Burkhardt Heating & Air Conditioning

Everything turned out well for the most part.

Perfect experience. Doug came out promptly to provide an estimate and options for our failing 20 y.o. Furnace. His pricing was fair and better than at least one competitor (same brand and equipment). We had to postpone installation due to a death in family and the office was totally accommodating. They came the day after te funeral. Technician was friendly and the cleanest service technician who has ever done work for us. I highly recommend this company.

Purchased a Big Deal from Angie's for a whole-house humidifier. Rick called before leaving the office to let me know what time he'd be at my house, arrived on time, and got straight to work. The job took 3 hours instead of the 4 they estimated, which was great! Very professional, clean, and courteous.

Rick the tech called at about 7:45 AM to let me know he was enroute to our house and would arrive in about 30 minutes give or take depending on traffic. He arrived by 8:30 AM and reviewed with me where he planned to place the Humidifier unit, and accessories for the device. He noticed that our existing hot water heater was vented improperly and suggested that we get it fixed, indicating that he did not have the proper supplies to fix it. I really appreciated him noticing that safety issue. He then spent the next few hours installing the unit and did a surprise fix to the water heater vent that he had told us about. We really appreciated Rick letting us know about the water heater and then taking the time to do the fix and charge a small fee to do so. Rick then spent the time to explain how the Humidifier unit works and how we should maintain it. Rick was a top noticed service tech, and I will certainly tell others about the great service that we received through Burkhardt, we will be using them again for all our HVAC needs.

We are very happy with the installation and with the crew that installed the system. They are experienced, careful, pleasant to have around, and inspire confidence. The owner, Doug, checked on their progress. The foreman and the others, too, explained everything and were flexible in working around us. Every step was well coordinated. . A project like this involves cutting into plaster and the unavoidable floating of some insulation from the attic to the second floor. The crew was diligent in sweeping each day but we did a thorough vacuum cleaning and mopping of wood floor when the installation was completed. We agreed to the installation in winter because 1] we knew it would be hard to find capable contractors come the summer rush, 2] the price was a bit better because the contractor needs to keep his crew busy and 3] we have had warmer weather than usual which made it better for installation. Overall this has been a positive experience and we look forward to turning on the AC when the humidity and temperature climb.

We used Angies List in order to schedule a routine furnace maintenance visit after several years lapse. The last time, we asked the person multiple questions but stopped after too many "I don't know" answers. This time I chose Burkhardt. (I was impressed that the company responded to feedback on Angies list, plus I'm cheap and they offered a coupon.) I called, arranged the appt for 2 days later, then had to adjust the appt time with them. Phone service was immediate, polite, and receptive. Kurt called prior and arrived promptly at 8am. He began answering my various questions immediately, explaining everything clearly. We have 2 furnaces and used the $20 off coupon to arrive at $139. At my request, Kurt offered multiple ideas to improve our heating and AC and to consider the pros/cons of a one unit "dual venting" system in the future. There was NO pressure to sell their services. Instead he'd say, "when you get new AC consider this..." He walked through the house with me, figuring out which furnace supplied which vents, looking/testing. (It's not obvious as we have a 1964 tri-level with weird vent zoning.) The tune-up went smoothly and he fixed a "rattle" in the furnace. No question was too stupid and he wouldn't leave til I ran out of questions -- he spent 2 hours here! The level of service and consultation, delivered with friendly professionalism, far exceeded my expectations. Burkhardt will be our first choice in the future.

Wife handled whole job because I was out of town. I Was shocked at bill when I returned; $279.95= $210 parts+$69.95 diagnostic. Having an Electrical background I know no capacitor for a residential A/C unit would cost $210. To add insult to injury,on the same visit ,the serviceman TERRY also noted the fan blade was slightly bent and told my wife that it should be replaced...for $350!! I knew about the blade, having been bent from winter ice and previously straightened(FOR FREE) by a different HVAC service dealer 3 yrs. ago! Imagine, a simple aluminum fan blade, easily unbolted and at the top of the unit...$350! Robbery avoided! Enraged, I wrote Pres,, Doug Erdmann and told him he RIPPED ME OFF. Instead of writing a reply, he phoned and left a message, defending the $210 ; that it included labor, tax and warranty. What B.S! No way I was going to give him another minute of my time to call him back to hear more lies. Recently I ran into another Bryant(Brand of my furnace/ A/c unit) dealer's serviceman. I related the story and asked him for an honest, off-the-record cost of the capacitor for my unit he said "around $25 or so + labor of around $75. He asked who did the work and when I told him BURKHARDT, he said he thought so as he's heard similar reports about BURKHARDT. That is what finally prompted this report. Should have done it sooner. A BUNCH OF RIP-OFF ARTISTS! STAY AWAY FROM BURKHARDT HEATING!

Called today for help with a furnace pilot light problem. I was able to reach someone immediately (Saturday night). I explained the problem and he let me know they'd be happy to help but they are not a dealer fofr my furnace brand (Amana). He explained that if any parts were required additional costs could be incurred because they would have to be ordered and may require an additional visit. He suggested I contact an Amana authorized dealer to save money. I appreciated how straight forward this answer was and would definitely use this company in the future should the need arise.

The first time I used Burkhardt was yet another moment of panic. My central air seemed to be struggling last summer, on the hottest day of the heat wave. I phoned Burkhardt overnight, and was able to speak directly to both the owner and his service provider. The prior summer, I had been "informed" by two other a/c people that the unit was old, destroyed, and would soon have to be entirely replaced. Burkhardt arrived early the next morning, and checked everything out. The a/c unit was barely seven years old, and was working perfectly. Burhardt also lowered the level on the wall of my thermostat and checked it. With the absolute honesty and integrity, the actually saved me well over $2100. The servicemen I have worked with are remarkable, particularly Kurt.

The crew arrived promptly and explained the process over the next few hours and began to clean out all the ducts within the house. the crew was professional and needed to step out for a broken part. They were efficient and explained why they had to depart. The crew was self sufficient and kept busy the entire time. They displayed the filter at the end of the cleaning and stated that it would be best to clean out the ducts again in 5 years. I might be a little critical to the cost due to the recent rash of groupons for duct cleaning but I know the job was done right with Burkhardt, therefore I was happy in paying a little more for the services.

Great job. Arrived on time. Explained everything as he was going along. Even worked in the rain for the air conditioning unit.

I was thouroughly please with the service and quality. The two men that came to my home were very nice and professional and very neat. They left no mess at all. They arrived on time and got the work done promptly. The price was exactly what I was quoted without any surprises. I will certainly be calling Burkhardt's again!

The job went well as expected. The service people were punctual, very knowledgable and extremly skillful. All questions regarding the units, installation, operation and expectations were presented frankly and without hesitation. The job was more difficult than the average but the service people, Rick and Tony, completed the job in a reasonable amount of time.We are very pleased overall.

The gentleman who came to do the estimate was timely and professional. He listened to what we needed, asked for the appropriate information and gave us an estimate on the spot. He came with references and details about the products and the company. He was able to determine that we didn't need as large of a unit as the one that had failed. The installation crew was on time, efficient, and cleaned up after themselves. The only poor mark was that they both smoked outside the house.

Company responded promptly to my request. I set up a time for an estimate making it clear that I had another company coming over prior to them and in the event that he got there early... to wait. Salesman showed up early. The other company van was parked outside but he came up to house anyway interupting the estimate. Estimate I got from this company was about $400 more that the other 4 I received and this was the only one I felt pressured.

Jerry was very professional from start to finish. He seemed thorough and checked everything....and best of all, did not find any suspicious "new repairs" (always a worry). He drained the upstairs radiators and explained how things worked and why the upstairs radiators were not heating well. I have never lived in a house previously with radiator heat and he was great about clearing up some things for me. Not only was this excellent service, but I felt like he was a sincere person. Also, about a week after the service, I received a card thanking me for my business....nice touch Burkhardt!

They did very good, were on time, and gave me a quote before they came out. They even continued to be thorough after the work was done.

We had been having issues with heating the last few days -- not getting as warm as dialed up on the thermostat. In the last day the heat wasn't even keeping up with our minimal settings. Initially thought it was a thermostat issue -- low batteries. I tried various repair suggestions on the furnace and thought I checked the filters to make sure they were clean. The problem was I was checking the air cleaner filters -- which later diagnosed as not even working properly. Behind that are the main air filters for the system -- I missed seeing them behind the air cleaner. Turns out there were nearly 100% clogged and that was the main issue. With those cleaned things were working fine. Since the technician was here I had him run through normal maintenance tasks. He noted a future issue with the age of the unit and the bearings on the inductor starting to show their age and said it would be a ~$400 repair that would be needed to replace the main unit in the future -- but I'd most likely know when that was as the bearing sound would get louder and louder. When we first bought the house 7 years ago the ignitor broke and was replaced. He tested the current one and it showed that it was nearing the end of its life. I decided to replace it now rather than have to call again on a service call. The technician then was very good to say he was leaving the old one with me and in case the other (in the future) died/broke how I could use this one to get by until I could get someone back to replace it -- the part is apparently not available unless through a service center. But I wouldn't need an emergency 24-hour run if it broke at night and wouldn't have to pay the extra charges.

I was very pleased with Burkhardt Heating & Cooling. They did everything on schedule and they were very professional. I had one problem and they were very prompt and took good care of me. So, I was very happy.

The actual day of the install of our new system the workers arrived between 8am and 8:30am as I was told they would. I was running out trash to the alley when the workers started arriving. They introduced themselves and asked if they could park in back. I gave them the okay. They started bringing everything down to our basement. Within no time they were disassembling the old furnace. I was given many opportunities to ask questions as they worked. For the most part I tried to stay out of the worker's way as they worked. Around noon two electricians (contractors) arrived to install new breakers, one for the AC unit (which we didn't have before), one for the furnace (which wasn't on its own breaker before), one for an outside electrical outlet at the AC unit (we didn't have this before), and they also ran wire to the new furnace. I believe the electricians ran the wire to the AC unit as well, but I didn't witness this - Burkhardt workers might have done the preliminary run of wire. The electricians and workers from Burkhardt were very nice and asked permission to use the bathroom, asked about placement of the thermostat, about placement of the AC unit, etc. I was shown how the new system worked by who I figure was the supervisor of the Burkhardt people. He showed all the controls on the thermostat and how I could set the programs up. He offered to do it for me, which was great. The new system we have set to heat to 67 when we get home and when we wake up in the morning. I was surprised to learn the new system is intelligent enough to not only heat to 67, but to anticipate how long it will take to heat up to 67 and start ahead of time. What does this mean? If you wake at 6am and want it 67 degrees the system will start earlier (say 5:45) and heat the house to 67 so that at 6am it will be nice and comfy for you. I was also explained by the supervisor that the system "learns" based on past performance in your specific home how long it takes to heat and cool in different situations. Our new thermostat has an outside temperature right on the display. I have found this helpful when I take the dog out in the morning. It encourages me to find my hat when it is 8 degrees out versus 28 degrees. The guys worked in our home until about 1:30pm-2pm when they were all done. Our house is a small 1100-1200 sq ft home, so I think we might have been a bit easier than some homes. The exception would be that the old furnace took quite a few trips to get out of the house. The guys were careful not to scratch the walls and woodwork as they made their way out with the old furnace. They also did a good job cleaning up. There was some minor mess left behind, but it was pretty minor considering how I had witnessed our basement looking earlier in the day. The new system had a smell the first week to week and a half that lingered, but I was happy the supervisor told me this was expected to burn off the oils/sealants of the new furnace. That saved me the hassle of a call to Burkhardt asking about that. I was told they would come back in May or June to check the levels of Puron in the AC unit because they need it to be able to cool to do an accurate check. We have already received our Bryant rebate and cashed that. We're waiting on the Focus On Energy rebate. I'm relieved we have the first one as it was the bigger rebate. I always get slightly nervous on rebates because on consumer electronics you hear horror stories. I'm glad so far we have no complaints there. Overall the whole process was great. My only complaint, if I had any, was that it was a bit expensive. However, you get what you pay for. We're very happy we went with Burkhardt. Thanks everyone for your hard work and professionalism.

This is where I believe your company has an issue. I totally understand the cost of doing business has gone up, and you have over head, and insurance, and salaries but.....I did not mind paying the $109.00 service call fee, which is the emergency call cost. I understand that anything after 5pm is overtime, and the cost goes up. I even understand as a consumer that on the coldest day of the year I will pay more for your services BUT.....the part which was put into the furnace costs $28.00 retail. The total time spent at my residence was 20 minutes. My bill was $317.90. I was able to use a coupon of $20.00 from the phone book. Still, $297.90 to replace a $28.00 part, which was a plug-in unit at that. Sir, this was an "over charge" of services by a long shot. A break down here shows $109.00 for the service call....but $208.00 to plug in an ignitor? With all due respect, this is not right to over charge your customers. Especially, a repeat customer. I would really like to hear from you and your response to this issue. I understand Doug Burkhardt is no longer with us, and his father who has been a member of Our Lady of Good Hope Parish no longer runs the business. But the name Burkhardt has been know for over 40 years in our parish. I have suggested others to call your company for service. I'm not just a disgruntled customer....I'm a customer who feels like I was taken advantage of due to the circumstances of my furnace issue. I'm NOT unhappy with the service, your cost is the issue! Response Hi Jeff, Thank you for your inquiry. The prices for the work done was correct. I set the prices myself. The prices are the lowest I can charge to stay in business. The price to replace an ignitor on overtime is $317.90, which includes parts, labor, tax and overhead. Here is just a small sample of what constitutes overhead: Truck fleet of (4) service trucks, (2) installation trucks, (1) pick up truck, and (1) automobile. Gasoline for the fleet. Insurance, which includes worker's compensation, liability, auto, health and dental. Rent. Advertising. Wages, which includes the technicians, office support and my own salary. 401K for employees. Taxes, which includes Social Security, Unemployment and Personal Property taxes and if there is a profit, State and Federal taxes. Accounting and legal services. Inventory. Bad Debts. Bank fees. Uniforms. Interest on loans. Licences. Office and computer supplies. Computers. Cell phones. Tools. Employee training. Utilities. Those are just a sample of what constitutes overhead. Thus, you can see, a lot more goes into a 'price' than just the cost for a part. Now, when I get told I charge too much for the best service in Milwaukee, I usually ask, 'How much profit should a company make?' I will ask that of you.... What is a 'fair' profit? Most people say around 10%....... If we have a very good year, our net profit will be around 3%..... Most years aren't good years. Over half of the years I've owned the business have been a small loss. I have also sampled our competition with their prices on certain repairs.... Most, with less service, charge between 10-50% MORE than we do! I understand the frustration of high prices and share the same feelings with you. My goal is to continue to give the BEST service at a fair price just like Ron and Doug Burkhardt did in the past, and I will continue to do in the future. For the hope that Burkhardt Heating can continue to exist. I hope this explains adequately why the price is what it is. If you have any further questions, or would like to discuss this matter further, please feel free to reply to this e-mail or call me at 414-355-5520. Thank you for your past service and hope to solve any of your future heating and cooling needs. Sincerely, Doug Erdmann Owner Burkhardt Heating

It is old and noisy so I wasn't sure what to expect but the tech that came out ran a few diagnostic tests and assured me it was running just fine. He showed me where the rattling noise was coming from so I could tighten it up in future. He was very honest in that he gave me the pros and cons of replacing my older unit with a new more efficient unit. The tech that came out was very friendly and told me he lives very close by (southside Milw) so when I call Burkhardt's I'll probably get him each time. I'll probably buy a new Bryant AC from Burkhardt's in a couple years.

They were very up front and honest. They were prompt. The technician did very good work. They sent a thank you card after they completed the job.

Property was extensively vandalized about one year ago, and included broken water pipes and basement flooding. The furnaces had been replaced by 2nd hand units by others during the subsequent renovation, but not tested for this year's heating season. The PVC venting pipes were poorly hung, not cemented together properly, so condensation occured that turned off the units and prevented their heating. The job was obviously not done by a skilled contractor, who "jury rigged" a lot of the installation. An estimate by another heating contractor for $1300 was to correct the above problems, but offered no guarantee that anything would work, "You may need two new furnaces after these repairs are done," they said. Rick from Burkhardt came by and pointed out what needed to be corrected immediately, and what could wait. He did his job quickly and professionally. The only minor complaint was that they did not apply a $20 rebate for referral from Angies List. If they read this, they may apply this $20 for a "tip" for the contractor!

Went well. The technician explained and showed why the ignitor needed replacing, showed various part that needed to be cleaned and spent time and was patient answering all of my questions. Had not expected to replace anything so the cost was more than I had expected. I'm always surprised at the cost of parts.