I had a 9am appointment scheduled for today, which was supposed to be their first appointment of the day. I get a call at 8:56 saying the tech will be late, and will probably arrive around 10. Fine. Obviously we weren't the first appointment but what's an hour? Ten comes and goes. I finally give Fred a call back around 11:30 asking wtf, and get some mush-mouthed humming and hawing. In hindsight I should have just told him to forget it, especially since I only wanted a once-over for my central AC. He finally arrives after noon, and proceeds to spray what looks like simple green on the outside heat exchange coil. The total charge was $375 to spray the coil, rattle off some probably bogus numbers, and waste half my day. Poorly done, on both our parts apparently. read more

This is one of the greatest , honest company . Fred and his team have been coming to our house for more than 5 years . They are very knowledgeable ,caring and trustworthy. I have recommend them to our friends and family. They all have the same feeling about their services. I will highly recommend this company for all of their services and Fred and his great team are going to make a huge difference in your next visit . read more

I totally agree with the reviews already listed here, whats not to like? Fred came out to my home in NE DC on a Sunday morning, and was very knowledgeable and friendly. He explained everything that he was doing, gave me recommendations on things to look out for in the future, and was able to diagnose my problem in less than an hour. My issue turned out to be a simple switch being turned off, but in the process of discovering this, he fixed numerous other problems that he found along the way and presented me with a very fair and accurate bill at the end. Its good to know that people like him are out there. read more

I am just so impressed by the response I received from the owner that I needed to write a review! I requested a quote from companies near me around 1 AM last night/this morning about my AC not working, and I received various responses this morning. However, Fred was the only one who actually wrote a message early in the morning in response to my issue (rather than just replying "this is the cost. Where do you live?"). He provided a detailed explanation of things I should try before having anyone come out, and his response was just so unexpected and so helpful, I will without a doubt reach out to him for future issues and services (and if his DIY recommendations don't solve the problem today). Thank you, Fred! read more

Jason came on short notice to fix a pump that had stopped working on short notice. He was prompt, courteous, and professional, and he figured out ways to save us money. We'll definitely go back to Air Control for future service! read more

Fred was great. Fixed an unhealthy burner, cleaned everything out and my furnace is running at 100% again. Called a few different people and they all said I needed to buy new parts, whole new units, etc... Don't waste your time with these other guys, if you're in NOVA just give Air Control a call and be done with it. read more

A real five star rating for a change. Fred came to my condo explained what was wrong and fixed it. Simple as that and the whole process took about 45 minutes from start to testing of unit finish. The final bill certainly did not do any shock work here. read more

My heater decided to quit on Saturday morning, beginning of three days cold spell. Frantically started calling, and Air Control LLC said they can have someone out by Noon (3 hours later). John arrived, and quickly found the problem. Unfortunately, my heater is an old unit and he didn't have the right part. But John found a way to get the heater back on temporarily, and told me he wlll be back to make the permanent fix when the part arrives. Today, John came out and make the final fix. The whole process was painless (or as pleasant as heater problem can be), and John was very competent and polite throughout. I certainly was very thankful that I had heat during the 20 degree weather. read more

Terrible experience. It started well and I agreed over the phone to pay for a preventive maintenance contract for 2 systems for 2 visits. Fred (the owner) and his apprentice then showed up and only inspected 1 system. They recommended to add refrigerant for additional $85 which should be free according to the contract agreement I received via email. They could not even get to the second system since they did not have proper tools to get inside of it... Couple of days later I called them and initially talked to Fred's wife. I wanted to talk to the owner as I was not home when they came. She started yelling at me claiming that all that happened was our own fault. Additionally she literally said that the maintenance is not important (right, at the beginning they told me the exact opposite) and that he is busy with more important work to do... Well, eventually I talked to Fred and I hoped that as the owner he would talk to me to in a more nice and professional way. I was really surprised and disappointed as somewhere in the middle of the conversation he actually started cursing... He said it's my own problem that he could not open the second system, it's my own problem that my wife or I have to again find time to be home for his second visit in order to inspect the second system, and that they only top off the refrigerant for the contract holders, which I clearly agreed to pay for during the initial conversation... If you are looking for a company for HVAC, do yourself a favor and find a company with a better customer service than Air Control. I am sure there are lots of them out there... read more

The heating and air conditioning in my condo had never been that great since I moved in 2 years ago, and everyone told me it was because I had a heat pump which, "isn't efficient." It seemed like the efficiency was getting worse and worse, to the point where I was sure it should at least be able to cool below 80! Another company had come out in September, but they didn't solve the problem. So I called another company -- they never called me back at all. After researching on Yelp, I decided to give Air Control a try -- even though some folks have issues with their timeliness. When I called, I liked that I immediately was able to talk to someone who scheduled my appointment for the next day (Tuesday). They came out and immediately determined my ceiling fan coil unit had to be replaced. By Friday they were able to install the new fan coil (although they did call me on Thursday to ask if I wanted it installed then, since they had a cancellation -- but I was unable to leave work). Jason was very thorough and by the time he left, my air conditioning was cooler than it had ever been. I appreciated that he took the time to ensure they did a professional job and didn't take any shortcuts. He even fixed some issues the original installers had left (the drainage pipe was practically level, so he figured out how to give it an incline). I think the company is trying to address people's concerns regarding appointments -- Jason called me both times before he arrived, and Jackie called to confirm the appointment on Friday. There is always room for improvement regarding service calls and expectations -- I would recommend they let people know up front if weather can cause a delay or a cancellation (since it started raining while Jason was finishing up, and Reggie mentioned this could cancel the later day's work). However, I can only speak for myself, and my expectations were exceeded -- especially when compared with the 2 other companies I worked (or tried to work) with! read more

called Air Control with an air-conditioning non-emergency problem. A technician was available to come out the next day. Jason called 20 minutes before he arrived ON TIME. He was quick to diagnose the issues and explain what needed to be done. He showed me where the problems were - one easy and one difficult to fix. He explained the cost and completed the repair quickly. I can not compliment Jason and Air Control LLC enough read more

Been using Air Control for a couple of years now. They have replaced my water heater, done my regular service on my AC unit and serviced it in more "emergency" situations. Most recently a call to them at just before 9pm and they came out that night and got the AC back up and running! read more

We could not be more pleased with Air Control. Fred has been nursing along our aging AC system for several years, and is always very up front about what he is fixing and about the pricing. So much better than another company that misdiagnosed the issues multiple times and wound up costing us a fortune. Fred is busy but always works to fit us in. It is a relief for us when he arrives because we know the problem will be solved. read more

Fred provided excellent service. He quickly diagnosed the problem with my furnace and was able to repair it the same day.

I had a great experience with Air Control. My HVAC was working intermittently. Tony came out checked the system and couldn't find anything wrong with it. The next day it went out again. Fred came back and was able to identify a loose wire on the rooftop unit. He fixed it in 5 minutes and didn't charge me for the return visit. Highly recommended. Also Jackie at the office is really nice. These are just really good people. read more

Fred was awesome! I like many others called Fred based on the reviews. I called him Tuesday night and he came out first thing Wednesday morning. It took him longer than he anticipated to fix the issue, and I never felt like he was rushing to get to his next appointment. He even took time to educate me about my own unit and gave me steps I can take going forward to keep it in good shape. He walked me through everything he was doing and explained why he was doing it. Overall Fred is the man and I would definitely recommend his services. Thanks! read more

By far the best AC company EVER! With several rental proprieties and my own residence, I have had plenty of experience with AC companies, including ARS, Croppmetcalf, Brennans, and United Air Temp to name a few, and none have been as good or responsive as Air Control. Fred, the owner, is thorough in his work, very polite taking pains to clean up after himself, and very knowledgeable often offering good advice and suggestions. He takes the time to give you the right diagnosis and quotes very fare prices with no hidden add-ons for repairs. I have used him for regular maintenance as well as emergency repairs. The latest example happened this summer when, in the middle of July , my AC's evaporator coil springs several leaks and needs to be replaced. Air Control promptly ordered the piece and Fred installed it the day it arrived. This required rearranging his schedule and staying until late at night to make sure everything was working right. I highly recommend Air Control for regular maintenance as well as emergency needs. Thank you Fred and Jackie. read more

Great, Friendly Service, and a relatively short response time during the middle of a heat wave in July. My air conditioning unit stopped working during a July heat wave. I had another company look at my unit and they told me that I needed to replace my six year old condenser with a new one. I called air control and they scheduled an appointment in the late evening of the same day. The technician explained all of his work to me. He gave me an estimate and told me that he could return the next day with the part that we needed. The next day, he called me to explain that he did not have to replace the entire part and could do the repair for half the cost of the estimate! This is the first time that I ever had an emergency repair done for less than the estimate! Needless to say, this was all done at a tiny fraction of the cost that I would have paid to replace the entire condenser. I am very happy with Air Control's service and I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them to others! read more

This is going to sound like an exaggeration, but trust me it isn't. This was probably the best customer service I have ever received for an in home repair. My compressor stopped running, even though the furnace was still pumping air. Fred diagnosed this as a low voltage problem over the phone, and then tried to talk me through fixing it myself without me having to spend a penny. Finally, it still wasn't working, so he came out, on a Saturday night and determined that while trying to hook the low voltage wires back up, I probably blew the fuse in the furnace. My furnace is up near the ceiling on the top floor, accessible by a little panel which was sealed shut. Fred had to remove the frame to open the panel, and once he replaced the fuse and hooked everything back up, it was fixed. He then took the time to wrap some exposed wire with electrical tape, and tie down the low voltage wires so they wouldn't be so vulnerable. All this for $100! I also had him do some additional work on the compressor while he was here since he took the time to show me and explain to me some other potential problems I had. All said and done, this was very personalized, very honest service. I would strongly recommend this company, and especially Fred to anyone who needs service on their HVAC system. If I had 3 hands I'd give him a 3 thumbs up! read more

Fred was amazing. Selfishly, I almost don't want to say how responsive, patient and flat-out honest he is so that he won't get overbooked. This kind man showed up at our house late in the evening and didn't even charge extra. Treat him well. He deserves it. read more

My heater was broken when I came home from work leaving the house smelling of gas. I tried to trouble shoot, no dice. My girlfriend and I looked for HVAC repair people local to DC on Yelp (not a plug for Yelp here) and came across Air Control LLC McLean office. He answered the phone himself, really nice to deal with, and tried to help me trouble shoot over the phone to see what was wrong and potentially save us both some trouble. Turns out the ignition was kaput. Fred came over shortly therafter, was courteous, easy to deal with, and fixed the problem with a part he had on hand so my girlfriend can sleep warmly with the dogs upstairs on this cold winter's night. An A+ for his pleasant attitude and knowledge of the issues. Thanks Fred. Highly recommended. read more

I am very pleased to write a five-star, A++ review for Air Control, LLC, owner Fred Lowry, and his wife / office manager Jackie Lowry. My review is five-star, A++ for both quality of service / competency, and outstanding effort to assist the customer. The Other Company: On July 5, my HVAC system shut off. On that date, it was 98 degrees and humid outside and the temperature in my home soon rose to 85 degrees. Fun! I do have an existing warranty and service contract with one of the big name HVAC service companies in the area (i.e. the "other company" for this review). My husband and I purchased the warranty and service contract with a new HVAC system three years ago. Two weeks prior to the July 5 shut off, we reported a shut off of the system and the other company diagnosed that a certain part was defective and recommended replacement. In the meantime, they were able to restart the system with a temporary fix. The replacement part was ordered. After the shut off on July 5, we called the company and were informed that the replacement part had not come in and there was nothing that could be done until it arrived. We had to call the other company four times over a two hour period (and my husband's last call was certainly not professional or calm) before the other company would agree to send out a service technician to attempt a temporary repair. The assistant service manager was resistant to sending a tech even though our request was simple and logical: send a tech to attempt a temporary fix given that a temporary fix worked for the prior shutoff. If not for my husband's less then professional and calm response, the other company was fine waiting to fix the HVAC unit until the replacement part arrived. I.e. the same replacement part that was ordered two weeks prior and was on back order. What ?!? Ultimately, the other company's service tech visited our home and spent approximately twenty minutes evaluating the system. The other service tech diagnosed the same issue as the prior tech, and concluded that the system could not be repaired without the replacement part. Air Control: My experience with Air Control could not have been more different. Although we were not an existing customer of Air Control, office manager Jackie Lowry stayed on the phone with my husband for over fifteen minutes attempting to locate and schedule an Air Control service tech who could provide emergency service. Most impressive, Jackie's efforts and patience were during the long heat wave in the DC area when HVAC service companies were swamped with calls and emergency service. Jackie was able to juggle her service technicians' schedules and find a tech who could assist: owner / service technician (and husband) Fred Lowry. Jackie provided Fred's estimated arrival time, Fred called to confirm when he was on his way, and Fred arrived approximately two hours after my husband's call with Jackie. Wow! We decided to have Air Control provide a second opinion, because we had lost confidence in the other company due to the experience with the shut offs and other issues. The story now gets even better for Air Control's excellence in service / competency. Fred spent over two hours troubleshooting the HVAC system to confirm that the other company correctly diagnosed the issue. Fred was a true professional - he listened to us describe past performance of the system (including post-shutoff), patiently asked a number of questions to gather additional information, and then proceeded to test and eliminate potential issues with the system. Fred did say that the other company's diagnosis sounded correct, but he wanted to be sure. At any point during his two hours of work in an 85 degree house, Fred could have simply said - "I think the other company is correct", and moved on to the next customer. However, Fred wanted to do the job right and be sure. Fred's diligence, professionalism and expertise saved us a lot of wasted time and expense (and suffering in an 85 degree house). Fred identified a different issue for the system shut off - another independent part was malfunctioning and needed to be replaced. Although the issue identified by the other company was also a possible issue, this issue could not be confirmed until the issue that Fred identified was repaired. Conclusion: We advised the other company's assistant service manager of Fred's diagnosis, and the assistant service manager agreed that Fred's conclusion sounded correct. Gold star for Air Control! We did use the other company for the repair work, only because of the existing warranty and service contract. We let Fred know of this, and he could not have been more gracious. Air Control, Fred and Jackie are superb, and we cannot thank them enough for their efforts. Fred, who we understand has been in the business since 1980, is running the kind of business that we always prefer to work with: a smaller mom and pop shop that emphasizes customer service. read more

Just for the amount of time Fred took trying to figure out why our heat pump wasn't heating is worth the 5 stars--given the incredibly reasonable rate he charged us. He was pleasant and professional, and discovered that our 'zoned' heating/AC thermostats are kind of jerry-rigged wired, and he did everything he could to get the heat working, and succeeded. Because it took so long, he couldn't finish all the wiring, but he didn't leave before we could at least have heat in the kitchen, dining areas, awa in the lower level of our home. We'll have him come to correct the faulty wiring another time--when his schedule allows! He is busy, and it took a few phone calls, but honestly--it was worth it to get a licensed, experienced professional that we could really trust to do a difficult job. read more

Fred from Air Control has helped me patch an older A/C unit through the last couple years. He is highly responsive, usually showing up the same or next day, takes the time to explain what he is doing, is clearly knowlegeble about HVAC systems, and does not spend his whole time trying to upsell you. He give the range of options and lets you know the pluses and minuses of each choice. In yesterday's visit he let me know that there is not a lot more we can do for the current system and it is time to start to think about a replacement. He made some suggestions of systems that would work for my home and give me the quotes. Last night, the A/C finally died. I've called a couple other places to get estimates, and they were all at least $1000 more than Fred, so I set up the appointment. By this weekend I should have a brand new A/C up and running. read more

Thanks team! With the temp 21 degrees out and my furnace not working, I left a voicemail at 9:30 pm on a Sunday. By 10:55 pm I had a repairman at the home. Fair prices and bailed me out on a cold night. read more

Fred is my go to go for all things Heating and Air conditioning. He recently replaced our HVAC unit in April and we are extremely happy. Fred took his time to describe all of our options, what he would recommend and what he would do if it was his house. I appreciate the straight forward approach, quick and thorough installation and competitive pricing! Fred definitely deserves the recognition... there is no one in this area that can provide you with better service and support than Fred (Air Control LLC)!! read more

Our AC started leaking and we couldn't figure out what was wrong. We called Fred based on the reviews on yelp. He didn't have time to come out to DC the day we called but instead he talked us through the process of cleaning the PVC pipe. He was very knowledgeable. We took his advice and 8hrs later our AC was fine. I would highly recommend his company. It's rare to find a company in the DC area that does not try to upsell you and that does not show up just so they charge you. read more

Love it when I get good service. Heat went out and after reading Yelp reviews, checking Fairfax consumer affairs for complaints and checking BBB site, I called Air Control LLC for repair. They came quickly and diagnosed and repaired the problem at a fair price. read more

I've used this company twice. they can be busy, but it seems like a small company; so i understand that it may be hard to get an appointment... but when we had them come, it has been great! Fred gave great honest advice, and gave me a sense i could really trust him and that he wasn't doing any unnecessary work/ just did what needed to be done to fix the AC. no upselling, which i have encountered with other companies. read more

I was entirely satisfied with the work of Fred and his technicians in replacing my HVAC system. The existing system was more than 20 years old, so there were lots of unexpected problems to be dealt with. They returned several times (even on a Sunday afternoon) to make sure that all was going well. And they came whenever they said they would, or called to let me know that they had to change the appointment. As an added benefit, they put down coverings on the floor, and wore surgical booties, so there was no serious cleaning needed when they were done. read more

I'm sad to update with a much lower rating but my last experience over the summer has me very disappointed. When our upper level unit stopped working we, as usual, called Fred. Unfortunately one of his underlings came out instead. He diagnosed it as a part malfunctioning on the fan, fixed it and then filled up our freon and said he checked everything and it looked good. Then about a month later, I come home from work to find our ceiling leaking. Thinking it's a plumbing issue, I frantically call plumbers. One thoughtful one asks a few questions, then suggests we check our AC unit. We go to the attic and lo and behold the AC unit is flooding. So we of course call Fred. We get no response (which had never happened before) and no call back (which also never happened before). Since water was flowing out of the ceiling like it was coming out of a faucet, we call around and find another HVAC guy. He explained the sensor to shut off the unit when it leaks was not in the proper location so the unit overflowed. When I mentioned we just had work done to it the month before, he suggested whoever installed the freon may have moved the sensor and just didn't put it back. He said it was obvious and was surprised it was missed. So we had to endure the cost for the emergency service call and still need the ceilings repaired and repainted. We also sustained damage to our wood floors that we are still trying to dry out. All because the guys Fred has hired to take on a work load that he can't manage alone can't come close to filling his shoes. We will now use the company who came to our rescue. read more

I called based on the positive feedback on yelp. I called on a cold Saturday morning. I thought I had a problem with my hot water heat. There was a leaky pipe & the ceiling had come down! I called requesting emergency service, I had water raining down from the hole that used to be my ceiling. I had turned the heat off and it was the middle of the winter. Fred had just finished a job locally and was able to get to my house in 40 minutes! Thats right! 40 minutes from the time I dialed the phone number, Fred was knocking on my door! I'm the type of person who does time these things. Fred and his helper Danny were both knowledgeable, professional and very easy to work with. The job was completed quickly! It turns out it was a hot water pipe not my heating system but, it obviously still needed to be repaired. The fee was $275, which I think was more than reasonable for quick and professionable service on a Saturday. read more

I have used Air Control LLC three times and all three times they've been superb. Two of the times I needed them was due to an unscrupulous HVAC company I used because my home warranty company sent them. Air Control LLC has needed to repair what they broke or didn't install right, on both the air conditioning and heating sides. In all cases, Air Control has been prompt, fixed what I needed to have fixed, and did it properly. They also were great at explaining what was wrong and what they were doing, along with giving me tips for ways to make sure I'm doing what I can do to maintain the system. I have had service both by Fred and by his two employees and all did excellent work. I can't say enough good things about them. I'm very happy to have found them because I know I have an honest, competent company I can rely on. I will probably get a maintenance contract with them so I can be sure my equipment is working properly and I don't have emergencies with something not working right. I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

Fred really is WONDERFUL!!! He completely saved me when I found myself in the lurch because of the failings of another heating company. I had a boiler that stopped working last week during the coldest time in recent history in DC. Company X came out to "fix" it, but only managed to get it going for a day and a half, and I found myself with no heat again on Saturday, right when the snow storm hit. I called company X, but they said sorry, no emergency technician could come until the next day! Frantically, I started trying to call other heating companies, including Air Control LLC, but no one could come because of the horrible weather and road conditions. But then I got a call back from Fred who had just managed to get back to his house after hours stuck on the road. He asked me what the problem was with my boiler and then asked if I was handy with a screwdriver. Then for the next 3 HOURS he stayed on the phone with me and patiently walked me through the guts of my whole boiler until we managed to get the heat running again!!!! I don't think a family member would even have gone as far - Fred's knowledge and kindness are truly unique in today's service world. Afterwards I tried to pay him for his time, but he kept insisting that it was not necessary - that his help was a courtesy call since he couldn't come over due to the weather. Unbelievable!! Fred is a guardian heat angel. A highly skilled and conscientious technician and a compassionate soul. read more

So, I did a little research on air conditioning repair and I noticed that Air Control kept coming up as highly rated on various sites including Yelp. I called them yesterday and needless to say this time of year they are very busy. When I explained that I have some high maintenance daughters who swear they cant go another day without AC, they were kind enough to squeeze me in on Fred's schedule today. Fred showed up as scheduled and quickly discovered a couple of relatively minor problems. In less than an hour Fred had the system up and running better than before - thanks to the system being fully charged now. The price was very reasonable, especially considering another company told me the system was unreapairable and I needed an entirely new AC system! I see why Fred and Air Control are rock stars on Yelp. Air Control will definitely get my business again and I highly recommend them to anyone else. read more