Elmar Service Work started March 4, 2019 and finished 3 days later.
Scope of Work: installed a split-mini A/C system with 3 units so that my whole house will be cooler in the summer
I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this company for the following reasons: (not listed in order of importance)
1 Professionalism: the workers and salesman know their business and take the time to answer your questions.
2 Interpersonal communication between myself and different employees was clear, polite, and USEFUL. ALL employees share information about the installation and maintenance of the units.
3 Affordability: I contacted 5 companies for estimates and this company was not only the cheapest, but also the best = a hard combination to find.
4 AND THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS COMPANY is that their proposal is detailed. IF a home owner has a concern about a particular installation OR knows something about the house that the homeowner wants noted in the estimate, just speak up when the estimate is being typed. The estimate is typed at the end of the initial contact and emailed to the customers. My house is 90+ years old and there are always issues.
5 When I asked that some of the piping be changed, because I understood that something different was going to be done, the change was done without a fuss.
OF course on a job this major, there were a few issues = ALL minor. In fact, this is the first time (and I've owned
my house for 14 years) that I've had a major job (over 10K) done AND not had any major repair after the workers
left the job.
Oh, and another thing - Elmar Services only installs Mitsubishi equipment (incidentally - Mitsubishi is the HIGHEST RATED equipment on the market in terms of energy efficiency and low maintenance) AND Elmar installs so many units, Mitsubishi has extended their normal warrantee for equipment installed by Elmar Services.
Since I had the unit installed in March, I will not be using them for months. Before the workers left the job, all equipment was tested to see that it was working properly. I am confident that when I turn the unit on in the summer, that the equipment will work. IF I have a problem, because the equipment is under warrantee, it will be fixed at no charge to me.
After the unit was "charged up" and checked out, the installers took 20 minutes to show me how to work the remote control = very helpful. In addition, each unit comes with a set of instructions about how to work the remote and what is involved in maintenance. This booklet is left with the customer.
TIP: if you want to paint the covers for the wire and drainage pipe coming down the exterior of your house, let them know and they will drop off the covers (about two weeks in advance) to your house so you can paint them.
Note: the brush-on exterior paint that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes does not stick to plastic. The paint that does stick directly to plastic (Rustoleum spray paint) only comes in 12-20 colors and does not match my house.
I tried two (2) methods and they BOTH seem to work well regarding painting the covers and the connectors:
1 I bought some Rustolum (sp?) spray paint that advertised on the front label that it sticks to plastic, followed the directions on the back of the can and used it as a "primer" for the exterior latex paint that was color matched to my siding (satin finish = is more durable than flat finish). NOTE: the Rustoleum spray paint that is labeled to adhere to plastic is NOT labeled as a primer, but seems to work fine. ALSO NOTE: THE COMPLETE DRY TIME FOR THE SPRAY PAINT IS 24 HOURS - RECOATING IS IN ABOUT 2 HOURS.
2. I ran out of spray paint and I needed to get the little pieces painted before the installers arrived. I used medium grade sand paper and a palm sander to scrape off the shiny finish on the plastic pieces = this method also worked well, BUT WAS MUCH, MUCH MORE TIME CONSUMING. Since I was working in a poorly lite basement starting at 6 AM in the morning, the ONLY way I could see, where the finish was removed, was to get the light to reflect off the plastic = then I could see the spots I'd missed. The small connector pieces are curved so the sanding is very tedious.
I am so glad I took the time and made the effort to paint the covers. Now that the job is completed, I do not even notice the covers. Because I chose locations inside my house that were agreeable to both Elmar and me, the units do not "stand out" and their placement will allow for maximum energy efficiency. This part of the process took time to finally decide upon mostly because I had to figure out, before seeing the finished product, how I would feel about "the final look" of the product. So I needed time and space to think. Many alternatives were discussed over a 3 week period. The final decision was to place the one unit behind the kitchen door toward the corner of the room and the other unit behind the living room door. The third unit was placed in the upstair read more