BAUST HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

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We first called Mr. Baust last fall to service the aging furnace in our previous home. As it turned out (and we strongly suspected this prior to calling him), servicing the furnace was neither cost-effective nor practical. Mr. Baust provided us with a competitive quote for a new high efficiency furnace and even a couple of estimates for the cost of installing central air (as it turned out, we decided to wait...and then later decided to move, so we never had the a/c installed.) Mr. Baust explained all of our options, explained everything about the work in detail - including how to apply for an energy rebate for the furnace. He set up an install, showed up exactly as promised, completed his work deftly and diligently. He even installed the pump and hose apparatus for no more than a nominal charge. When the work was complete, he and his assistant cleaned up all traces of the work. He explained the warranty and rebate details carefully and answered our questions. In addition, he repaired some plumbing at almost no charge. Topping it all off, he even waited way beyond the day that I needed him to wait, just to make sure that the transfer from our savings to our checking account cleared...If memory serves, I think that I might've had to call him to remind him that it was fine to cash the check! He and Mrs. Baust pre-completed all of the paperwork that we needed to submit for a rebate on the high efficiency furnace, and the most that we had to do to apply for the rebate was to sign and mail. We were really pleased with his work, and impressed with his down-to-earth, no-nonsense, no-gimmick approach and straightforward pricing and good old fashioned work ethic. We certainly planned to call on him again, which is what we had to do just a few days ago, after moving to a new residence. We found out upon moving in that the previous owners had gone to some lengths to mask a cat urine problem...and decided to confine our cats in the smallest bedroom until we could undertake remedial measures to eliminate the odor in an effort to eliminate the possibility that our cats might be tempted to start marking their territory over the areas where the previous owners' cats had gone to the bathroom. Our very skittish kitten - frightened in her new environment - became so desperate that she actually pried a register cover off and lodged herself in a HVAC duct. After a day and half of trying to coax her out, I became increasingly concerned that she was stuck and so I called Mr. Baust, who answered my call and arrived at my house in less than an hour and a half. He went to work with his camara, accessed the heat and cold air ducts, measured and quickly determined that the cat was located in a duct that had been taken out of service, and closed off in the interior of the wall, but not sealed off at the register opening. I never asked about the cost, and despite Mr. Baust's concern that I might be upset that he'd need to tear up the hardwood (which might result in the need for a costly repair), I asked him to just do what he needed to do to get her out. His calculation of her whereabouts was exact and he quickly and deftly worked to free her. (She was - indeed - irrevocably lodged; she would have perished if Mr. Baust hadn't rescued her.) When he made the final cut that enabled him to reach into the duct and dislodge her, I cried and I hugged him. (I hope that I didn't get any lipstick on his shirt...Sorry, Mrs. Baust!) He took a breath, sat back and said, very simply and modestly: and quot;Well, I have to tell you, I was a little worried that we wouldn't get her. I said a little prayer to St. Jude.and quot; Those were the just the nicest, sweetest, most touching words. When he was finished cleaning up, I asked him to please prepare my bill. He said: and quot;Well. I have to charge you $75.00and quot; . I just couldn't believe it and I asked him to please charge me appropriately, but he wouldn't. I can't tell you how very thankful I was. (Moving is much more costly than most of plan for, I think.) He was here at my house for most of the afternoon and really had to put a lot of effort and thinking into his work. I don't even want to begin to contemplate what he should have charged me for the work, which is why I actually hesitated in writing this review: Certainly, I know that Mr. Baust works hard and must earn a living, and I don't want to repay his kindness by advertising his charity. Still, I feel like it's really important that I let anyone who is looking for a quality, honest, down-to-earth, hard-working HVAC / Plumbing contractor know that Mr. Baust does an absolutely fantastic job and is a really a wonderful, wonderful man.

Overall experiences have been positive or I would not keep calling him!!

He arrived promptly at the planned time in the evening. (NOTE: They will do work in the evenings and weekends). Excellent work. Very thorough. Very professional. He said he'd come back in the spring and check my air conditioner for a discounted price ($35 instead of $50 since I already had my furnace checked the same year).