ARS / Rescue Rooter Austin

We needed to replace the AC upstairs in our home. ARS installed a heat pump, and it made a horrible rattling noise. They came out and replaced it. The new unit did the AC fine. When we switch it over to heat in the winter, it didn't work. They said it was wired incorrectly. The did not tell us when we bought the new unit, that we needed new duct work. One of the old ducts collapsed, and THEN they told us we needed new ducts. They were prompt when we called, but it was obvious they didn't know what they were doing. They also didn't tell us we needed to invest in $1000's of duct work. I did not renew my contract, and don't plan to use them again. To be fair, there were a couple of technicians that knew what they were doing. However, there were many that did not have a clue.

Called to have them run a camera down a line to determine the issue. Waited for an hour for the truck to show up with the camera. They do not have cameras on all their trucks which is weird since the cameras are only about $2000 each. We've tried them a couple of times and the experience has been pretty mediocre. Not awful, but they are generally late and ill prepared. We've since started using Steve's Plumbing. He's prompt, a little more expensive ($160 for a camera scope), but they provide exellent reports and fair quotes to get things fixed.

They were excellent on both things they did. They came out that night and the guy was very, very nice. We were trying to find the leak. He used string to go down the pipe. I couldn't figure out how he got it to go up the T and he said that most people didn't know that trick. The guy was also excellent that did the air cleaners. I’ve been using them for a while. They were very professional.

The estimator came out and did measurements, telling me which system would be the best energy match for my home to make me more comfortable, use less energy overall, etc. After I had a contract, installers installed the new system, and it was neat and very thorough. They said they cleaned up attic ductwork, and recommended more insulation or hanging the ducts from above, but I declined. They gave me all the paperwork for the rebates and warranties, plus one full year of tune-ups included. I don't give them great ratings, because what happened is that my house is less comfortable than when I had the older unit (I have to set the exact same thermostat much higher in winter and much lower in summer than I did previously), and also my bills are much higher than they were before! Although the older unit was not doing that well because it would need new freeon every year and I was afraid it was going to break down, I was of course very disappointed with the new one being less energy efficient! I should not have replaced the unit until the old one broke, but I didn't want to get caught in the heat of the summer. At any rate, what also annoyed me was that their service contract was really crazy because they have an outfit in San Antonio that doesn't know what the outfit in Austin is doing. I'd get calls almost daily for months about a "winter service" that had already happened, from several different numbers, and I couldn't seem to get the message to them that I didn't need it so they would stop calling. It was so aggressive, that finally I called them and said to cancel my service contract completely, I didn't care to receive all those calls. That's too bad, because probably it would have been good to have the unit lubricated twice a year, but I just couldn't stand their follow-up.

We used ARS last year to repair our thermostat, and repair a pluming problem. We had to have another service provider out to repair the thermostat, AND fix the plumbing problem. I was very unhappy because we had to pay for another contractor to resolve the problems they didn't fix the first time they were here. I cannot recommend them, nor will I be using them again.

They did not charge me. The service and professionalism was great.

I would give them a good rating.

While repairing a water leak at my neighbor's house, the serviceman from ARS Rescue Rooter found a water leak at my water meter. He knocked at my door and told me about the problem. Since I was leaving town the following day (and we are in the midst of a drought) I asked him if he could repair my leaking pipe when he was finished the job he was doing next door. He agreed and without calculating the time it would take, he quoted me a price of $500. He had already uncovered the problem while looking for my neighbor's leak, so I asked him if that would reduce my rate. Again, he said that the flat rate for fixing a leaking pipe near the meter was $500. In the past, plumbers that I have hired calculated their fees based on the time spent on the job. I won't do business with ARS Rescue Rooter because I felt like I was overcharged for the work that was done.

On the first cool night of the season our heat wouldn't turn on. We called ARS the next morning (Friday) and they sent a service rep right out. The verdict: our control panel was no longer working and needed to be replaced - $600. Our unit was already 17 yrs old and had survived the last two extraordinary Texas summers. We decided we wanted to discuss replacing the system and asked for ARS to send someone out to assess the kind of system we needed and provide a cost estimate. That's when we met Alex. Alex arrived promptly on Saturday morning around 8am - as scheduled. We spent close to 3 hours with him explaining our needs and understanding how the system works and what we needed. Talking HVAC on a Saturday morning doesn't sound like fun but it actually was! Alex is very knowledgeable and able to answer all our questions. He provided a quote and let us know when the install crew could be scheduled. He also gave us two references to verify the quality of ARS and the install team. We thought it over, talked with the references and decided to purchase the system on Monday. The install team arrived Wednesday on schedule. They worked quickly and efficiently to remove the old unit and install the new one. They left the work area clean and were very courteous. The team seemed to work well together and to enjoy the work. The next day Alex came by for the final inspection. He found a couple of things that needed further attention and scheduled the crew for the next day. Once again the install crew arrived on schedule and completed their work quickly and efficiently. Everyone at ARS was prompt and professional. Alex also provided all the documents needed to file for the applicable energy and tax rebates. It was a pleasure working with ARS and I would highly recommend them to others. I also plan on working with them again as needed in the future.

They did a very good job. I am satisfied with their work.

They were prompt and courteous. Their help is fairly professional. But they were just too expensive, so I only use them for specialized things.

ARS Rescue Rooter did a very good job answering our service call. The technician fixed the problem even though is was not part of our new unit installation. We have used ARS several times and had great results every time. I recommend ARS and will certainly use them again.

ARS did a very good job replacing our air conditioning system which unexpectedly went out in the middle of summer. They responded quickly, diagnosed the problem, explained in detail what could be done, gave us options on the repair work for our old unit and/or its replacement, and made a reasonable unpressured recommendation. They work with Home Depot on installing Trane Air Conditioning units purchased from them. They ordered our new unit, got it in next day, and they quickly installed our new Air Conditioning unit. The ARS technicians were very professional, they did a good job and they cleaned up and did not leave a mess behind them. I recommend using ARS and would certainly use them again.

ARS quickly responded to our service call. The technician was very professional. He identified the problem and repaired the duct work quickly. I recommend using ARS Rescue Rooter.

Overall, everything turned out fine with this company. They were on time to the job and good with following up with you. I would use this company again in the future.

called on a Sunday because my washing machine stopped working. Was assured they would come out that day. Several hours later, they called to say they don't do those kind of repairs on the weekend; but would be out first thing in the morning at 8am. Despite my disappointment at the incorrect original information and now having to take off work, I decided to go ahead and keep the appointment. I also specifically asked if there was a service charge and was told no. In the meantime I did some research to see if I could figure out what was wrong with the washer. I was fairly confident that I knew what the problem was (broken lid switch); but due to being in rehab following spine surgery, I knew I couldn't handle the task myself even though it seemed fairly straightforward. Monday morning at 830am, I called to see where the technician was. I was told it would be at least an hour and a half before he would be at my house because I was the second call of the day. Again, not what I was told the day before. Finally at 11am, the guy arrived (so 3 hours later than originally promised). He diagnosed the problem (broken lid switch!) and replaced it in under 30 minutes. As he was filling out the invoice, I told him their website has a coupon for $50 off a repair call. He said, no problem - he would simply waive the standard service fee ($79). OK, then his first invoice was for $211! I told him that seemed high considering the part only costs $40 (I had done my research) and that he was done in less than 30 minutes. He offered to take $50 off the price. I accepted though I still believe that was too much. So with my math (including the standard service fee and the $50 he took off), if I hadn't said anything, the total cost of this repair would have been $290. Considering the part costs $40, that computes to $250 for one half hour of labor! Outrageous.

The guy that came out was not interested in repairing any problem, only in selling new systems at an inflated price. He basically told me the coil was too hard to get to, not worth cleaning or repairing, and that my compressor was on its "last legs" anyway - therefore I needed to spend between $7,500 and $15,000 on a new complete A/C and heating system. Little did he know my compressor is only 2 years old and I wasn't falling for his $1,150 estimate to clean the coil. I called another company, who repaired the problem for $355 including a service call. My A/C is blowing VERY COLD again. I may have to buy a new system someday, but it certainly won't be from ARS!

I don’t remember how much I spent. They were prompt and professional. They were competitive. They were in and out quickly. They were very good. I would absolutely use their services again in the future.

The service call was for fixing a leak in one outside faucet and for a loud vibration through the plumbing system when a second faucet in the backyard was turned on. The technician established that both faucets and their respective anti-backup valves were defective and that both were to be changed. He priced the job at $216.00 which I paid with my American Express credit card. A few hours after the work was completed, I noticed that the faucet in the backyard was still making the loud vibration and called the office for getting it fixed. The technician returned and determined that the cause of the vibration was the anti-backup valve, which when he removed, the vibration problem went away. So, if the backup valve is installed per the city code then the original vibration problem, for which I called for the service, is still there. Yet I find that I was charged the full $216.00 for fixing the two problems, whereas in reality only the leaking faucet was repaired. When I asked the technician to adjust the billing he refused. I wrote a letter to the ARS office asking for the adjustment. They have not responded. Because of non-responsiveness I have rated them poorly for their professionalism and for a poor quality of work as far as diagnosing the problem An update 5-24-11 I finally received a response from ARS after I had submitted a disputed charge to American Express Credit Card. ARS initially offered a $20 refund, which I refused. Subsequently, they upped the offer to refund me $69 in lieu of halving the original bill as I had originally asked. In order to not drag this any further, I agreed to the $69 refund which they credited to my charge card. So I ended up paying $147 for a simple job of replacing an outside faucet. In my opinion, ARS overprices their work

They did exactly what they said they were going to do. We have a two-story house and they had to go into the attic to get to the air handler. They said they would put down tarps and clean up after themselves, which they did well. They did the job in one day like they said they would.

=Fine. He had to come back the next day with the part.

The technician was supposed to come between 8:30 -9:30 am Friday morning. When no one showed by 11:00, I called and was told he was running behind, so I requested he come instead after 4:30 pm. When no one showed up by 6 I called and was told I was next on the list. At almost 8 PM I received a voice mail to call dispatch with no information. When I called, I was told that no one had called me, although I had just hit return call on my cell phone. I asked them to check my appointment status. I was told that I was now number four on the list. The dispatcher asked if they could reschedule for the next day. I told them they could only if I was the first appointment of the day. I had to call again Sat morning at 9:15 am to determine the status of the technician, who I was told was on his way. He got to my house at 10 AM finally. The costs were so high for each item that we had the technician do only one thing - clean out the drain from the bathroom sink. Even that was a stretch, as he told us he didn't clean out drain traps. When my husband insisted, he started to put the gunk down the other sink in the bathroom. We can't understand why the technician began pouring gunk from the first drain trap down the second train trap. My husband protested. The technician responded: "Where do you want me to put it? He asked the technician to put the gunk down the toilet. After he left, we took the drain trap apart and cleaned it properly. All in all a very poor experience with this group.

3333006247A0110210They were kind of a comedy, but, not a funny one. Once, they came and cleaned the sewer line and had to call them back again, as the sewer line was stuck again. I didn’t pay anything for that visit, because the company I am contracted with gave me a 30 day period. They came again and couldn’t clean the stoppage, instead broke the fittings. They cane several times after that, but, never told they’ll work on the fittings. I left several voice mails for the manager, but never had any response. I pay them $60 and their contracting company pays something. They are difficult to schedule and communicate terribly. Their quality of work is poor. I will not use their services in future.

It took the plumber approximately 6 hours to fix the leak. He complained about having to dig through roots, rock and clay and increased his original estimate from $500 to $762 because of these impediments. The job took longer because he completed the work, buried the water line and then discovered he had left off a fitting and had to do the work again (he claimed he didn't charge extra for this). 4 weeks later, the same repair began leaking again. When I called ARS on Sunday about this, they said they were unable to send anyone out until sometime on Monday. This was unacceptable to me, so I called another company who came out on Sunday. They fixed the problem within 2 hours (and without complaining about roots, rock and clay) even though it was dark. The plumber who completed the 2nd repair told me the ARS guy must have been incompetent because he put numerous extra fittings on the first repair which was the main reason it broke again. I have used ARS for years even though I thought they were expensive but I will not use them again. To be fair, I did not give them a chance to warranty the initial work but I could not wait a couple of days for them to get someone out. The second company charged me $250 to complete the repair and I have given them a positive report on Angie's List

The company is connected to a home warranty service. The company recommended that the warranty service deny responsibility because the floor had been replaced in the bathroom. I explained that the toilet had been loose, moving, and even leaking at the base prior to replacing the floor. My service request was denied and the company gave me an estimate of over $400.00 to do the work. I declined. I paid $60.00 for a service call. Another plumbing company did the work for $200.00. Draw your own conclusions.