Kirkwood Heating & Air Conditioning

They were good. They explained everything and met expectations. There was going to be more freon involved often but it was good.

Our 2nd floor was always 4 to 8 degrees warmer than the 1st floor. I considered several options to improve cooling and heating to 2nd floor of home, including insulation & attic vent alternatives. Also considered several zoning alternatives before deciding on a separate system dedicated to 2nd floor. This was more expensive but I felt most confident it would do the best job. I obtained several bids and Kirkwood HVAC was competitively priced & I like the idea of doing business with a smaller company. Tyler Menos came out on 2 occasions to both assess/answer questions and bid the job. When installation crew arrived it was apparent from the start that the job was more complicated & involved than the company expected and would take longer. I offered to have us both walk away from the contract. They declined and stated they would get the job done but it would take longer than anticipated. They had to leave to work another job before mine was finished but I was OK with that since I still had AC working from the existing system serving the whole house. The crew was friendly and worked very hard. They kept me informed along the way. I think they did a quality job & the system works great. Even the County permit inspector said they did a good job. I wish I had this done 20 years ago. I would have rated higher on professionalism but for the fact that they underestimated the time the job would take. However to their credit they held to the estimate they gave me. Also in trying to schedule the permit inspection they had a few hiccups in the office handling of my emails. Nothing that would prevent me from doing business again or referring them to others. But it is an area they could improve on.

Initially, Kirkwood Heating came to the house to confirm that the A/C was not cooling properly. The technician confirmed there was insufficient coolant and indicated there was likely a leak. He filled the unit with coolant. Then, the technician laid out the considerations for repair vs. replace and answered all my questions to my satisfaction. Ultimately, I signed a contract to replace the unit so I was not charged the hefty price for the coolant. I was charged only for the service call. About 10 days later, a team of two technicians came to the house to replace the A/C. They were punctual and worked efficiently and well within the estimated window of time. Within a few days, there was a very large puddle of water on the basement floor, and I had to have a technician come back to troubleshoot. The drain hose was clogged, causing an overflow or back up of liquid condensation. My feeling is that a check of the hose(s) on the day of the installation should have revealed this clog. Nevertheless, Kirkwood Heating & Cooling addressed the issue to my satisfaction, and there has been no puddle since. A new A/C is a big ticket item so it's hard to rate the price as "Excellent." I believe Kirkwood Heating's price was competitive with other authorized Carrier dealers.

They came out fairly quickly and were thorough and professional. We had an Angie's list coupon for an AC tune-up and some freon, which we were supposed to purchase ahead of time but didn't (since we didn't really know what was wrong), but they honored it anyway, which we appreciated.

They were very nice and gave me one more year of life with the old A.C. and some ideas of where to go next.

The tech came by and did his job. Did not try to oversell anything. Replaced 1 lb of free-on, luckily it was in the deal and so did not charge me for it. Told me how to wash the outside unit with hose every spring.

My furnace was leaking pretty seriously yesterday. I called this company and left a message with the answering service since it was Saturday and outside regular business hours. I'm not sure who called me back--may have been the owner--but he called back within 30 minutes. He asked me a lot of questions about what was happening and convinced me to actually do some minor work myself. It ended up being an easy fix and he saved me a bunch of money. I'd call this company in a heartbeat next time I need HVAC work.

The service went well. He was really helpful.

I felt my AC system wasn't working efficiently, so I started with doing a basic service / inspection. I found the Angie's List deal for Kirkwood Heating & AC. They had good reviews and the price was good so I went with it. Here is the text from their "Deal" Kirkwood Heating & Air Conditioning, a top rated service provider on Angie's List, is offering a home air conditioning inspection, cleaning, tune-up and UP TO one pound of refrigerant for only $62! This service is normally valued at $170, saving Angie's List members 64% off! Performance A/C Tune-Up includes:Clean condenser coilInspect evaporator coil if accessibleClean condensate drainClean blower motorInspect filtration systemAdjust blower componentsLubricate moving parts as requiredInspect for refrigerant leaksTest condensate pumpTighten electrical connectionsTest starting capabilitiesMeasure air temperature differentialMonitor refrigerant pressureMeasure amperage and voltage Homeowner is responsible for additional refrigerant if more than 1 lb is required to reach a full level. Offer is valid for one A/C unit and only one offer per household/member. May purchase additional as gifts. My Report - Bottom line - The technician did not do what was supposed to be done and suggested I pay more for things that the ad said were included. And they tried to sell me Freon at nearly 2x what others charge (which is already a 300% markup) Scheduling was easy, he arrived on time and was friendly. That was good. The rest of my experience was less so. He started by checking the air filter and cleaning the condensate drain but did not do anything else with the air handler. The coupon said he would inspect the evaporator coil (he would have found it half frozen), test electrical connections and function, and test the air temperature differential. He did none of those things. Then he went to the condenser and checked refrigerant level. He said it was low, so he put in the 1 pound that was part of the deal, but said it needed more to function properly. Then he quoted me a rate of $88 dollars a pound for additional Freon. I balked because (1) the rate seemed quite high [I had to have Freon put in another system a month ago (system drained because roofing nail punctured line)] and (2) I had to bring up the fact that low Freon necessarily means a leak, which should be remedied first. He did was the condenser coil. When I mentioned that I had Freon from another company weeks ago at $45, he suggested they must have sold me at cost. Bull. To confirm the high price, I called two other companies and was quoted standard rates of $45 and $50 dollars a pound. One vendor (who sells at $45 a pound told me his cost is more like $15 a pound. Anyway, my gut was right - they're operating like drug dealers. Then he said they could schedule another trip (with Fee) to test for leaks. If you'll notice in the text of their "deal" - the service is supposed to include inspect for refrigerant leaks. I decided I'd pass on spending more money with Kirkwood Heating and AC. I had another company out the next business day. They identified the leak - a bad schrader valve on the condenser. The problem was made worse because the technician from Kirkwood heating and air failed to put the valve stem caps back on my unit when he left. It was raining moderately when he was here - so I assume the honestly just forgot in a rush to get out of the rain. However, it was a simple problem that should have been identified and covered at minimal cost. Bummer.

Please read through email string: To Kirkwood: 6-25-13 Hello, I am an Angie's List Member and am interested in using the $62 dollar coupon for an inspection and cleaning of my AC unit. I live in a manufactured home and have a Coleman Sunsetter Package Unit. Every year I try to clean the coil to help the air flow. Yet on days like today the air runs non-stop and never gets below 80. I believe it is because of airflow. I cannot access the coil very well to clean it good enough. The air is cold, just barely moving. I've lived here for over 10 years and have never had to add freon, and do not believe I need any. So really I'm asking if this service actually includes the coil being cleaned. And also if this would qualify for the Ameren rebate for a tune-up? Thanks From Kirkwood: 6-25-13 Tony, Yes the deal includes cleaning the coil. Unfortunately as far as the Ameren tune up goes, this deal would not qualify for it. To Kirkwood: 6-25-13 Great... Could I get on the schedule? Thanks From Kirkwood: 6-25-13 We could get you on the schedule for Friday or any day next week. To Kirkwood: 6-25-13 What time would you have available for Friday? Thanks From Kirkwood: 6-25-13 10-12,12-2,1-3 or 2-4 To Kirkwood: 6-26-13 Can we do the 10-12? Also CC or Cash? Thanks From Kirkwood: 6-26-13 Yes, we can do Friday between 10-12. Just make sure you purchase that angies list deal beforehand if you are planning on using that. To Kirkwood: 6-26-13 Just did, do I need to have it for Friday? So we are on for Friday 10-12? Thanks From Kirkwood:6-26-13 Yes, you are on for Friday between 10-12. Please make sure you have a copy to give to the technician. To Kirkwood: 6-28-13 Thank you for communicating with me and helping me get this setup. He was right within the time. However, I am quite disappointed, and it may be because I was mis-understanding you. I very specifically asked if cleaning the coil was covered in the deal, and you told me that it was. When he got here, I explained that the main reason for me setting this up is to get my coil cleaned and also to have they system checked out. He told me that it would be $70 dollars and was not covered by the Angie's List deal. I was already into the service, so I went ahead with it and paid the extra $70..... I pulled my hose around to the back and my shop vac for him to use, which he left full of the g*** and chemicals for us to clean out. I feel that he did no more than I do every year when I clean it myself with the can of cleaner from Lowe's. Here is the craziest part... he never even came into my home, at all! He went directly to the unit and that was it. He said that he checked the pressure, not sure, I didn't see. But I thought he was going to measure the temperatures from the return and vents to make sure it was cooling properly. My air flow is better than it was, but not sure it is at the ideal air flow. My house is still 85 degrees. So I am not sure what I accomplished except paying $132.00 for a guy to spray foam onto a coil and then rinse it off and suck the waste water into my vacuum, something I do myself every year. He was also texting the whole time he was here. Even when I gave him my credit card, which makes me worry he is texting my credit card numbers somewhere. I would hope this is not the case, how secure could that be. I'm not sure of the tech's name, since he never introduced himself, but appears to be Onnis on the paperwork?? He seamed very displeased with having this service call. I hope you do not take this email the wrong way, as a business owner myself, I wanted to share my full experience with you. I chose you because of your high rating with Angie's List and the deal that sounded to good to be true (which is why I asked about it before buying it). Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks To Kirkwood: 7-3-13 You're really not even going to reply to my email from 5 days ago. I am trying to communicate with you professionally here, and expected some kind of reply... From Kirkwood: 7-4-13 Tony, I apologize. I had forwarded the email to the owner from my phone and can only assume that it went into his junk mail folder. Under normal circumstances we would have responded to you right away. There was some miscommunication on my part. I was not aware that you meant the evaporator coil, and thought that you meant the condenser coil. I sincerely apologize if Chris was in any way rude, and did not pick up after himself. That was not acceptable. Yes, he should have went into your home and checked the temperature from the vents. As far as the texting goes, that is most of our communication with the office and our co-workers, although he should have been paying more attention to the service call. We were really backed up that day and I am sure that he was stressed, but that does not excuse the fact that we have an impression to make on customers if we would like to continue business with them. I can see why you would be uncomfortable giving him your credit card. The technicians have a device that allows them to run the credit card on their phone, so as not to tie up the phone lines here at the office and have me run it. This is not how we do business, and I will be forwarding the email to the office manager as well as the owner again and we will do what we can to resolve the issue. Once again I really do apologize. To Kirkwood: 7-4-13 OK, I will await their response. Thank you for responding... To Kirkwood: 7-4-13 --I sent them a photo of 2 empty cans of coil cleaner that I found under a tree in the back yard? Just found these while cutting a tree down near the air conditioner. To Kirkwood: 7-9-13 It has been 11 days since my first email with concern, and still no email from the owner/manager. Am I to assume, that there will not be one? I'm not trying to be rude, but I would have expected a response by now..... d d From Kirkwood: ?a different person? 7-9-13 Tony, Thank you for letting us know about your dissatisfaction with the service call. Getting feedback from customerss the really the only way we know what is working and what we need to work on. I apologize for the miscommunication with the coil cleaning issue. As Kayla explained, we do clean the condensor coil on routine check ups, but cleaning the evaporator coil is extra. I will make sure to explain to Kayla when she is scheduling calls, if someone asks, to make this distinction. The issues with Chris at your house are unacceptable. He definitely should have come inside your house. He needs to check the air flow at the vents, as well as checking operation from the thermostat. Chris never should have left anything outside of your home. He thinks the cans may have fallen out of his bag, but regardless, he should have double checked the area for cleanliness before he left the job site. The credit card swipers/app that the technicians use encrypt the numbers so even we at the office do not see them. I have worked with and known Chris for 15+ years and I can promise you he would never compromise someone's personal financial information. I'm sure he was texting quite a bit as that is how we communicate from the office and from tech to tech, but he would never ever put your credit card information out there. He is an extremely honest man. I am very sorry that you had a poor experience with our company. I would like to offer you a refund of your Angies List deal of $62. We can also have another technician out to go over Chris's work if you'd like and check the air flow from the vents. Please let me know if you would like to set this up, and I will get a refund check out to you today. To Kirkwood: 7-9-13 I understand the use of an app for credit card processing, as I use Square myself. I just wanted to make sure as the whole situation seemed odd. I in no way was trying to get a refund, but if you feel it is warranted, then I will accept it. I did pay additional for the service performed, and don't feel that he performed the service as prescribed in the coupon, considering he never even stepped into my home. With the experience of my last service call and the 11 day wait for a real response to my concerns, I am not comfortable scheduling another visit. I have decided to search Angie's List for another HVAC company. Thank you for your response concerning my experience.

Went very well. I would use Kirkwood Heating and Cooling again.

I spent a sleepless night in an 80 degree house. This morning at 8:32 I contacted Kirkwood Heating and Air Conditioning. The woman who took my call was professional and sympathetic. She said they were booked solid but they would try to fit me in today. At 9:35 am Tyler showed up at my door. He opened the unit, immediately identified the problem (loose low voltage wire at contactor/thermostat control), walked to his truck, got the wire/connecter and fixed the unit within 5 minutes! Tyler was very professional and courteous, obviously very knowledgeable and took the time to explain to me exactly what was wrong! I would highly recommend this company - very honest! Low price as well.

Very professional, no frills, honest and competitively priced. Going by Angie's list reviews and proximity to our location we decided to try them out. One of our AC had stopped working. Chris diagnosed one AC compressor as having failed. Chis was very helpful and honest, did not seem to oversell anything and gave us various options. Most importantly for us, he was flexible about scheduling the visit after 6pm. Since both AC units were old, we decided to replace both. The installing guys were great too. Worked hard to finish the job in professional manner and were very responsive to questions. Offered to come back, should I have any issues. The office staff are great too. The promptly reply via email and they scanned and emailed me documents that I had lost.

Kirkwood H & AC came out the day I called them and fixed some wires that mice had chewed through. They also cleaned out the condenser. It was up and running in less than 20 minutes! They were great!

They took time to answer all my questions, were very professional and did a great job!

The installation went exceptionally well. When summer arrived (5 months later) and the AC had a problem they came back promptly and corrected a wire/fuse in the furnace.

They come twice a year. Once in the Fall and once in the Spring. I've used them for about 4 years. They are always on time and have high quality service. They do a great job each time.

A young man responded to my call. He was polite and professional in his demeanor. I couldn't get over how this young man worked. I have never seen anyone so efficient. He was in and out in no time flat. The work was finished and done correctly. He was not one for wasting time. He was all business. I would ask this company out again for any of my heating or cooling problems.

The 2 servicemen arrived at designated time, were very polite, and professional. They told me when they were leaving for lunch and exactly when they would return and did. They left the work space meticuously clean.

Please note that this review only applies to the Gas Leak Repair category. We smelled gas coming from the shut-off valve for our gas log. The gas company came out, confirmed the leaky valve, and cut and capped the gas feeder line back in the furnace room. We weren't sure who to call to repair the leak, so joined Angie's List for referrals. I found Kirkwood Heating and Air Conditioning under both Gas Leak Repair and Heating/Air Conditioning, and called them and explained very thoroughly what I needed done: The leaky floor valve by the gas log needed replaced, and the cut/capped feeder line in the furnace room needed to be repaired and an additional shut-off valve installed there. I also added an annual furnace check and clean to be done at the same time to save a second trip charge. I even repeated the information to avoid misunderstanding. I wasn't asked any clarifying questions about the work, was told that it work require two time units, and we made the appointment. The repairman arrived exactly on time, and I met him at his truck. On the way to the house, I offered to show him where the gas main was and he asked why he would need that. I said I thought he'd need to shut off the gas to replace the valve, and he said he didn't know anything about that, that he was only scheduled for a check and clean. Strike one. I told him that getting the gas log working again was the primary reason for the service call, and the check and clean was just an add-on. He remained very professional and courteous, and said he'd take a look and see what he could do. The first comment when we got to the basement was that he didn't have enough time scheduled to do the valve replacement and the clean and check. I told him the woman I'd talked to had said she would schedule two time units, but the repairman said he only had one. Strike two. Then he looked at the valve and said he couldn't replace it; that they didn't carry that kind of valve, and I should call Forshaws! Strike three. I got pretty angry and told him that I had found them on Angie's List and would give them negative feedback on Angie's List. He remained professional and courteous, but said he didn't think I was being fair, that they didn't do this kind of work and shouldn't be held accountable. I reminded him again that I had told their scheduler exactly what I needed, and she shouldn't have taken the job if they couldn't do it, or asked questions if she wasn't sure. After a few more excuses (she was new, etc.), I asked him if he would at least repair the cut/capped line in the furnace room and install the shut-off valve. He looked at it, went out to his truck, came back and said he didn't have the right fittings and couldn't do that one either. Strike four. Again, I said I had told their representative what I needed done, and he said it wasn't their fault and I should call Forshaws. So none of the gas repair work was done. Then the repairman started on the furnace clean and check,and found cracks in the heat exchangers. I told him that we had the furnace serviced every year and hadn't been told that before, and asked it they could have happened in one year. He said they'd been there longer than a year, that sometimes they're hard to see. We agreed to listen to a sales pitch, which wound up being: replace the furnace, it makes sense to replace the coil at the same time, and we might want to replace the air conditioner too because it was old and would cost more if we replaced them separately. All this may be true, we haven't gotten a second opinion. This isn't a review about the furnace work; it may be that the repairman discovered a very dangerous situation that others had missed. He seemed very experienced and was professional at all times. I am, however, completely dissatisfied with the botched gas leak repair work. Update a/o 1/25/2013: Kirkwood Heating & AC offered to refund my entire amount paid, which I recently accepted. Although they did not require or request that I remove this negative review, I considered doing it anyway. Instead, I decided it would be best for all to leave it, with this addendum. They are a heating and ac company, and the work they did for me in that area was done well. Furnace work requires that they also deal with gas lines, but what I needed done turned out to be outside of their expertise. They shouldn't have taken the job. They had an internal mix-up. It happens. The more important thing is probably how they responded. I am satisfied with the integrity of the company, and would not hesitate to use them again or recommend them to others, at least for the heating and ac work.

person who made appt very nice gave me an appt that was good for me even though it was time they usually get off called to say on his way arrived a little early and answered all my questions and gave me estimate on future work

Professional work throughout.

I have used Kirkwood heating and A/C for the last few years and I really wouldn't want to use anyone else. I noticed a leak in my basement and noticed it was from the A/C, so I called them out. Chris (who after 1 service call knew me by first name) came out to fix the problem. He was quick and efficient. A week later there was still a leak in our basement, I Thought it still wasn't fixed so I called the company. Christ was out an hour later and told me (much to my shame) that leak was not from our A/C but our fridge. Then he went and double checked and pointed out the leak on the fridge to me. They know my A/C better than anyone else, they will make reccomendations, and make sure I know what needs to be done now, and what can wait till later. VERY helpful in this economy.

Neither my air conditioner or my furnace was turning on, so I put in a call to Kirkwood HVAC to come out and take a look. They got it started again (door switch defective... again (my fault)), but noticed that I had been using the wrong size filter and debris and dust now covered so much of the coil that it wouldn't cool effectively, resulting in it icing up and ending up with the water problem that I had been seeing this Spring. Overall, the unit was 25+ years old, and needed to be replaced by the time I wanted to sell the house (in the next two years). So, time to bite the bullet. Chris had been out to the house several times and quoted me a very nice price on a Payne (off-brand Carrier). The only bad note of this entire transaction is that they charged me the trip charge ($129) and didn't offer to credit that cost to the purchase of a new furnace. This seems like an obvious, easy way to get my business. Oh well; I negotiated down anyway. I got several bids and called Chris back. On the promotional materials he gave me, it looked like the warranty on the Payne wouldn't transfer to the new owner, making it all but worthless, but Chris called around and found out that up to 5 years of it would transfer. The other problem was that I got a lower bid on a name brand from another installer ($2390 for a Lennox from Superior HVAC). I told Chris that I would rather go with him and asked him to come down. He initially tried to give me the song and dance about Payne performing just as well as a Lennox, but I was able to talk him into calling his manager and working on a lower bid. He called back with $2475 on a Carrier and the coil and I pulled the trigger. Jeff and Mike showed up a little late on Wednesday morning, but I was home all day so I didn't care. Both were very nice and, while the procedure was loud at times, I was able to work upstairs without any major difficulty. I offered to buy them lunch and they politely declined. They were clean and professional. I could sometimes overhear their conversation and it was benign and friendly. They finished by 2 PM at an even five hours. I paid by credit card and Jeff walked me through the new features and how it worked (read: "It's a furnace. It heats up the house. Use the right size filter this time."). Overall, I got the unit I wanted at a price I liked and it was installed quickly. They cleaned up everything afterwards. I recommend Kirkwood HVAC.

I woke up to a cold house - my furnace wasn't working. I called at 8am, and someone was here by 9am.