Benny did excellent diagnostic work and there were a few technical variables as to how to fix the problem. FACT 1: Most other companies will give you the first answer they can come up with, rather than spending time looking at cost effective variables.
Benny found one of the problems, replaced it, and was open & honest about what the problem COULD be, but he wanted to have the Arctic Air company owner (Andy I think) look at it first. FACT 2: At this point many other companies are looking for ways to charge you more, multiple service calls, etc.
But that wasn't the case with Arctic Air. It was legitimately two honest guys trying to find the BEST overall solution for ME.
Side Note: Two reputable companies had come out and (correctly) diagnosed the problem. One said the repair would cost just under $4k & the other company said the only fix was to install a new system for $8k. This is important because Artic Air was aware of the previous diagnoses and knew I was between a rock and a hard place. They also knew I was willing to replace the whole system because I was about to sell the house to somebody I knew & I didn't want a cheap/quick/crummy repair for the next owner to deal with.
The next day the owner came out (on his own time & dime) and after 5 minutes it was clear this guy had some sort or Bobby-Fischer/Doogie-Howser/Lawnmower-Man gift for HVAC. His seemingly effortless comprehension of a very atypical set-up w/ complex variable was extremely impressive.
I know a little about HVAC, at least more than most. So perhaps I was more impressed than most people, who'll see one "repair guy" the same as the next.
In hindsight I recalled Benny, the first tech, explaining how the owner trained him from his first day. And it kind of made sense why Benny struck me as different, in a good way......
....ARCTIC AIR is owned by a passionate & talented HVAC veteran. So it makes sense that he is ONLY going to employ those who're capable of the same combination of passion and intelligence.
Long Story Short: I was in an extremely vulnerable situation due to the repair potentially needed and the time I had to have the heat pump in excellent working order. All Arctic had to do was agree with (what they knew) the last two companies said. But honestly I don't think doing that even crossed their minds. It wasn't a hustle to them. I've dealt with 12-15 HVAC techs and have only met one other with this same mentality of unwavering integrity. After parts, labor, and needed adjustments (both other companies missed), I saved literally thousands of dollars and was charged less (for both parts & labor) than ANY other company I'd ever dealt with.
Really, most HVAC problems are fairly simple. But if you like NOT getting hustled, or know you have the more rare or complex problem, definitely give this company the opportunity to earn your trust and I think you'll see what I'm rambling about.
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