My air conditioning stopped blowing cold air and it was 100 degrees outside so I called Texas Heating & Air Conditioning because they had a Better Business Bureau symbol in their ad in SWB Yellow Pages. Boy, was that wrong.
They sent out a part owner of the company, Joe Kelly, to diagnose the problem on Monday. He stated there was a leak in the coil and it needed to be replaced and quoted me a price of $1250 but he suggested I have the entire air handler replaced for $3000. I said I just wanted the coil replace since the unit is only 6 years old.
He called his office (supposedly) in front of me and he said they assured him they had a replacement coil and it could be replaced the next day, Tuesday, so a 6 pm appt was set. I gave him my credit card number and he proceeded to leave.
30 minutes later I receive a call from Matthew Boyd, Operations Manager, who states the coil for my unit is no longer made and there is no way to get a replacement for it but they, again, could replace the entire air handler approx $3000 or get an after-market coil that would not fit my Trane unit exactly but they could make it work with modifications to the unit. But that would cost me an extra $129.
I told them to get after-market coil so it could be fixed the next day at the 6 pm appt. Matt agreed.
That evening, on Monday, we recieved another call from Liz this time saying that there is no way the tech would have time to install the coil at 6 pm appt and someone would have to be there by 3 pm or the coil would not be installed on Tuesday. After broiling in 100 degree heat we made arrangements for my wife to take off work 1/2 day to be there at 3 pm. Liz told me when I asked her that it 100% would be installed at that time.
Alex showed up Tuesday with my wife at home and proceeded to tell her he had to take the old coil out and then take it so he could find one to match. He took our coil and left us with nothing and said he would be back later.
Elva then calls me on my cell approx 5pm and says Alex cannot find another coil and but they could still replace the air handler for $3000 that same day but we would not have a new coil that day. Mind you, it is sweltering inside our house all this time.
Upset, I grill her as to why this coil was not located before Alex came out and she said he did not know the size until he could take it. Trane has no spec sheets??? She asks if I want to order the coil from Houston or install the air handler, I tell her to order the coil.
Next day, Wednesday, in the am I get a call from Matt who states they have the coil and will be out to install it. Coil is installed and it works for 2 days, then a/c is not blowing cold anymore.
On Friday, they send out a tech, Mark, to recharge the system but cannot find the leak. At this point I think the leak was never in the coil in the first place. Tech tells me freon will run out in a couple days but call back on Sunday and they will call him to come out and recharge it. States there will be someone there answering the phone.
Freon runs out on Saturday night so I call all day on Sunday and no one answers. Call on Monday in the am and same tech, Mark, is sent out, recharges system but still cannot find the leak.
Call office to be sure someone is sent out on Tuesday to finally fix the problem and Alex is sent. Comes in with preconceived idea leak has to be in the lines. Checks all over and says cannot find leak anywhere so must be in the lines, calls office and they now want $1000 to replace the lines.
He had told me about a pressure test and I told him I wanted that done before I commit to anything else so I know exactly where leak is. I prepping for this test, after cutting the lines to the coil upstairs, Alex notices a sound coming from the compressor. We locate the leak at the connection going into compressor.
I ask him if this can be repaired and he says no, must replace entire compressor, call office for price, approx $4000, in addition to what we already paid for the coil, which by now is obvious, had no leak and did not need replacement.
Told Alex wanted to get some other prices, he calls office and Matt tells him not to re-connect the a/c lines or recharge system unless I agree to have them install compressor. I tell Alex to get his % out of my house.
I get recommendation from my work for a guy and he comes out next day and proceeds to re-connect coil, re-solder where the leak is to stop the leak and put teflon tape where that connection goes into the compressor. Total cost-$150.
Texas Heating & Air Conditioning is either totally dishonest or totally inept and if they are in the a/c business-no one is that inept at every level. There is no way I would ever suggest anyone ever do business with this company. These people will steal you blind.
First they replaced a coil I am convinced did not need replacing, especially since they refused to return my original coil to me and several requests. $1300 lost.
Then they wanted to replace the lines even though they did not know if there was a leak in them or not. Potentially $1000 lost.
Finally, they wanted to replace a compressor that only needed a minor repair to a connection. Another $4000 potentially lost.
If Texas Heating & Air Conditioning had their way, it would have cost me approx $6300 for a repair I had done for $150.
That is stealing!!
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