Brazos Valley Services exceeded my expectations of an A-rated company on Angie's List. Rich, the senior technician at Brazos Valley Services, came to my townhouse for 3 different service calls, one of which was in response to an unexpected situation on a Saturday afternoon. He was very cooperative and prompt, never complained about coming out on a weekend day, and created a temporary solution to the immediate problem that saved my ceiling, my hardwood floor, and my sanity. On July 4th, Brazos Valley Services worked, so Rich arrived exactly on time to install a new piece of equipment that created a permanent solution. I am very pleased with the quality of the service and their cooperativeness, and I WILL use Brazos Valley Services again.
Description of Work: Originally I bought an Angie's List Big Deal Coupon to have Brazos Valley Services check and service my air conditioning system. (Coupon cost USD 48 and included 1 pound of freon, if needed.) Rich, Brazos Valley Services' senior technician, arrived on time and well-prepared (tall ladder, freon and other supplies on truck, etc.). I explained to him that as a first-time homeowner of less than a year, I was trying to nurse my existing, old HVAC system through this summer to avoid the cost of installing a new unit until next spring to ease my financial situation. Rich checked the condenser unit on the roof of garage and discovered three wires needed to be replaced as they were about to burn through and short out. He took photos of the wires in place with his phone and showed them to me, which I appreciated. He also advised that I needed 2 pounds of freond, 1 pound of which was included with my coupon, so I would pay for onlhy 1 pound. I asked him how much this repair would cost, how long it would take, and if it could be done on the same day. He said USD 600, about an hour, and yes. I asked him to replace the wires and add the freon, which he did. Then, he checked the larger piece of HVAC equipment in my attic and said it looked OK. I paid him and also bought a membership to one of Brazos Valley's customer service clubs, which gave me a discount on the day's cost. In fact, the discount I received just about paid for the club membership, which is good for a year. The next day, water suddenly began dripping from the living room ceiling onto my wood floor. Upon checking the attic, we could hear water dripping inside the HVAC equipment in the attic. I phoned Rich at about 4 p.m. He advised he would be at my townhouse in half an hour, and he was. He investigated and discovered that with the addition of the freon to the condenser unit, the cooling coils in the inside unit were operating at a cooler temperature and more condensate was being generated. Typically, these water droplets fall into the drip pan and flow out a plastic pipe that connects to the regular plumbing system in the house. Upon removing the connection of that plastic pipe to the drip pan, Rich discovered a large crack, which had allowed water to run amuck into a part of the equpment where it collected and began dripping through the ceiling. Rich jury rigged the drip pan so the condensate droplets would flow out the emergency drain and empty outside the house. This was a VERY smart and helpful thing to do, and this one action saved my ceiling and my floor. As it now was 6 p.m. on Saturday, Rich said he would check on Monday to see if a new drain pan could be located for my unit, as he believed installation of that piece would solve this drip problem and allow me to make it through this summer with my present AC unit. On Monday, Brazos Valley Services called to say they had found a new drip pan. We made an appointment for Rich to install it. Unfortunately, 4 days before the appointment, I suffered a serious back problem and had to reschedule. The next date with a morning appointment available was July 4th - a national holiday - but Brazos Valley Services worked that day, so we agreed to do the installation that morning. Rich was exactly on time. He got right to work, protecting the carpet on the landing (where the pull-dow2hn steps to the attic are located) with a large cotton dropcloth. In about 1 1/2 hours, he had installed the new pan and assured that the condensate droplets were running out the normal pipe into the plumbing of the townhouse. The cost of this repair (labor plus cost of new part) was USD 308, which we had previously agreed. When Rich left, I had much peace of mind that my AC unit was operating properly. Brazos Valley Services provided what I consider to be exceptional service in the 3 different visits to my townhouse. Rich provided straight answers to my questions, patiently explaining technical details in a way I could understand so I could make informed decisions about repair. He never seemed impatient with my need to know, and he really listened when I explained that I would like to make it through this summer with current HVAC system, as I already had spent significant USD on other repairs at my townhouse. He is very knowledgeable also about new, SER-rated, energy-efficient HVAC systems and provided basic info for me to consider, so I could begin considering what type system I want to buy next year. Brazos Valley Services office staff also was very good about working with me to schedule work on days I already planned to be off so I did not have to take vacation to be available for the repair. As a first-time homeowner, I truly appreciate their straight-forward, helpful approach. I certainly will use them again.