Algonkian Heating & Air Conditioning

I wrote a much longer review that got lost when I omitted my zip code on sign up. $&%€
These guys (Algonkian) go the extra mile for their customers. I have used them for years and have always been very happy with their work efforts, their knowledge of the product, their prices, and most importantly, their good faith in all of our dealings.
They’ve gotten me through some tough problems with my Carrier Infinity equipment and installations over the last 5 years. One of my problems that they tackled and fixed, could not even be detected by two other large HVAC companies. They kept looking past the points where every other contractor had failed until they diagnosed the problem — a manufacturing design defect but on an out of warranty part (a.condenser coil that rusted through because it was made from two different metals). The owner came to my house to explain it to me personally. He noted that although Carrier admitted no fault in the design, the replacement condenser coils were made from a single metal. He could not have been more professional or helpful in getting this resolved.
In a separate warranty replacement incident with my scroll compressor, the owner again came to my house to lay out the options, implications and costs. Before making a recommendation on approach, he warned me that on the cheaper of the two options he was biased because it was much harder for him to do and he made less money. He’s either the most honest HVAC guy in in town or the best salesman I ever went up against!
I would not hesitate to use and trust this company for my HVAC needs.

Algonkian, as far as I know, has been a wonderful provider of service and installation for my home. I found this business three summers ago when my AC went out on a 100 degree day in Northern Virginia. I had two dogs living with me then, and I was concerned that the house would get to such a high temperature that I could not keep them cool. Algonkian came out that day, and rather than telling me how I had to replace the entire system, they told me I only had blown a capacitor, and charged me under $ 100 to get the system back up and running.
A year and a half later, my furnace board blew in the last week of December, and once again I called Algonkian — they came out, and discussed the options of replacing the circuit board … realizing my furnace was almost 16 years old, and recognizing there was a large tax credit available, I had Algonkian replace my furnace and A/​C units. Tim Pyle (owner) walked my property with me to explain the properties of thermodynamics and he recognized that my house wasn’t build with an air return on the first floor (hence it was always 20 degrees cooler on my first floor than on my third floor). As part of the new installation, they installed a return and a humidifier that combined with a more efficient furnace, has made all levels of my home livable, and they negotiated a fair price that came in lower than other competitors. They did not pressure me into buying, but walked through the pros and cons as more of an adviser and less as a salesman.
I’ve had them come out one other time when I had a valve break and they checked the furnace at no charge. As a small business, they do business the way it should be done…

I’ve had two experiences with them.
1) The motor on our outdoor unit imploded one weekend. I made an emergency call, the came out the next day (Sunday) and they replaced the motor. It turns out the original tech did it wrong because the damn thing sounded like a jet plane taking off. I called them back later in the week and they sent someone out the next day to fix it at no charge.
2) A year later, our system was broked again. Called them up and they sent someone out the next day. I was told my system was low on refrigerant and that was indicative of a coolant leak. I was given a few options to address the problem at the gamut of price points. There was no pressure to pick one over the other, even when I chose the cheapest and least permanent solution.
Both times Algonkian had the opportunity to upsell me and they didn’t appear to do so. We also got away cheaper than I expected and the service was very timely. In a world where most contractors seem to take you for a ride, they seem to be one of the honest ones.