A & P Heating & Cooling

After seeing all the negative reviews I wanted to make sure that I posted my experience for this company. We have needed to replace our complete heating and air conditioning system for a number of years. We were going to go with a different company that offered the SMUD recommended aqua chill system. Thankfully I called A and P first. Steve, the A and P engineer told me a few of the problems that the aqua chill system has. The big problem is our hard water here in Sacramento scales up the condenser lines and after just a few years that scaling causes the system to become less efficient with a probable break down within a matter of 10 years. He even sent me a 44 page analysis that Smud did on this system backing up what he was saying. The Aqua chill system also uses a lot of water not good for our drought. Steve has been with NP for about 9 months he brought over Shannon the comfort specialist and a couple of installers with him. This has dramatically improved the company’s results.
Now for the install. Shannon, came in on Monday of last week gave us and analysis on what I needed to have along with what her experience suggested. Both my wife and I liked her and we made our decision to use A and P. She came up with a price and then 2 days later Steve came out to do a site survey. Then on Monday the installers Justin, Brian and Judah came and by the end of Tuesday the system was completely installed. They went way above and beyond my expectations adding new duct work where they figured it was needed and a couple of other items that would improve the system overall at no extra charge. On Tuesday afternoon a third-​party inspector came to see how well the system was sealed. In the industry 15% leakage is ok for a replaced system. Ours came in at 4%! New homes are required to have no more than 5%. Ours was better than new and it rocks! With all the new people at A&P and the fact that they don’t do home warranty work anymore this company is quality. I highly recommend them.!! Also take a look at the Google reviews.

Had the pleasure of working with Shannon this week and I have to say I was impressed! She is so knowledgeable, caring, and just a breath of fresh air when needing heating and ac repairs.

UPDATED #3 below
Nothing but problems from start to finish.
A&P was contracted through our home warranty company– First American. We had one problem after another with their service. So many issues, it’s easier to list them.
1. Multiple schedule mess ups– not showing up within the window and no call.
2. First visit resulted in a dumbfounded technician. He admitted the hvac wasn’t properly cooling. Had no repair recommendations. Refused to make a replacement recommendation because «we will Lose the contract with first American». This resulted in 6 weeks of argument while my children lived in 110 degree days.
3. After the replacement finally happened, they never scheduled the state mandated inspection. We received NO notification that this needed to happen. Now (a year later) we are in trouble with the city because the inspection didn’t happen and the permit is expired. A&P says it’s our fault. A mountain of hassle and nothing but attitude and blame from them. *I am updating this as 3 days after posting it, I received an email letting me know that they read this review and this problem is now resolved. They continue to insist (here in their owner’s comments, and in their owner’s emails) that they contacted both my husband and I multiple times. I have no record of that (in email or written) and no memory of it at all. I don’t believe they did. That said, it was over a year ago. I’m willing to say– who knows if they contacted me or not? I’m not interested in fighting this point. It’s taken care of now. That’s what matters. I will add a star to their review for their prompt attention to this matter and because I can’t prove a negative (that I didn’t hear from them). Hopefully this will be the end of our necessary interaction.*
4. The following summer the brand new hvac stopped working again. When we called they were blaming– saying «maybe» they would cover the warrantied repair depending on what was wrong (it was an 8 month old hvac!) Turns out the installer didn’t appropriately weld the tubing and freon has been leaking in our backyard all year. Again– no apology. Lost yet another day waiting for repair guy to fix what they didn’t do correctly.
Bottom line– run away! We’ve had lots of hvac repair and maintenance over the years and I would choose anyone over them.

A&P called immediately after being dispatched by our home warranty company. Chad was friendly and got us on the schedule for the next morning, first appointment of the day. Lance, our technician was knowledgeable and explained everything to us. The problem was an easy fix, just needed a new capacitor. This news came after Alright Mechanical told us we needed a new compressor (which would cost THOUSANDS of dollars). Definitely will use A&P in the future for heating and air needs.

Bad customer service. Two weeks without air in July after they tore apart our working air conditioner. No apologies or follow up. Would not recommend!

Big shout out to A&P!!!
Received a call from my renters saying the A/​C unit wasn’t working. When I explained to A&P that the family had little kids, they treated my call like a «4 alarm» fire…
Thank you for keeping the babies cool!
I’ve been using A&P since 1997 and have never been disappointed. Thank you!

BEWARE OF THIS PLACE!!!
We hit triple digits the first part of June and of course our A/​C goes out. It took us a week to get a technician to visit our house. The guy from A&P who checked our unit is either woefully incompetent, under-​trained or worse… a crook! This guy wrote up a work order for $ 5,219! We wanted a second opinion so a technician from another company took a look. All the unit needed was a couple tweaks and some freon. The job was so simple they DIDN’T EVEN CHARGE US! Be VERY careful with this outfit! They may try to capitalize on the innocence of your ignorance and desperate circumstances.

Great tech and service at my home but once paper work got to there office this is a home warnity claim I had a crack in heat exchanger my unit is 25 years old tech says I need a new unit due to the age of my unit Joe in there office tells my home warnity my unit is 8 years old so they want me to pay 1700.00 to replace my heat exchanger only With a unit 25 years old there sopose to replace whole unit I called home warnity they told me yes they never seen it cost 1700.00 to change a heat exchanger there rip off co. Got a second opinion three home warnity and other co. will be installing a new unit for 1700.00 witch makes more sense and Joe in office is rude!

I am assuming A and P has revamped their customer service because we have had nothing but the greatest experience with them contacting us, returning our calls, and being prompt with service… even with the holidays (I’m sure Unilocal had something to do with this). We too are using our warranty and its our first time using A and P service and although our 19 year old heater is struggling they are making that old Bessie work! Great customer service and proof that chivalry is not dead!

Their dispatch people botched the ‘agreed upon meeting time’ of Noon to 4pm. They called at 8:30 am, saying they’d be there in a half hour?! After a few angry phone calls (my anger, not theirs), a tech showed up at my house.
I had to call my home warranty company in order to get them to even try to see me today.
UPDATE: when they finally showed up, they said the compressor was kaput, so we ordered another one. They installed in a week later (it’s still hot outside btw) and told us we have an electrical problem. The tech said he couldn’t charge our new compressor with freon until that issue is fixed. So, we called the electrician back out to the house… another service call, another half day missed from work.
The electrician comes out and says our electrical looks fine, the A/​C guy needs to charge the system in order for him to test the circuit. He proceeds to call A&P directly to TELL THEIR TECHS WHAT TO DO (!?!) are you kidding me?
A&P comes out again (5^th service call for the same issue) and charges the system with freon (and promptly charges us $ 500 to do so) and our A/​C works, and the electrical problem is magically fixed. All told, FIVE service calls and no A/​C for a MONTH with temperatures reaching 100 several of those days.
My GOD, how do you people stay in business? I wish I could give you ZERO stars, which really isn’t like me at all. Look at my other Unilocal reviews, they are positive praises for every one except A&P and a dentist that was gouging their clients.
I would not recommend them to anyone

Very bad experience!!! I came across this company when my home insurance referred me to them regarding my broken AC that wasn’t cooling. So technician came once, seemed to fix it but 3 days later it was broken again. And it happened 3 times! All the same problem! So the 4^th time the guy shows up and he has no clue what’s happening and he doesn’t have the right tools with him to determine the problem!!! What the hell did he come for??? When asked if we could speak to his boss he said he was the boss!!! I don’t understand how such incompetent person can be boss of anything! So at this horrible heat we just have to wait for another couple of days for their next available appointment. Also, every time I called the girl had no idea who I was, how many times they have already been to my house and what the problem was! Very unprofessional, slow and disorganized! So as of now I have no AC for a month!:(((

My home warranty chose A&P to fix our air conditioner. They never contacted me, I had to call and leave messages 3 times before I finally got a live person. They gave me a service time between 12 – 4 the next day, that they didn’t show up for or returned any of my calls to find out what happened. Very unprofessional, don’t waste your time on them!

I wish I had the option of giving this so called «company» a zero star. I had some issues with my heating unit’s plumbing. I contacted my home warranty company and they said a company by the name of A & P heating and cooling would contact me right away. Well. 3 days went by and no one contacted me. I finally contacted them and spoke with a lady by the name of Patricia. She said she would send a technician to my house. The technician came and collected my $ 75 co-​pay. He identified the problem. He said he would go back to base and authorize the repairs needed with my home warranty and I would be contacted within 24 to 48 hours. A week goes by and NOTHING. I contacted A & P and spoke with Patricia again. She said she would look into things and call me by the end of the day. TWO days go by — Nothing. I called A & P again and spoke with Patricia. She had no idea who I was and what she had promised me she would do. She made me go over the issues with her again and said she would contact me by the end of the day. NOTHING. The next day I called again and spoke with Patricia again. She, again, had no idea who i was! She made me go over the issues and problems again and PROMISED me she would contact me by the end of the day. What do you think happened? Yes, you guessed it — NOTHING. she never called me back. I called her the next day and I was upset. I told her I was very upset and she LAUGHED AT ME. Yes, she laughed. she said she would contact me by the end of the day!!! NOTHING. I called her the next day and she had NO IDEA WHO I WAS!!! I calmly explained everything to her again. She said the technician who had come to my house, Nick, was standing right in front of her. She told me she would talk to him and figure out what was going on and would call me back right away. When I reminded her she had not been truthful with me so far, she said, «Sir, I said I would call you back, OK?» I said fine. She never called back. The next day I contacted my home warranty company and complained. The lady told me to wait on the phone while she tried to call A & P and figure out what was going on. A few minutes later she told me she had talked with Patricia and she had told her she knew who I was and she would call me within an hour. The lady from my home warranty company said she would call me the next day to make sure A and P had called me and arranged for repairs to take place. That day I did not hear from A & P!!! Are you surprised! The lady from my home warranty company called me the next day and asked me if I was contacted. I said no. She said she herself had called them 2 times the night before to make sure Patricia call me but she was not able to get a hold of anyone and when she had finally been able to speak with Patricia she had told her the technician had called me!!! Patricia had lied to the home warranty company. Surprised? I’m not. The home warranty company put me in touch with another company finally. I am a small business owner myself and cannot understand how a business like this company can stay open. I wish you the best of luck if you decide to deal with A & P Heating and Cooling after reading all these negative reviews.

Worst customer service. They don’t keep appointments and they don’t follow through on fixing problems. If you have a choice (and aren’t with a warranty company) choose another vendor. — 0 stars

If I could give A & P Heating and Cooling ZERO stars that would still be too high of a review. This company came out once and the problem was still not fixed and then they no showed the second. When I called asking where the technician was the woman I spoke to was rude and spoke to me like she was doing me a favor. After explaining that I had 3 young children in my house and we had been enduring 111 degree weather she basically told me she could care less and no one would be out for 4 more days! Even though we were given a 4 hour time frame she claimed someone tried to call me 3 times to send someone out. Which was a lie and why give someone an appt if you plan on calling them and then not sending someone! Also, even though we paid a $ 75 service fee per our Home Warranty they reported that we never paid the service; however, we wrote a check so that lie can be proven with no problem. These people are awful and I would recommend them to no one. I had to have my home warranty send out a new contractor because I am not ok with this company treating me like garbage and having no regard for letting children boil in 111 degree weather for 4 days.

Agree with the majority of low reviews. As a property manager BEWARE OF A&P. Twice they have come out to my properties, turned the gas off & informed me I needed to install new furnaces. To the tune of $ 6 – 8,000. BE AWARE OF ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU AUTOMATICALLY YOU NEED A NEW UNIT. Had 2 companies come out after A&P and fix the problems and get the furnaces started for less than $ 100. As a professional or homeowner I would not use A&P. Period. There is zero integrity in this company esp. the technicians. A company that came out as a second opinion even said some wires were tampered with and he had to reconnect them to get the unit started. This furnace is on the roof so the tenant could not have done this. That leaves only A&P who then wanted me to pay for an entirely new unit instead of fixing the problem. Bottom line I now believe this is a SCAM. BEWARE only writing this review so no one has the same experience myself and my tenants have.

A&P have some things to celebrate about their initial service, but there were several incidents that caused concern. Overall, I believe A&P significantly fell short on my expectations as a home owner, but might provide sufficient service to property «management.»
A&P answered my questions to my satisfaction, and I felt good about their intent, plan, and recommendations.
Installation of equipment from the outside looked like it was built with the house. I really appreciated that A&P was able to figure out how to use the existing gas lines, and not tap into the main from the outside with additional pipe work along the side of the house. They also installed the circuits seamlessly into my existing panel, routing the electrical power to the attic unit, and condenser.
To patch a hole where a furnace was formally mounted, a drywall contractor was provided. The drywall had one initial visit, with two additional visits the following week to patch up the holes (one vent was moved), and to texture. Overall, the work performed by the drywall contractor was impressive.
Temperatures were relatively mild in late August, but I was relatively satisfied. The office, and bedroom were warmer than the rest of the house, whereas the kitchen was too cold — indicative of an unbalanced system. Note the two rooms also have the longest length of duct. I posed this concern with A&P and inquired if volume dampers were installed. He indicated he will follow up with another scheduled visit. This issue was never addressed, and I did confirm I do not have volume dampers installed in my system. Shame.
Searching for the volume damper lever, I also observed the mechanical ties did not secure the entire circumference the flex duct. In other words, the mechanical ties (aka zip ties) were not properly placed on the take-​off plenum.
Duct supports were also installed, but appeared sloppy (some unnecessary sagging and questionable distance between supports). Though the install passed the CA mandated efficiency testing, there were leaks around the take-​off plenums.
In the end A&P/subcontractor/Building inspectors related to this project, visited my house on 10 different occasions. This includes attempts (some successful) to address issues noted above.
The system works; however, I do not believe they have any real pride in their work. I think if the work performed was appropriately reviewed by a site supervisor before deeming a project complete, they would have avoided a lot of workmanship issues. I’ve voiced the above concerns with A&P, with no real resolution. I’m not sure if I would accept any follow up service. Quite frankly, I’m tired of contractors/​inspectors visiting my home for awhile.
Suffice it to say, it’s possible the average home owner wouldn’t even bother to review the contractor’s work at the level of specificity that I did. With that said, I would hesitate to say A&P Heating & Air is my first recommendation.
Work started August 19. Permit signed off by the city on 10÷15÷13

I highly recommend A&P Heating and Cooling. They’re professional and did a great job.
I had purchased a new cooling system about 15 years ago from another company, and it never did keep my older 1940 home cool in the summer. I knew something wasn’t right all along, but that company went out of business so I tried to bandage the problem for years. I thought because my home was old, it would never be OK. My neighbor had used A&P and suggested them to me. I now have a new heating/​ac that works quietly and efficiently and I’m finally COOL. They are great!

Perhaps the worst experience I have ever had with an HVAC contractor. The front-​end process was excellent. Todd was personable, knowledgeable, and contract preparation and scheduling for the installation was quick. However, the installation was fraught with problems. They did not accomplish the work they specified in the contract, and the new system failed duct testing. Subsequent City inspections found numerous code violations, perhaps the most glaring that the ducts were not properly elevated from the ground underneath (read Legionnaires’ disease). After numerous visits from both A&P and the City, the system still hasn’t passed inspection. I would, unequivocally, recommend NOT using A&P.
EDIT (9÷17÷2014): 2 years later, and the system has still not been fixed, nor has it passed inspection. Had to file a formal complaint with the CSLB in order to get any attention from A&P whatsoever.

Great service! James came by for what we thought would be a routine check on our new CHA system in our old 1938 home and was very helpful. He pointed out a few minor things that needed fixing, but was gracious to share info about how to do it ourselves so it wasn’t too costly. Thankfully, he also pointed out that our previous owners did not install our system to code (which our bum home inspector didn’t tell us properly about!) and found a major flaw which could have contaminated our home! The next week, another gentleman came and did all the updates appropriately for a good price! And now our system runs much quieter too! We are very appreciative of their service and highly recommend them. We will definitely have them out again to check on our unit for routine maintenance.