I called R & R Heating to examine my heat pump that had quit working. I was almost positive the Freon had leaked out of it, and that was the reason it was not functioning.
The technician from R & R arrived, I explained the symptoms to him, he connected his gauges, and sure enough, there was no longer Freon in the system.
He then told me he "didn't have time" to diagnose the problem. I then paid a bill for over $90 for 15 minutes of "work".
I called another company for repair. Within a few minutes they were able to diagnose where the Freon had leaked out. Labor for diagnosis AND repair was $140, which involved a lot more than hooking up a gauge and and saying "yup, you're right".
I will be purchasing a new furnace, but based on this experience, I will NOT be calling R & R.
RESPONSE FROM R&R Heating & Air Conditioning:
Thank you Nick for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your complete satisfaction is our goal and it's very helpful to receive feedback like yours that we can use towards that goal. We would like to keep you as a customer and are willing to do what is necessary to do that.
We're sorry you felt less than satisfied after we diagnosed the problem you were having for your heat pump. After reading your comments, we took a look at the notes from your appointment and here's a summary of what our records show:
Our service technician arrived on Monday 4/2/12 to diagnose the problem with your heat pump. After thorough analysis, our tech indeed found that your system had no refrigerant in it, and prepared an itemized estimate for complete repairs, which to do right would require several steps: In order to guarantee the leak was found and no other leaks were present, it would require that we charge the system with nitrogen, locate the leak (and any others), repair the leak(s), install a filter drier to collect any moisture or debris that may have accessed the system while it was open to the atmosphere, pull a vacuum with a micrometer down to .500 microns, then recharge the system with R22. These steps are mandatory by all manufactures and HVAC professionals to ensure the refrigerant system is sealed and no longer at risk from atmospheric elements. To fully and completely fix the issue, this repair work would additional time and need to be scheduled for a future visit. The last thing we would want to do is put a band-aid on the situation only to have it break down again later.
It sounds like the repair work you received from the other company may have only included the leak search (value $140, which is what our price was as well). If the other items listed above were not completed, your system may not have been properly and fully repaired. If you end up having more trouble with your unit in the future we would be more than happy to come out and fix it for you.
Our standard diagnostic fee is $89.50 and we don't cut any corners or make assumptions - our techs are highly trained to find the root causes of issues so the problems don't return. Our pricing is competitive and reflects the value of the quality services we provide. Hopefully you see the value in being thorough. Certainly we aren't out to up-sell unnecessary services, it's just not who we are. Our philosophy is and always will be to do a full and complete job, provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision, and be there when you need us.
Again, Nick, we really would like to keep you as our customer. Your business is valuable to us and we want you to be satisfied. Please let us know if you have any questions and what it would take to retain your business.
Sincerely
R&R Heating & Air Conditioning
more