TE Spall & Son Heating & Cooling

The technician was thorough and the system checked out fine.

The service took about an hour or so. As was done last year, the technician was courteous, professional, and explained what he was doing and why and the results of his maintenance. The areas of work, inside and outside, were left as they were before the maintenance. The AC/heater unit was purchased new from and installed by TE Spall and Son 2 years ago and we couldn't be more pleased.

They were very knowledgeable. They were extremely courteous. The office person was very courteous and knowledgeable also. Everything they did was extremely well.

This company is great to work with for both emergency and routine maintenance calls.

It is always easy to get an appointment in a reasonable amount of time. They call before they are going to arrive. They arrive promptly. They are always professional and courteous.

The technician were terrific very knowledgeable from the breakdown of our old system to the installation. The salesman informative and office staff always polite and helpful. We have used spall over 10 years never disappoint.

He was here on time. Conveyed what he was here to do. Completed the jobs he set out to do in a timely fashion. Gave me a full report on the functioning of our equipment, complete with his recommendations for the future.

The oil was changed, plugs changed and control panel checked. No problems were found. Techician was very friendly and arrived in a Spall vehicle and gave his card first off.

Removed old furnace. Installed complete new furnace.

They were very responsive and answered all questions thoroughly and honestly.

Work was done professionally. Worker were polite & efficient. Work was done in a timely manner & all old part were removed and work area cleaned.

When the tech arrived (promptly) at 8PM, he took several minutes to look at the boiler, then another 15 to get his shop-vac set up, then took off the boiler front and SLOWWWWWLY made a show of vacuuming the combustion chamber. He was about 25-30 years old and freely confessed that "this boiler is older than I am -- I've never seen one like this before." [It's actually only 20 years old, and was warranted for 25] After an hour ofSLOWWWLY vacuuming the chamber, he showed me the combustion chamber with 5 drops of water in it. Takin advantage of my ignorance, he informed me that "the heat exchanger is probably cracked" and "I doubt if I can fix this". It was obvious he was giving up, but he said he would "try" to get it started. He also disassembled the burner and appeared to soak it in what look like a paint thinner can. I made the serious mistake of telling him I could only afford a max of $500 that night -- on a fixed income, that's often the case -- so he made sure he worked for two hours, conveniently "forgetting" to calculate in the ANGIE'S LIST 10% PROMOTIONAL COUPON. He made NO attempt to (a) check the fuel pump; (b) check the fuel quality; or (c) check the cleanout flue in the back of the chimney. All he did was continue to shake his head and run the smallest, dirtiest, weakest Shop-vac I have ever seen, in a show of "thorougness". At the end of two hours, he approached me and asked "how far do you want to go with this?" The implication was obvious: another hour or two would be necessary; no results could be guaranteed; and it would probably be a waste of his time to do so because he had made up his mind that it was a cracked boiler. I asked that he call the owner of the property, which he did. The owner quizzed him about the work he'd performed, at which point I saw him dribble a little fuel into a pie pan, sniff it, and pronounce it OK. After talking to him for 15 minutes, he stopped working and picked up his tools. At that point, he began laboriously typing his report into his PC -- again, on the clock, and SLOWLY -- came upstairs, and informed me that he was "red tagging" the boiler because it was unsafe! I later found out that he is NOT a utility, and that he has no legal standing to do so. This was a THREAT to get me to buy a new furnace! As he was leaving to "visit another client", I asked him what, approximately, a new furnace would run, and if financing were available. Suddenly, he had time to visit almost EVERY room, count the radiators, and get enough data for his calculations. From being in a hurry to get out of there -- he suddenly had all the time in the world. Then, as he finished his data gathering, I asked him for a price. He couldn't print one, but gave me a bottom line of approximately $400 for two hours' work ($85 per hour, plus $135 service fee charge). Again, I questioned the Angie's List Discount, so he SLOWLY recalculated it (after he questioned whether I actually had the coupon and made me prove it), and grudgingly charged me $360 for the call. I asked for a paper copy; he could not provide one, so I asked that it be sent to me. The following day, the same tech called me (this time as a salesperson) and offered me the opportunity to buy a new furnace for $5,200. I had already gotten competitive estimates that day for $3000-$4000. Based on the previous night's experience, this was the LAST firm I was going to buy ANY furnace from! I politely declined and, due to lack of funds, I also investigated something else: in a hot water heating system, HAD the heat exchanger cracked, I would have had several inches of flood in the basement --NOT the slight dew he showed me in the combustion chamber. After a lifetime of gas furnaces, I was unaware of this fact -- but a responsible or competent tech SHOULD have known, instead of attempting to blackmail me into a new furnace! I also learned that ONLY a public utility has the ability to issue an enforceable Red Tag on a burner -- and we have no utility service (it's oil, not gas). However, coming from a lifetime of natural gas furnaces, I was unaware of this, and the Red Tag scam had the effect the tech desired -- it scared me. A week later, I attempted to call the firm and asked that the owner, not the tech, call me back. I never received a callback. Two weeks later, a form "survey" from T.E. Spall arrived, asking for a review of the service. It was impossible to fill out that form and give them a negative review. I added extensive comments about the experience, and AGAIN requested that the owner call me. To date, I have never received a further communication from the owners of T.E. Spall, although I have given them over a month to do so. We were forced to cobble together emergency electrical heating and a small wood fireplace during the last of February and Early March, when the average nightly temperature was 0-10 Degrees. My 88-year old mother -- who lves with heart failure - and my wife, a stroke victim, were barely able to function while living in blankets and overcoats. Finally, on March 10, after our monthly checks had arrived, we engaged a local handyman who came out, treated the burner, cleaned out the flue (rapidly), checked all the fuel lines, and did the work that T.E. Spall was supposed to do. My furnace works fine, burns efficiently now, and shows no sign of sooting up or malfunctioning. This serviceman WILL get our annual maintenance contract. In short, the ONLY thing T.E. Spall did right was to show up on time -- and I wish they had never darkened my doorway! Far better to freeze than to be gypped! There is no excuse for an honest technician to take advantage of senior citizens so blatantly and fraudulently by holding their heating equipment hostage.

1/28/2015: Contacted TE SPALL & SON because the pilot light in one of my apartments has been going out every few weeks. Rather than pay the service charge, the woman I spoke with suggested opening a $111 service agreement that included one maintenance and that the maintenance may correct the issue with pilot light. 1/30/2015: The service technician came out and attempted to troubleshoot the pilot light issue but did not find any cause and offered no solutions other than ?maybe someone is going in there and deliberately blowing out the pilot.? I explained to him that was highly improbable since the older, disabled woman living there was a new tenant and I had the same issue last winter. The technician did not perform the maintenance of the unit, which is why he went there. 2/3/2015: Received a $221 bill from TE SPALL & SON which was far more than the amount discussed for the service agreement. The woman explained that the maintenance was not performed and that it was a service call. I explained what was discussed and that the maintenance was supposed to be done to see if that would correct the issue. They refunded the $110 to my credit card that should not have been charged and offered to schedule the maintenance. Mid Feb 2015: The maintenance that was included with the service agreement I purchased was done. 2/23/2015: Contacted TE SPALL & SON because the tenant reported the pilot light is still going out. I asked if there was anything else that can be done. I explained that I wanted this fixed, but could not have the same scenario where the technician comes out with no viable solutions to the pilot light issue. The woman said she would have to technicians review the notes and speak to each other. They spoke with the tenant directly and arranged a time. 2/28/2015: The technician called and did not have any idea what was wrong. I had spoken to my own heating contractor (NJ licensed) who suggested maybe it was the thermocouple. The technician said he tested the thermocouple and that it was within acceptable limits. He said he did not think replacing that would fix the issue with the pilot light. He sat on the phone with me for a LONG time (10+ minutes) without saying anything or offering solutions. He really seemed to have no clue as to what was wrong. He then suggested draft modifications that would cost $1,800 and speculated that when all the fixtures turn on simultaneously on a cold day, that maybe the over-draft is blowing out the pilot light. I asked him if that would fix the issue for sure and he replied that he did not know. I suggested turning up thermostats on all (six) furnaces and hot water heaters to replicate what he said and see if the pilot blows out. He said he did, but the pilot did not blow out. I was at the point of frustration to sit on the phone with him leading the conversation because he had nothing to say or offer. I ended that call by asking him to call me back when he thinks of something that will fix the issue. He did not call back. 3/10/2015: Call TE SPALL & SON because of the erroneous bill that was received for $177.50. I explained that the technician that went out there did nothing to correct, troubleshoot or identify the issue with the pilot light. 3/11/2015: 12:35 PM Jerri Corrigan at office of TE SPALL & SON called me back to say that she spoke with the manager and that he would not waive or refund the charges because the technician (Aaron Spall) recommended a new thermocouple and I did not accept this. I explained to her that I spoke to the technician while he was there and detailed the following: · He offered no viable solutions. · *I* asked about the thermocouple and if that would help the pilot. He said it would NOT because it tested within acceptable limits. · He suggested draft modifications that would cost $1,800 - The only charges he discussed with me. · I asked him if this would fix the issue. · He replied that he did not know. He explained his rationale that on a very cold day, perhaps all the units (6 total) would turn on and cause an over-draft that would blow out the pilot. · I told him that if that is the case, we can turn up the thermostats on all six units and simulate that to see if the pilot goes out. · He said he did and the pilot did not go out. Ms. Corrigan continued to rudely talk over me in spite of me asking if I could explain the details without being spoken over. She went on to say that she recorded the conversation (without my knowledge or permission). I told her that she did not have my consent and even if she did, she recorded me telling her that the technician offered no solutions to the pilot light issue and recorded me saying that I did not authorize the $177.50 in charges. 3/11/2015 ? 12:55 PM: After looking up Pennsylvania?s Wiretapping Law I contacted Ms. Corrigan and explained to her that it was a crime in Pennsylvania to record a telephone conversation unless all parties to the conversation consent. I explained that she could be subject to criminal prosecution as a result. She then replied that she made that up and that she did not record the conversation. Pennsylvania Wiretapping Law Pennsylvania's wiretapping law is a "two-party consent" law. Pennsylvania makes it a crime to intercept or record a telephone call or conversation unless all parties to the conversation consent. See 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5703 (link is to the entire code, choose Title 18, Part II, Article F, Chapter 57, Subchapter B, and then the specific provision). The law does not cover oral communications when the speakers do not have an "expectation that such communication is not subject to interception under circumstances justifying such expectation." See 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5702 (link is to the entire code, choose Title 18, Part II, Article F, Chapter 57, Subchapter A, and then the specific provision). Therefore, you may be able to record in-person conversations occurring in a public place without consent. However, you should always get the consent of all parties before recording any conversation that common sense tells you is private. In addition to subjecting you to criminal prosecution, violating the Pennsylvania wiretapping law can expose you to a civil lawsuit for damages by an injured party. Consult the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press's Can We Tape?: Pennsylvania for more information on Pennsylvania wiretapping law.

The two gentlemen who came to the house were professional, kind, and honest. They completely cleaned our furnace.

Technical sale person gave estimate and explained operation and benefits. Several price were given, R.E size of unit and Btu's. Very professional.

Very efficient and professional service. Would definitely use te spall again

Installers were prompt & professional. Not only on time, but were early both mornings. Completed job in a timely manner. Very satisfied.

They were fine with doing the routine maintenance on my boiler. Just getting them there was the issue. They never seem to be on time. There were also incidences when they were supposed to call me when they were on their way so I could leave work and meet them at the house. That way, I would minimize my time away from the office. That didn't always happen. Or they were supposed to be at the house first thing in the morning, which I understood to be by 8 AM and wouldn't show up until after 9. However, they are friendly and professional when they are on the job. When I first contacted TE Spall a few years ago, they were more accommodating and sensitive to my schedule and needs. They were contacted to do repairs to my central AC. They claimed they fixed it after I spent hundreds of dollars. Each year, however, I had the same problem. All the refrigerant was gone from the system and system was blowing warm air. Each time, they claimed they fixed the problem. Each year, I spent money for repairs except 2013. In 2013, they finally determined the real cause of the leak, but they did not charge me except for my annual maintenance contract of $200. It turns out, the condenser unit was bad. The unit was still under warranty. I did not use TE Spall to replace it as they wanted more than $1200 for labor. I contacted the original installer, who only charged $400. If there was a "maybe" button as far as using them in the future, I would select that. I am not sure if I would use them again because of their tardiness and my having to miss work waiting for them. But perhaps if I can't find anyone else, I would.

The estimator was professional very thorough. He went throughout the house of 2000+ square feet with 4 bedrooms, measuring room square footage and window types and sizes. He explained in his quote the value of the product quoted and answered questions when I got back to him. I would go back to TE Spall fro another project. As it is I found a more local and smaller installer whose price was substantially lower and so I went with them.

My husband and I came home from out of state after a family emergency to a cold home during one of our recent cold spells. The motor on the furnace had died. My husband is handy, so he called around to get replacement parts, but no one (including the manufacturer) in our area stocked the parts for this furnace. We checked on Angie's List and found T.E. Spall and called. We were told a repairman would be here later in the afternoon. Joe showed up, was very professional, and said we needed a new motor. He checked his truck but the motor he had was not for our furnace. He told my husband he would order one and have it the next day. Sure enough, the next day he showed up with the correct motor, installed it and was done quickly. The house was warm a few hours later. We wound up purchasing a contract with TE Spall. Thank you!

IOverall satisfied with their work however because this was a complicated project it took longer to complete than estimated-roughly 6 weeks start to finish. The grading of the well field left something to be desired-large rocks were left on the surface and will have to be moved and the site regraded this coming spring and there was an issue with the initial start up of the system not providing hot water to an attached apartment- that issue was resolved after a 5 day wait which inconvenienced an elderly family member. This would be the only major complaint. Chris ( senior tech) and Tom ( owner) did personally address the issue and had it fixed within 4 hours of working on site. Steve Zazzera was easy to work with and patient over the one year bidding process- he was quick to return phone calls and address concerns even during off hours and weekends. I will update my experience with this system and service at the end of the winter heating season. Overall I would highly recommend T E Spall and Sons whether it would be for new installation or servicing of an existing HVAC system. SO far, tech support from Chris has been outstanding

Steve showed up on time. Wore little booties over shoes. Spent well over 30 minutes inspecting our current boiler and baseboard heating system. Very thorough. Was impressed with level of effort given to provide estimate. Ultimately went with another plumber mostly because of two personal recommendations and a lower price. Would definitely give them another shot in the future.

They were on time and did the project in the time estimated. They did very neat work and a thorough clean up.

We wanted to get off of fossil fuels for our 110 year old Victorian house. We had completely gutted and remodeled it, so we wanted to hire someone who would respect all the work we did, the house has become our baby. The job was going to be big, take time, be expensive and could be very dirty. We didn't have the duct work or infrastructure so everything we did had to be new. We met with six different geothermal contractors. We got proposals from four of them, still waiting for the other two proposals. We narrowed it down from the four proposals based on price, professionalism and our gut feeling about the estimator. We decided to go with T. E. Spall after going to their offices and walking around their facilities. Several things impressed us: Owning their own drilling truck. It's very expensive to buy and maintain - it signaled to us they're busy and must do a lot of installs. The owner Tom, was very professional, answered all our questions, government rebates everything we could think of all on a Saturday when he wasn't planning on coming into the office. The estimator, Steve also very professional, was well dressed, very professional and didn't try adding extras on - in fact, he suggested we live with the system first and then add things on as we need them. Their quote wasn't the least expensive, but it was the most comprehensive and we assumed would be the one with the least surprises. We were right. There wasn't anything additional we had to pay for in the installation. The first day they started work, the owner was there to make sure every thing ran smoothly and answer any questions we had. They did damage the driveway and part of our flagstone patio - because the drilling rig was so heavy - but they fixed it right away without any hassle. They got the well drilling done quickly and relatively cleanly. Inside the house the majority of the work was fabricating the duct work. Their fabricators were very clean, conscientious and considerate of our home. Was there dirt? Yes, but they tried to keep it down to a minimum. Considering the major work we had done, they were the cleanest contractors we've ever had. Their guys showed up everyday and worked hard everyday. Unlike some contractors we've had, these guys were on a mission and they were very respectful to us. We had two zones installed. The basement was easy to get all the equipment into and as expected there wasn't any damage to anything, which is really never a given. The second zone was all installed on the third floor with new duct work. They didn't scratch any of the walls or wood work. There were a few scratches on the floor, but I consider that regular wear and tear. Considering the amount of equipment they installed, it's really impressive nothing else got damaged. Our cautiousness and selectiveness paid off. The job was to take about 5 weeks and they were completely done in 5 1/2 weeks. The air conditioning is working amazingly well and the woodwork doesn't swell anymore. I'll report back on the heating part this winter. T.E. Spall give us one free year of servicing the system, which is great. I'm confident their service will be just as good as their installation. We highly recommend T.E. Spall, they've got us as lifelong customers now.

The repair was done in a timely manner, and asked if he could also check the unit in the kitchen as well. He checked the unit, and told me that it was fine. I told him that Ihave four units, and would like to be on the service plan. He explained the cost, and benefits, and I agreed to have the work done, and also to be on a call up for future service calls. The tech told me that the office would call me and schedule another visit for the maintenance on the other two units, as well as recheck to make sure that the repair done today was fixed and didn't need to have further repairs done to the unit. Looks like I found my service company to keep my air conditioning units running.