose to replace the entire system since it was already 10 years old.  Alan gave me information regarding product and utility rebates in additon to tax information.  The service techs who did the install (Mike and Nick) showed up right on time, were very professional and courteous.  The install took place over 2 days.  I was kept abreast of their progress each day.  They removed and diposed of the old system along with the duct work.  They made sure the work area was thorougly cleaned before they left.  We did a walkthrough and any concerns I had were immediately address.  (I wanted a little more sealant around the piping coming into the home and a little more tape on the some of the seams in the duct work.) Afterword, Mike patiently explained how the new system worked and how to operate the new thermostat. 

We realized our upstairs unit was not putting out air nearly as cold as the downstairs unit so I called Air Solutions based on Angies List write-ups.  We had never used them before.  I called on a Tuesday morning after a three-day weekend in the middle of a record-setting heat wave.  Kim, who took my call, said they could have someone here no earlier than Friday because of very heavy demand in light of the heat wave and holiday weekend.  She did say that they would move folks up if cancelations occurred.  She explained that there would be an initial diagnostic fee of $89 and then any additional expenses to correct the problem.  She gave me a four-hour window of time someone would be here on Friday.  Tim, the mechanic, arrived early in the four-hour period, and quickly determined that the system had lost freon.  He explained the recharge would be $ $67.88 for the first pound and $33.96 for each additional pound of freon.  The system took a total of three pounds.  When Tim was preparing the bill I gave him the $25 coupon printed from the Angies List website and he deducted that amount from the total he had quoted me.  In all he was here about an hour and the system is up and running like a champ (of course now the temps are in the low 80s but it'll get hot again).  From start to finish it was a good experience.

Needs Assessment: When Jeff came to our house, his focus was on a needs assessment. In other words, what does this house need. He assumes nothing. He measures each room, inspects insulation, quality of windows, type of home, sun exposure, shade, etc. The reason why he does this is because he puts all these numbers into a computer and generates a manual J.  A manual J is recommended by all major manufacturers and the Air Conditioners Contractors of America association. This manual J then spits out the numbers for duct work size and the size of the unit.  When I first started this process, I thought big is better.  But that is wrong.  Too big=short cycling=poor dehumification=cool & clammy=increased mold growth.  Too small=ineffective cooling.  So they must hit the "sweet spot' with the size.  I  had 4 contractors come and bid. Air solutions was the only company that did a manual J.  Amazing HVAC would only do one if I entered into a contract. Perry Hall didn't think it was useful.  And No Frost thought it took too much time.  So the decision became easy.  If many states require a manual J, and all manufacturers & trade organizations recomend it, how could I use a contractor who didn't calculate a manual J?

Sales Experience: Jeff follows a total no pressure sales philosophy.  He answers all questions.  And in my case, I had a ton.  Over a week or two, I must have emailed him 5 times with questions in addition to my phone calls.  he answered them all.  he also puts everything in writing in the contract.  This really let me know what to expect. No contractor put as much in writing as Jeff did.  He also put in writing a 100% satisfaction guarantee that for 1 year I could return the unit with no questions asked.  This allowed me to buy with a lot more confidence. 

References & Reputation: I called 6 of Jeff's references and they all were extremely satisfied. He had an Angies List A rating.  And BBB A+ rating.

Price: Jeff's price was competitive. 

Customer Service: Air solutions prides themselves on great customer service.  They have always been responsive to my questions or issues and responded appropriately.  Excellent job!!!

Scheduling of Job: After I signed the contract, they scheduled the install about 2-3 weeks later.  The truth is I would have been concerned if the company could schedule much sooner b/c if they aren't busy during AC season, then it would make me question the company.  Too long would have made me question the cusomer service.  Perfect again!

Installation: The crew showed up on time each day around 8AM.  I appreciated that they wore shoe covers.  They cleaned up after themselves and made sure I knew how to use the unit. They came back 2 weeks after install for an additional walk through and to answer any additional questions.  The unit seems to be working well.  And I know, if I have any problems, Jeff will take care of them.  This company is the perfect combination of quality & great customer service!  Keep it up!

Called for Appointment. Jeff came at the appointed time. Told me the work that needed to be done -- placing a new duct from the furnace and that two of the ducts placed were not done to code. Offered less expensive alternatives. We decided to go with the new duct and have him fix the ducts that were not to code. They called before coming to let us know they were on the way and did the work in the estimated time frame they had given me. They were polite and cleaned up after themselves. They had me come down to the basement when the work was completed to explain what they had done.

I picked three contractors from Angie's List and BGE Home. I had each contractor come to our house and give us a bid. Air Solutions was not the lowest bidder. They were more detailed in getting the necessary information for a well thought out bid. Alan explained the planned installation clearly and in great detail. While the price was not the best, we felt the bid was the given on the best basis and met the needs for a good system for our house. They arrived on the agreed day to start the work. They agreed, at no additional cost, to return at a later date to complete the air conditioning installation because of other construction work we were having done. Everything was done in a workman like manner and they left the premises clean. They provided the necessary paper work for tax purposes. Everyone was very nice and acted as if you were a relative of the company owners. The office staff was particularly a pleasure with which to work. Helping with contacts, maintenance agreements and communications. I would recommend this company to anyone installing a new system. The heating system has been everything they promised. We will not be able to judge the air conditioning until warm weather arrives this summer. I highly recommend this company.

Installed when scheduled. A few days after the installation, I noticed that the BGE radio control was on the ground. I called and was told that they are not authorized to re-install them. They called me back within half an hour to say that they are not authorized. They came and re-installed.

Company was called to take a look at whole house humidifier to see why pump was not working. After arriving they diagnosed the problem to be a valve that I had replaced on my own last summer. I had found a similar part in Home Depot to stop a leak that had occurred in the condensate pump. Unfortunately, the valve I bought was not a ball valve. This was the source of the problem. Luckily, Air Solutions had another valve on the truck and was able to replace it. It had not occurred to me that the valve could have been the problem. Also, while here I asked if they could replace the filter on my whole house water filter as I could not remove it myself. Since the technician was also a plumber, he agreed to do the job. A $25 coupon from Angie's List was accepted and the total cost to me was about $106. Total visit was one hour. The technician was efficient and friendly.

They did an excellent job from start to finish. We have an older house with low basement and not much room. Their rep (who is also an owner) made all the measurements of the house to determine the size furnace and A/C. They were the only contractor out of 6 who measured our duct work and determined we needed additional supply for our system to work properly. Upon installation, they did an excellent job fitting the new system into our existing duct work. In fact, we now have more space in our basement than before due to the smaller furnace size plus the efficient manner in which they rerouted the duct work and added an additional supply. All the work was done professionally and neatly. If you have a non-standard situation that requires some thought and not just a "sure, we can do that" response, you definitely need to use these guys.

The quality of work was beyond compare. He did a great job and I paid for exactly what I got. He didn't try to add additional fees and was straightforward during the entire process. Their price might be slightly higher than competitors, but you get what you pay for.

The AC was not cooling the house. I called Air Solutions on Friday and set up a service date for first thing Tuesday morning. The service tech, John, came rigth on time and assessed the condition of the AC. He determined the freon was low indicating a possible leak. John gave me the options regarding the AC and was very patient in answering my questions regarding cost and what would be the best course to take.

It was great. The owner spoke with us initially. He was very informative and patient with our questions. They followed up with us after the installation to ensure that everything was going well. Thanks to Air Solutions, we are comfortable in our home during one of the hottest summers on record.

Noticed that the central a/c system was generating warmer air than I set the thermostat for. Went outside and noticed the compressor was running but the fan wasn't. Turned off a/c and found Air Plumbing & Heating Solutions on Angie's List. They had a tech come out within a couple of days (I called on Friday but I declined an offer for a weekend visit at overtime rates). They confirmed the appt., by phone, twice, and the tech showed up on time. It was a simple matter of replacing a dead capacitor. Everything went smoothly. Pleasure to deal with. One thing I've never encountered before, with a contractor, is that they charge $89 to come out and diagnose the problem and give an estimate. If they do the work, the diagnostic charge is still added on to the total cost. Of course, if the work is not done, you're out $89, which is understandable. I'm not complaining about the final price, but it is something to be aware of.

The owner, Alan, came to do the estimate. He knew we would only be in our current townhouse for another 2 - 3 years, so he suggested a mid-range HVAC system that fit our budget. He had a last minute cancellation, so we were able to get the system installed two days later. The technicians who arrived were very skilled, on time, and did the job neatly. No mess left in the house at all, despite it being a rainy day. The new system works great, and we are so grateful they were able to do everything so quickly and efficiently.

The technician was extremely prompt and was very clear about what the problem was and how to fix it. He even returned the next day for a follow-up visit at no additional charge. I will definitely use them again.

While the company was unable to fix the problem we originally contacted them about (as it wasn't a plumbing/water heater problem), the technician saw some very serious problems of which we were unaware. The problems were the result of shoddy workmanship by a previous company, and the technician was able to repair them quickly and thoroughly.

We had an old gas furnace that was in a large closet on the first floor. The furnace was loud, inefficient and taking up space, so we wanted a new one, and we wanted it to be installed in the basement. When Alan came for the estimate, he noticed that our water heater was not vented correctly into the chimney. The next week, when they came to do the work, the installed a flue/liner to correctly vent the water heater; put a new heat pump in the basement/on the roof; rerouted some ducts; and removed the old furnace.

Fast response time Good quality work Only complaint was I thought the Price was to high.

Air Solutions was impressive from go. The company's president, Alan Schwarzschild, came and gave us the estimate. Though we had already decided to replace the furnace, he took another look to confirm the need. Then he measured the entire house and did an assessment of our heating needs. He was the only person to do that. He recommended a Lennox system and suggested we also replace the air conditioning unit and coil. While he acknowledged that the AC unit was not in need of repair, the combination of its age and the available federal energy tax credits made replacing all pieces a good option. His report was very thorough. I called him later that night (Wednesday) to set up an appointment. Knowing we needed heat quick, he said he could have a crew in Friday morning so we could have heat that afternoon. They came Friday morning and had heat running by 3 p.m. They came back Monday to complete the installation of the AC unit. I was very impressed by the professionalism of his crew. They were courteous and excellent at cleaning up after themselves. And they did not cut any corners. One the first day, the crew placed the new AC unit farther away from the house than I liked. I was going to mention the issue to the tech who came the second day, but he beat me to it, listing the error as one of the things we wanted to work on that day. These guys really seemed to know what they are doing. And in my research, the skill of the installation team seems to be as important as the quality of the equipment. Alan, the company president, came back a few days after the job was done to inspect the work. He saw a couple of little things that he had one of his guys come out and correct. His personal attention to his technicians work was quite impressive.

Professional, punctual, and extremely neat. The technicians protected the wood floors and cleaned up every day. We requested a different plumbing part than they installed and the company willingly provided the part without additional cost.

The work was done on time. The installer was friendly and competent. The rooms are now evenly cooled. The job took about 8 hours.

I called to get an appointment and I was advised they had a tech free and ready to go. When he came in, the first thing he did was place footies over his shoes. He analyzed the problem, a failed motor, and replaced it with one in his truck. He explained the process the system would take to recover. I asked him to replace a thermostat and, after he did, he even started to program it. He discovered I bought a lesser type than I wanted and showed me the missing code.

Very pleased with the technician - Kevin - who explained the functioning of the unit and the services provided. The company has been a real pleasure.