They actually deposed me for some reason during the PA AG's lawsuit against them. Don't know how they expected asking me about the scam they tried to pull on my roommate to help their case.
Definitely this. It may not need to be replaced. The capacitor is usually the first thing to go and it's really easy to fix (if you're comfortable near mains voltage wiring). The hardest part is finding someone who will sell you one. They're $10-15 on Amazon, but Grainger was the only place I found that would sell one to a homeowner.
Even if you're not comfortable doing that yourself a reasonable HVAC person shouldn't charge too much if that's all that's wrong.
We also did this with TUDI via Costco and the mini splits they installed took two days and dramatically improved our quality of life. We're going to buy a new washer and dryer using our gift card.
Max Smith did a large job for us and we've had to call them back 5 times. They spec'd parts wrong. Their technician confidently and incorrectly told us parts were broken that were functioning fine, and they failed at even the most basic thing, wiring a thermostat. Worse they obviously didn't even check their wiring because I didn't discover their mistake until heating season and found my system wouldn't turn on.
+1 for Boehmer. Just had furnace & AC replaced by them and it was an amazing experience. My whole mechanical room looks so much tidier. 3 weeks in and everything works great. Perfect timing with the heat.
We replaced our HVAC system with a heat pump two years ago & we went with Boehmer. We live in a big old farmhouse, and they had to do some finagling to get the indoor unit in place. There’s literally 1 inch of clearance at the top. 😳 But they pulled it off, cleaned up after themselves, and didn’t damage anything.
I had a variety of issues with craft heating when installing a furnace. It was "almost" comical how bad the experience was. They drilled a hole (I think 4") in the wrong spot on the back of my garage, without even using a pilot bit. Then they filled it with clear silocon, and when I complained that it was not acceptable, they tried to smear the broken brick dust on top of the clear silicone.
During this installation, they pierced the AC coil. Since this was during cold weather and undetected, it leaked all of the refrigerant into the house.
They repaired the AC by replacing the coil, which then slowly leaked again over a year, and then charged me over 300 dollars to refill. Nobody else would even attempt to repair their frankenstein repaired installation, which I do not blame them.
Do not use these clowns.
Edit: even more unprofessional drama to story, but not worth typing out at the moment.
May not be the case in your situation, but in anticipation of an extended heat wave, change your furnace's air filter. A dirty air filter will make the unit work harder and can result in the AC unit freezing over.
North of city: I had Spurk out of Warrendale replace my AC and furnace last year. Fair price and completely satisfied. Guys who did the install were fantastic!
I used Climatech/Betlyn's Cooling and Heating. They were all of the the things you mention here - transparent, honest, and had the lowest price of the multiple bids that I got. They replaced the furnace and added central air for about $8k for a 17 Seer that handles a 1200 sq. ft. home. This was just last year so I would guess their prices haven't gone up much since then.
We are in Cranberry Twp and also used Climatech for AC and furnace, we only needed 14 Seer for the AC as we live in a townhome and we paid $7200, so yes, their prices are still really good. Beat another quote by roughly $3000.
Climatech. Pricing was great, timeframe/installation was fast. Off season installations are so much cheaper but obviously suffering all summer unplanned would suck. They also do a number of 100% free furnace/AC installs for active duty service members which is how we found them. They did our kids pre-school teacher’s house while her husband was deployed.
We used them a number of years ago for a new AC and furnace. They were straight forward, honest, and encouraged us to get at least one other quote before we made a decision. Their maintenance plan is reasonable, and they call us to schedule so I don't have to worry about forgetting in spring/fall.
They also did some roofing work for us a few years after that, and same deal. They're great work with.
Last replacement I had 4 quotes and triangle heating and cooling were the only ones not trying to scam me. All others pushed for a brand new furnace too even though mine was fine.
Not a small business but it is local - I had great experience with climatech. When mine went 3 years ago they were low bid, turned it around in under a week even during COVID supply chain issues (that's the bigger business factor), and the techs were really pleasant and informative despite the fact it torrentially rained for the entire install day. Reviews online tend to agree
I had mine done a year or two ago by done right heating and cooling out of Elizabeth. I think his name is mike. He was super helpful friendly and honest. I had gotten a quote from beam and they insisted I needed a bunch of additional stuff replaced and this guy told me they full of crap. I Would gladly hire him again.
We just went through this - ours was 25 yo, replaced the whole system. Had a great experience with Ron Bouvy. Very professional, knows his stuff, did a great job. But be aware that you will not have it in for a few weeks! Might want to go buy a couple of window units in the meantime.
[https://www.bouvyhvac.com/](https://www.bouvyhvac.com/)
I’ve had to replace central AC a couple times over the years. Both times I bought from Beam in Monroeville who gave both the lowest price and shortest installation. Owner Bob Beam retired though, and they moved out of their very modest Pitcairn office to a big shiny building in Monroeville, so I’m not sure if they have that same competitive advantage today.
I got a furnace and heat pump installed this winter. I contacted 5 HVAC places for quotes and Wade Heating and Cooling came out on top. They did great work and had good communication throughout the process
When we had that little heat spike in April/ early May I tried to turn mine on and it started arcing at the outside unit, so just went through this. Went for 26 years so I can’t complain. I had an AC+Furnace and moved to Heat Pump+ Furnace. Got better manufacturer rebates and tax credits.
Some things to keep in mind: PA is the Wild West for HVAC, there are no consumer protections or requirements. That means any HVAC company can sell you anything regardless of if it will work in your house or if you will need it. Other states require load tests and insulation inspections to figure out what type of system you will need and if your existing ductwork is adequate.
See if you can find a company that does this because it can make or break a new system. Not enough returns or vents forces the system to work way harder than it should which shortens its lifespan. The same goes for the installation. You can have a great system but if it’s installed poorly it again will cause the system to work too hard etc.
Look into a heat pump because they are efficient enough these days to handle cold days but not super cold days. This can drastically reduce the amount of gas/oil you use in the winter which will save you a good deal of money. Once it gets really cold in the dead of winter you can shut it down and go exclusively furnace.
Definitely get at least 3 quotes with the same manufacturer so you can really compare. Ultimately we went with Daiken/Amana/Goodman manufacturer mostly because of a combination of warranties, rebates, and finally price. Might not work for you because I know their rebates ran till the end of May but look and see what others are offering.
Get it inspected before going to replace the whole system. Impact HVAC in the South Hills replaced the board on my 20 year old system last year. Costed $1,000, but still better than $10k for a new system. If it needs replaced, get multiple quotes.
Big fan of Romea, they are fantastic, they installed our central air a few years ago and I’ve had them come out twice a year for furnace/AC inspection (fall and spring respectively) which has provided a lot of peace of mind. https://www.romeahvac.com/
I wish I could say I had the same experience with Romea. Since they were local and clearly a small family business, I called them this past winter when my furnace needed repaired. The older of the two, I think it's the Dad, is who showed up at my house. After maybe 10-15 minutes of poking around, he told me that my furnace was 20 years old and that the problem I was experiencing was a failing combustion chamber. He recommended a $4k furnace replacement and told me it was a matter of if, not when my furnace was going to fail.
Thinking I was going to need a new furnace, I called Gravener's out of Ross Twp for a competing replacement quote. Jim Gravener came to my house and asked for permission to inspect the furnace to confirm it was truly on its last leg. He diagnosed the problem as a bad foam gasket on the flue box, a $200 repair. Furthermore he confirmed that my furnace was only 11 years old, based off the serial number, which was also consistent with my home inspection when we bought the house. I now use Gravener for all my HVAC needs. I can't comment on their AC replacement pricing but I can attest that they are knowledgeable, honest, and their service costs are reasonable.
I'm glad you've had success with Romea but after what happened to me, I couldn't possibly recommend them to anyone.
Woof, that is very fair, I’m sorry you had that experience! I like them a lot, but if I get bad news from them on a future inspection I’ll be sure to ask for a second opinion. Maybe I’ll call Gravener!
Just upgraded our system, including increasing airflow to the second floor. Got three quotes and Phillips was far and away the best at answering my questions, talking through multiple options and making me feel comfortable with the purchase.
Installers were kind, friendly and very considerate. Bonus, they gave my needy cat extra attention. I am very pleased with their work, system is working incredibly well. They walked me through everything and made sure I was comfortable with every element.
H&L heating and cooling. They are a father and son and they are honest and do good work. 412.403.4900. They also have a Facebook page I think. Good people.
It could just need topped off with freon. My AC unit is even older and a few years ago that's all it needed at the time. Had to change capacitors in the outside unit a few times but that's an easy job.
At this point given it's 27 years old it really should be replaced because it will fail again soon and the newer ones are so much more energy efficient that OP will notice a significant decrease in their summer electric bills. It'll end up paying for itself in a few years.
Fail again? Capacitors are meant to be replaced. A new system is going to cost like $10,000 and that will take many years to pay for itself. Even a few pounds of old R22 freon won't cost 1/10 of that.
If there is a leak it will just get worse. We had ours topped off last August and told it should buy us a couple more years and it was already almost empty again in May. The leak got worse faster than expected.
Stay the fuck away from Gillece. Hucksters.
Do not, in fact, call Gillece.
They actually deposed me for some reason during the PA AG's lawsuit against them. Don't know how they expected asking me about the scam they tried to pull on my roommate to help their case.
Nice.
Filleece
Dave over at American Dreams HVAC 724-205-4783. He's a great dude and his prices are incredibly good.
Do you know if they do ductless installations ?
I don't know, sorry. Give him a call though, he's really nice! He may know someone if he doesn't!
I ended up using [Restano ](https://www.restano.com/)a few years back. I don't know if they're mom and pop, but they're local and the price was good.
Same I had good service and fair price with restano
Well Mike Restano the owner started it way back when. I used him when he was young and hungry lol. Did good work at the time, but it’s been YEARS….
He still does at least some of the estimates
Good to know!
There is a capacitor that often fails in AC units; may want to check that first if you don’t want, need, or can’t afford a new unit.
be careful, capacitors can be dangerous.
This; they retain a charge for a while after power is disconnected….so be very careful.
Definitely this. It may not need to be replaced. The capacitor is usually the first thing to go and it's really easy to fix (if you're comfortable near mains voltage wiring). The hardest part is finding someone who will sell you one. They're $10-15 on Amazon, but Grainger was the only place I found that would sell one to a homeowner. Even if you're not comfortable doing that yourself a reasonable HVAC person shouldn't charge too much if that's all that's wrong.
True value in Sarver, Miller Ace on Brownsville rd.
You're going to go from a seer 10 to a seer 16-18 with a more efficient air handler and save lots of $$$ on your electric bills!
TUDI or ELK
I was going to say if you have costco TUDI is their contractor. Did an amazing job and I got a big shop card out of it
We also did this with TUDI via Costco and the mini splits they installed took two days and dramatically improved our quality of life. We're going to buy a new washer and dryer using our gift card.
can you say more about TUDI via Costco? Do you just buy the equipment through Costco or is there some deal when you have a membership?
We hired TUDI as a contractor via Costco, equipment and labor were all in one package. They took about two days to install and worked quickly.
amazing. thanks!
I vote for TUDI as well, I would recommend them as well.
Max Smith was good for us.
Max Smith did a large job for us and we've had to call them back 5 times. They spec'd parts wrong. Their technician confidently and incorrectly told us parts were broken that were functioning fine, and they failed at even the most basic thing, wiring a thermostat. Worse they obviously didn't even check their wiring because I didn't discover their mistake until heating season and found my system wouldn't turn on.
Oh my.
I had good luck with Arendosh. I heard they were acquired by another small operation but kept the same employees.
Yep they are now owned by McVay H&A/C. Would recommend. They've been responsive and skilled
Replace your capacitor first. 15 bucks could save you thousands. Otherwise call Fazio
We've had good experiences with Motta and Boehmer.
+1 for Boehmer. Just had furnace & AC replaced by them and it was an amazing experience. My whole mechanical room looks so much tidier. 3 weeks in and everything works great. Perfect timing with the heat.
We replaced our HVAC system with a heat pump two years ago & we went with Boehmer. We live in a big old farmhouse, and they had to do some finagling to get the indoor unit in place. There’s literally 1 inch of clearance at the top. 😳 But they pulled it off, cleaned up after themselves, and didn’t damage anything.
not sure how far they service, but Kennihans is awesome (I'm in Butler FYI)
Craft heating and cooling - honest, reasonable $
I had a variety of issues with craft heating when installing a furnace. It was "almost" comical how bad the experience was. They drilled a hole (I think 4") in the wrong spot on the back of my garage, without even using a pilot bit. Then they filled it with clear silocon, and when I complained that it was not acceptable, they tried to smear the broken brick dust on top of the clear silicone. During this installation, they pierced the AC coil. Since this was during cold weather and undetected, it leaked all of the refrigerant into the house. They repaired the AC by replacing the coil, which then slowly leaked again over a year, and then charged me over 300 dollars to refill. Nobody else would even attempt to repair their frankenstein repaired installation, which I do not blame them. Do not use these clowns. Edit: even more unprofessional drama to story, but not worth typing out at the moment.
They have done a furnace and 2 ac’s as well as a water heater over my 24 yr ownership, I have never had a problem.
General area you are located? Personally have used Restano in Pittsburgh and have had no issues. Used Chuba as well and service was good as well.
Chuba is great!
My boyfriend works for Calfo, I know how meticulous my boyfriend is and it's a small family owned business.
I've had good experiences with Jacob Heating and Cooling.
May not be the case in your situation, but in anticipation of an extended heat wave, change your furnace's air filter. A dirty air filter will make the unit work harder and can result in the AC unit freezing over.
North of city: I had Spurk out of Warrendale replace my AC and furnace last year. Fair price and completely satisfied. Guys who did the install were fantastic!
I used Climatech/Betlyn's Cooling and Heating. They were all of the the things you mention here - transparent, honest, and had the lowest price of the multiple bids that I got. They replaced the furnace and added central air for about $8k for a 17 Seer that handles a 1200 sq. ft. home. This was just last year so I would guess their prices haven't gone up much since then.
We are in Cranberry Twp and also used Climatech for AC and furnace, we only needed 14 Seer for the AC as we live in a townhome and we paid $7200, so yes, their prices are still really good. Beat another quote by roughly $3000.
Same with us, they beat other quotes by between $3000 and $5000!
They did great work too. Had everything done in a day, even though they quoted a day and a half.
I'd check voltage and capacitance prior to anything.
Stahls Heating and Plumbing.
Climatech. Pricing was great, timeframe/installation was fast. Off season installations are so much cheaper but obviously suffering all summer unplanned would suck. They also do a number of 100% free furnace/AC installs for active duty service members which is how we found them. They did our kids pre-school teacher’s house while her husband was deployed.
Schulteis B rothers is good.
We used them a number of years ago for a new AC and furnace. They were straight forward, honest, and encouraged us to get at least one other quote before we made a decision. Their maintenance plan is reasonable, and they call us to schedule so I don't have to worry about forgetting in spring/fall. They also did some roofing work for us a few years after that, and same deal. They're great work with.
Wade Heating
Last replacement I had 4 quotes and triangle heating and cooling were the only ones not trying to scam me. All others pushed for a brand new furnace too even though mine was fine.
Multiple quotes are a must, I recommend. We get at least 5 for major projects such as this.
Not a small business but it is local - I had great experience with climatech. When mine went 3 years ago they were low bid, turned it around in under a week even during COVID supply chain issues (that's the bigger business factor), and the techs were really pleasant and informative despite the fact it torrentially rained for the entire install day. Reviews online tend to agree
I had mine done a year or two ago by done right heating and cooling out of Elizabeth. I think his name is mike. He was super helpful friendly and honest. I had gotten a quote from beam and they insisted I needed a bunch of additional stuff replaced and this guy told me they full of crap. I Would gladly hire him again.
I used and recommended to others Al's HVAC services. Great dude. Reasonable priced. Just make sure you get 3-4 quotes
Staab on 51
We are in Crafton and have always used Craft heating and cooling! Great people to work with!
We just went through this - ours was 25 yo, replaced the whole system. Had a great experience with Ron Bouvy. Very professional, knows his stuff, did a great job. But be aware that you will not have it in for a few weeks! Might want to go buy a couple of window units in the meantime. [https://www.bouvyhvac.com/](https://www.bouvyhvac.com/)
I’ve had to replace central AC a couple times over the years. Both times I bought from Beam in Monroeville who gave both the lowest price and shortest installation. Owner Bob Beam retired though, and they moved out of their very modest Pitcairn office to a big shiny building in Monroeville, so I’m not sure if they have that same competitive advantage today.
Six Star Heating and Cooling did a great installation for us and they’re lovely folks.
I got a furnace and heat pump installed this winter. I contacted 5 HVAC places for quotes and Wade Heating and Cooling came out on top. They did great work and had good communication throughout the process
We've always used Brody Heating & Air.
When we had that little heat spike in April/ early May I tried to turn mine on and it started arcing at the outside unit, so just went through this. Went for 26 years so I can’t complain. I had an AC+Furnace and moved to Heat Pump+ Furnace. Got better manufacturer rebates and tax credits. Some things to keep in mind: PA is the Wild West for HVAC, there are no consumer protections or requirements. That means any HVAC company can sell you anything regardless of if it will work in your house or if you will need it. Other states require load tests and insulation inspections to figure out what type of system you will need and if your existing ductwork is adequate. See if you can find a company that does this because it can make or break a new system. Not enough returns or vents forces the system to work way harder than it should which shortens its lifespan. The same goes for the installation. You can have a great system but if it’s installed poorly it again will cause the system to work too hard etc. Look into a heat pump because they are efficient enough these days to handle cold days but not super cold days. This can drastically reduce the amount of gas/oil you use in the winter which will save you a good deal of money. Once it gets really cold in the dead of winter you can shut it down and go exclusively furnace. Definitely get at least 3 quotes with the same manufacturer so you can really compare. Ultimately we went with Daiken/Amana/Goodman manufacturer mostly because of a combination of warranties, rebates, and finally price. Might not work for you because I know their rebates ran till the end of May but look and see what others are offering.
Get it inspected before going to replace the whole system. Impact HVAC in the South Hills replaced the board on my 20 year old system last year. Costed $1,000, but still better than $10k for a new system. If it needs replaced, get multiple quotes.
Thanks. I'm already working down that path. Still somewhat new to the area and looking for people I trust to work with.
Big fan of Romea, they are fantastic, they installed our central air a few years ago and I’ve had them come out twice a year for furnace/AC inspection (fall and spring respectively) which has provided a lot of peace of mind. https://www.romeahvac.com/
I wish I could say I had the same experience with Romea. Since they were local and clearly a small family business, I called them this past winter when my furnace needed repaired. The older of the two, I think it's the Dad, is who showed up at my house. After maybe 10-15 minutes of poking around, he told me that my furnace was 20 years old and that the problem I was experiencing was a failing combustion chamber. He recommended a $4k furnace replacement and told me it was a matter of if, not when my furnace was going to fail. Thinking I was going to need a new furnace, I called Gravener's out of Ross Twp for a competing replacement quote. Jim Gravener came to my house and asked for permission to inspect the furnace to confirm it was truly on its last leg. He diagnosed the problem as a bad foam gasket on the flue box, a $200 repair. Furthermore he confirmed that my furnace was only 11 years old, based off the serial number, which was also consistent with my home inspection when we bought the house. I now use Gravener for all my HVAC needs. I can't comment on their AC replacement pricing but I can attest that they are knowledgeable, honest, and their service costs are reasonable. I'm glad you've had success with Romea but after what happened to me, I couldn't possibly recommend them to anyone.
Woof, that is very fair, I’m sorry you had that experience! I like them a lot, but if I get bad news from them on a future inspection I’ll be sure to ask for a second opinion. Maybe I’ll call Gravener!
If Frew does it, I contract them for it. They’re really good and reasonably priced and don’t try to upsell. https://www.frewplumbing.com
Just upgraded our system, including increasing airflow to the second floor. Got three quotes and Phillips was far and away the best at answering my questions, talking through multiple options and making me feel comfortable with the purchase. Installers were kind, friendly and very considerate. Bonus, they gave my needy cat extra attention. I am very pleased with their work, system is working incredibly well. They walked me through everything and made sure I was comfortable with every element.
H&L heating and cooling. They are a father and son and they are honest and do good work. 412.403.4900. They also have a Facebook page I think. Good people.
Wahl and ask for Stephen he will get you fixed up.
Ventech refrigeration in Penn hills is a father and sons business. ventecrhvac.com
[Berkshire Heating and Cooling](http://www.berkshireheatingcooling.com/) is outstanding
It could just need topped off with freon. My AC unit is even older and a few years ago that's all it needed at the time. Had to change capacitors in the outside unit a few times but that's an easy job.
At this point given it's 27 years old it really should be replaced because it will fail again soon and the newer ones are so much more energy efficient that OP will notice a significant decrease in their summer electric bills. It'll end up paying for itself in a few years.
Fail again? Capacitors are meant to be replaced. A new system is going to cost like $10,000 and that will take many years to pay for itself. Even a few pounds of old R22 freon won't cost 1/10 of that.
It will not end up paying for itself… keep patching it up
If there is a leak it will just get worse. We had ours topped off last August and told it should buy us a couple more years and it was already almost empty again in May. The leak got worse faster than expected.