I used Polar Bear to replace a very old heat pump in a very old building. Joe, the owner, came out to give a quote and I appreciated all the detail he went into for me, especially as a woman who has been talked down to by contractors in the past. The price for the job was good and the team that did the installation was on time and FAST. Everyone I've spoken to at Polar Bear is always kind and helpful, including the woman who answers the phone in the office who is always cheerful, but I especially want to shout out Angel, who has been out to troubleshoot some stuff and make adjustments since and is such an amazing employee. read more

We really appreciated working with Joe and having him walk us through the HVAC process for an older DC rowhouse.

We had to replace our dying, 18-year-old high-velocity heat pump system in a 1936 brick colonial with a tiny space and a cramped attic. I'm so glad we went with Polar Bear. They were extremely responsive, helpful, and patient in explaining all the details of our current system and the new one. Joe Kelly worked to source a unit nearby so that they could get the job done quickly and put a double crew on the job so they could get it done in a day. The crew was professional, expert, polite, and did a great job, including leaving a clean space behind and showing me how to use the new thermostat. It's not cheap to install these systems, but we made a great choice with Polar Bear! read more

Initially pleased with their responsiveness and ability to install my new HVAC system in a timely manner. However, they did not install a new disconnect box with the new system. The old one was 24 years old and couldn't handle the higher level of power coming into the new HVAC and all the wires started burning inside, nearly setting my house on fire!! I'm terrified to think what would have happened to my house and dog if I hadn't been home to smell the burning and turn off the system. Then, they couldn't get someone out to fix it for another 5 days. Absolutely no communication from company ownership about this issue and the fact that I had to move out of my house for a week. Service tech, Angel and his partner are wonderful, but would not recommend this company anyone. read more

Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My roommate and I *cannot* say enough glowing things about this company and their team. We faced a pretty staggering AC excavation and re-installation due to our building being somewhat "aged", such that our existing central AC unit was literally no longer in production. We spent over two years consulting with other companies that either told us the job was impossible, or flaked on follow-through. Polar Bear (a) showed up on time and found an effective solution, (b) handled it, (c) were consumately polite and professional, and (d) even tidied up when the work was done. We are enormously grateful! They were a dream. Do yourself a favour and hire them. read more

It's all about a positive attitude Communicating with the Sherry can be a challenge if you voice a concern or frustration she will let you have it !! Horrible customer service rude and so unprofessional Stay away Took my business elsewhere read more

I am thrilled with the superb job that Edwin & Carlos did replacing the furnace at my home in Arlington. They are good guys, as well as excellent Technicians. The new furnace is cranking, the installation looks magnificent. They didn't leave one speck of dirt or dust behind, despite relocating my thermostat onto another piece of wall. Their communication was impressive. They called me when they were arriving, and they were right on time as promised. They kept me apprised as the day went on. They are total professionals. I have referred your company to many other people & entities, residential & commercial, and I will continue to recommend Polar Bear HVAC with great enthusiasm. It is difficult to find honest, ethical, reasonably-priced firms that perform excellent work. Your locally owned company is truly one of those firms that has a standard of excellence that is far beyond every HVAC company that I've ever dealt with in the past 30 years here in northern Virginia. Many thanks. read more

Polar Bear Air Conditioning & Heating - New furnace from Polar Bear HVAC - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Joe and his team were fantastic in replacing our old HVAC Units. I really appreciated Joe's willingness to hop on the phone with me whenever I had questions about the estimate or the work being done. He was very patient and never overbearing. The work was done correctly and quickly. The price was competitive compared to other quotes I received. Probably more indicative of the customer service at Polar Bear, I had to call Joe a year after the work had been done to pick his brain about an attic renovation that might have had some impact on the HVAC system. Even though the question wasn't going to lead to any more business for Polar Bear, Joe took the time to answer my questions about the potential impact of the renovation on the HVAC system. Truly appreciated his high level of customer service! Would definitely use Polar Bear again! read more

We purchased a home where Polar Bear installed the HVAC. Our first hot DC day we turn on the AC and our top floor never dropped below hell fire. It is so bad, you can feel a distinct temperature change going up the stairs. We called a HVAC friend who said Polar didn't install large enough returns, the output were in the wrong spots and one return in the main bedroom didn't work! Their recommendation was to install a window unit instead of reopening walls. The hose that connects the fan to the HVAC looks shoddy and has patches! The previous owners spent 5500 and we paid the price for Polars shoddy work. read more

Our HVAC in the basement, a mini split with wall unit was on its way out. We sought some quotes including one from Polar Bear via Angie's list. The estimator, Rich came out quickly. He was professional and really listened to my concerns and expectations for the work to be done. I also asked for a fair, competitive quote given a lot of contractors up their price for DC homes. They assume we are all rich. They were able to install quickly for a fair price. They came on time and did the installation with little fuss and minimal wall opening. The installer unintentionally tugged a wire for our alarm keypad which made it lose power. Once I spoke to Rich, they scheduled a pro who figured it out within minutes. We're happy with the install so far. I would definitely recommend them. Like most projects, if the install is planned carefully and the work performed expertly, many future problems can be averted. Fingers crossed. I would use them again. read more

I have to say, I'm very disappointed with Polar Bear.  After reading some of the rave reviews I was excited to find a new trustworthy AC company.  I used to use Bob Fox, but they no longer exist, sadly. Unfortunately, my experience was not a great one. A technician came out and supposedly (within 5 minutes) diagnosed our AC unit as needing a full replacement because it is a 12 year old system which runs on (now illegal) freon which he can no longer get.  I totally understand that issue, but he failed to investigate whether it could be fixed without the use of any additional freon which he understandably cannot source.  He said there was a switch that failed to stay on but provided no other information and just said we need the whole system. My plumber happened to be working in my house and said he had a friend who worked on HVAC units who could come by and take a look.  His friend spent 30 minutes fully assessing the system (including going into the intake area - something the original technician completely failed to look at) and figured out that no more freon was needed but we only needed a small part to replace to ensure it stays on instead of cycling on/off.   Additionally, and not really all that important but the Polar Bear technician mentioned we only had a 2 ton unit and would probably want something bigger, and yet when Polar Bear's own estimator came out to provide an estimate on a full replacement he indicated we already had a 3 ton unit - strange that the technician spent so little time he couldn't even identify the correct size of the unit?   Our AC is running just fine now with a less than $100 fix as opposed to a $7,000 system.  It is upsetting that the instinct is to simply upsell a new system instead of investigating any other solutions.  Obviously, knowing nothing about ACs I would have just gone with the full replacement had my plumber not been able to help us out. read more

Polar Bear just installed a new air conditioning system at our Capitol Hill row house. I was absolutely thrilled by the customer service, responsiveness, and quality of installation. When we first noticed issues with our ~25 year-old AC system, we called in Polar Bear for a repair/replacement estimate. The service technician and estimator were incredibly knowledgeable about the system we had installed, but unfortunately for us, we needed a complete replacement. I called around to several other cooling and heating companies for additional estimates. It was an expensive replacement involving a rooftop condenser (requiring a crane, which not every heating/cooling company will do). Not only was Polar Bear the most responsive (the estimator James immediately responded to calls and questions at about any hour of the day), they also offered a very competitive rate. On the day of the install, the service team showed up on time, completed all of the work in a very tight utility closet without any damage to the surrounding walls, and finished ahead of schedule. They moved our thermostat and upgraded us to a programmable wifi version (which we absolutely love), and took plenty of time to walk me through all of the preventive maintenance and operation instructions for the system. There are a lot of companies in the residential HVAC market in the DC area, and Polar Bear seemed to have a great blend of the expertise you'd expect in a large company, and the friendly service and responsiveness you'd expect from a local business. I give them a high recommendation for anyone looking for similar services. read more

Scathing customer service & accountability. Call Priority Mechanical Engineers if you want an honest job well done! Contacted Polar Bear to service a furnace that was not working. They take a credit card upon booking an appointment, and will charge you! The day service was scheduled, I was contacted and informed the tech could not find the service address address. Then, I was told the tech would return. Nothing. The tech then showed up unscheduled two days later, and told my resident that the furnace was leaking carbon monoxide and must be replaced immediately. This company a scam, from what I have seen in other reviews, I am glad they will not be installing my HVAC. I am a property manager, who manages several apartment buildings throughout DC and VA. Priority Mechanical Engineers is my go-to. Priority came and serviced the same unit, and performed tests to confirm it was not leaking carbon monoxide. Ridiculous that these people would lie & scare someone into a job. And charged me $119 for the service I did NOT receive. Stay away from these scam artists! read more

Joe and his team did a great job installing a new boiler and central AC in my large DC rowhouse. They were easy to reach and stayed on schedule with the project. I would highly recommend their services for a local and knowledgeable HVAC company. read more

Polar Bear replaced my air conditioning system in an historic DC row house. The old system leaked and was unreliable, especially on very hot days where it just wasn't cutting it. New system is great and much more efficient. There were some access issues, but they were able to get permission from the neighboring owner. The whole swap out took 5 - 6 hours so were up and running by the end of the day and had normal cooling by that evening. Joe the owner is a nice guy easy to work with. read more

Honestly, I'm not even sure this is a real company -- it might just be a referal service where they find you a local repairment who may or may not be credentialled and may or may not speak English. I called Polar Bear and they were upfront about the $90 travel fee and $120/hr repair rate. Expensive but worth it if they are decent. The woman said they had "no" appointments for tomorrow, which should have been a big red flag (it is mid December and freezing out -- shouldn't they be really busy?). She said they could have someone at my apartment between 7:30 and 8 AM, which was perfect timing for me and the tenant living there. At 8:00 AM, a man with a heavy accent and mediocre English skills (good but not a native speaker) calls to "verify" my address. He tells me he should get there by 8:30, which is not ideal but I could manage. 20 minutes later he calls back -- he messed up the address. Then he arrives close to 9:00 AM, and I cancelled the appointment. For the first appointment of the day... they should be on time, or at least close. ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM PAYING $90 JUST FOR HIM TO SHOW UP. read more

I hired Polar Bear to replace my entire heat pump system back in December after recommendations from some of my neighbors. I received a total of five estimates and Polar Bear was the least expensive amongst the companies, but not the sole proprietor estimate. Scheduling the estimate and work was quick and efficient. Day of install went very smoothly and the crew finished the installation just before the time they predicted. The crew was respectful of my home, laying down protection on the floors and being clean. It's been almost four months and the system performed perfectly through this cold winter. I had zero problems post-install and they didn't have to come back for adjustments/fixes of any sort. I'm very satisfied with their value and quality of work and highly recommend them. read more

Came same day when our ac broke last week. $130 seemed a fair price. Their fix didn't work but they came back the next day and fixed it (again) for free. A good firm. Polite and helpful people on the phone. Would use them again and recommend. read more

Wow! Couldn't be more pleased with this service. 1) Arrived in the early part of the two-hour arrival window. 1) Diagnosed the problem (semi-major water leaking from compressor unit) in no time and explained how there were really three steps involved (bad filter led to dirt accumulation which led to clog in drain trap which led to water backflow onto my floor). 3) Cleared out the drainage trap in no time (even though it was a custom PVC pipe job when installed). 4) Then, explained that my electric filter doesn't work and took the time to look up the non-electric replacement filter I need ON AMAZON and SHOW IT TO ME ON HIS SMART PHONE. Seriously? Who gives this kind of service these days? 5) Not cheap but totally worth the money to have a definitive diagnosis and a no-nonsense implement-immediately solution. Really pleased. Thanks, Alex! read more

My neighbors were getting a new AC unit installed on top their roof. They problem with the situation, Polar Bear came with a crane and launched all of their tools and AC unit on top my roof, with out my permission. I was never asked, informed nor consented to have access to my roof. They did not display or have a permit to do so. They did not have a permit to park the crane in front of my neighbors house so the illegally so they utilized the side of my house, I am on a corner unit. They did not display caution signs with the AC unit was erected. When I came out to complain I was berated by a Polar Bear team member. They were very unprofessional and rude towards me for protecting my property. read more

The technician was very nice, but was unprepared to service my HVAC unit. Simply sprayed a chemical cleaning agent on the units coils and hosed down the outside unit. Did not actually clean / service the unit as requested and when I brought this up to him, claimed that the dispatches didnt leave him enough time to actually do the job and that I would have to make another appointment. Needless to say since the only reason I called was for them to come clean the unit am very disappointed. Recommend using someone else. read more

Polar came out to fix a broken A/C unit. They are prompt and got the job done. My only feedback/concern is they are expensive, specifically with parts mark-up. The part they replaced can be purchased for $20-30 and they billed me $180 for it, seems excessive. I called and complained and they applied a $25 coupon, which was nice but still an expensive mark-up. They will also added a $59 "travel charge" which she said is standard in the business but I have not seen this fee before when working with service techs. All in, we paid $275 to replace a $30 part and 45 minutes work. read more

Polar Bear deserves EVERY STAR possible for the level of customer service, quality of work, and honesty that they provide to their clients. Joe Kelly, the owner, is genuinely one of the most knowledgable and helpful people we've ever worked with. You can tell that he truly cares about his clients and his team and that's what makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE because they all go above and beyond to actually meet your needs rather than just trying to sell you on some high-end unit. We feel very lucky and thankful that we came across Joe and his team two years ago when one of our furnaces died during the middle of a horrible snowstorm. We had several companies try to overcharge us and up-sell us on more expensive units than we needed. Thankfully, Joe came out and provided us with an honest assessment of our needs and options and gave us an incredibly fair quote. His team installed the new furnace the next day! Since then, we've gone back to Polar Bear to replace our second furnace and both of our AC units (all were 15+ years old). Each and every time, Joe gave us an honest assessment, a fair quote, and his team always came in and got the job done without leaving a trace (even in the middle of a snow storm and the pouring rain, they even brought their own shoe covers!!). They are always considerate and stand by their work! A huge shout out to Edwin, Rodolfo, John, Angel, and the rest of the team for such amazing work. Our only wish is that Polar Bear provided other home services because it's difficult to find such trustworthy companies/contractors in DC. We will always use Polar Bear for our HVAC needs and would highly recommend them for yours, too! read more

I feel strongly they strung me along for more money. Over and over, it was never 'quite' done. Nothing is ever covered under warranty (in my case some electrical components burned out). They take your credit card before even giving you a quote... Wouldn't recommend. I'm sure this will all be refuted, as others were, just caveat emptor with this company. read more

Polar Bear Air is very responsive and friendly, until they get your money. I am beyond angry and frustrated at my experience with Polar Bear. They installed a brand new a/c, furnace, and hot water heater in my home a few weeks ago on a Friday. By Saturday morning, the a/c was leaking water onto our floor and throughout the HVAC closet. And because of this error in installation, by Sunday the BRAND NEW hot water heater was damaged and we were without hot water. My husband called their answering service 3 times over the weekend and did not even get a call back. He explained to the dispatcher that our a/c was actively leaking onto our basement floor and they could not even bother to respond. Once the hot water heater broke (due entirely to the poor installation job of Polar Bear), we called again, telling them that we needed hot water and had had them install a brand new hot water heater 24 hour earlier. Still, this was apparently not a big enough deal to warrant a call back. I was hosting a party on Sunday afternoon and could not shower, do dishes, or do laundry. I have two small children who I could not bathe for four days. We eventually had to reserve a hotel room just to be clean enough to go to work on Monday and so our kids could bathe. Again, this is all after we just paid Polar Bear more than $8,000 to install a BRAND NEW system. I am completely regretting ever doing business with Polar Bear. The fact that the system they installed did not even last 24 hours is unimaginable, but the total and utter lack of customer service is completely reprehensible. All we have gotten from Polar Bear is a few meaningless apologies. We are brand new customers. I would think they would want to start off by impressing us, not by doing shoddy work, then failing to fix their mistakes in an appropriate and timely manner, and by ignoring our repeated calls for assistance. I was waiting to post this, expecting someone from the company to call and apologize for this horrible performance, but no one has bothered to check in or issue an apology. I highly suggest you STAY AWAY from Polar Bear Air! read more

With a rental in downtown Washington DC, it is sometimes difficult to get contractors to come down due to lack of parking and traffic. This company was so great. I called in the morning and due to a cancellation, they were able to get a technician to our place within 4 hours. They arrived on time, fixed the problem and then were on their way! Could not have been happier. In fact, I have recommended them for a major project with our property manager. I will definitely use them again. read more

Caveat emptor. A little context: last summer, our roof-top AC unit went out right in the middle of a heat wave. We'd had Polar Bear out for a small job or two previously, and was reasonably happy with their work, so, being in a bind, we called them again for an emergency service. They sent a service tech out who initially stated that it was a component repair need (compressor), but upon consultation with Joe via the phone, suddenly it was a much larger issue and the whole system needed to be repaired. Not knowing any better, hamstrung by emergent summer heat, and unable to independently assess the unit on the roof of our row home myself, I took them at their word and paid a sizable amount to replace our whole system. I even facilitated an additional sale to our neighbors, as Polar Bear agreed to split the cost of crane rental for our rooftop installations. Now, to the present: over the weekend, our boiler goes out two days before the forecast arrival of winter storm Stella. Thinking I'd been served well by PB in the past, they're first on my list to call. I'll say this, their front line staff is really good. Melinda, who facilitates scheduling, and their standard repair tech guys are all really friendly and appear helpful. Melinda was super responsive, even called on a Sunday to set things up even though the office was technically closed. I've never had a problem with missed or late appointments. This has held up across all my interactions with them, including the AC installation. It's also, I continually suspect, a part of their MO. Service tech, Alex, arrives first thing Monday morning. Again, very friendly, takes time to explain the system to me. Just as with the AC in the summer, this time his initial suggestion is for incremental repair---a rollout switch ($13 per online) and expansion tank replacement. He offers a temporary fix that makes the unit functional enough to weather the upcoming storm, then offers to hang around a little more to make sure it's working. While doing so, he calls Joe. And suddenly, 30 minutes later, the component repair issue is no longer so simple, and actually they're recommending replacement of the whole system. See a pattern? Alex leaves, Joe calls a little bit later to discuss an estimate. Joe is INFURIATING to deal with. As any reasonable consumer would, I ask for options, A, B, & C: what would get us functioning again, what would be more ideal, and what would it cost to replace the whole system? Joe steadfastly refuses to think of it in those terms. Keeps pointing back to all the systemic error and claiming that "in good conscience" he just couldn't repair the switch. HEAVY, heavy sell for the whole system replacement, cuts me off repeatedly while speaking, tells me I'm thinking of it in the wrong way, denigrates the manufacturer of unit, just really piling it on how bad the situation is and how wrong I am. This phone call instantly triggers recall of the similar conversation I had with him in the summer over our AC. And as he goes on, the more I'm realizing it's the EXACT SAME SCRIPT he used last time to convince me of the up-sell. Refused incremental repair options, slammed the manufacturer, "in good conscience", whole nine yards. Suddenly, my alarm bells are ringing. He makes an off the cuff estimate of $6K for repair, but we schedule a follow up in home estimate for a few days later, after the storm passes. Meanwhile, I call the manufacturer and talk to their tech support line, telling them what PB recommends. And they're incredulous. There's no connection between the one element (rollout switch) and the other elements they're claiming are the larger issue. I get the name of one of their certified service agents in the local area, call, and schedule an appointment for the same morning of Joe's estimate. Won't go into detail, but you can imagine the outcome. Certified tech confirms manufacturer's take. Offers $750 incremental repair. Denies need for system replacement. Totally invalidates the rationale Joe was giving me. Even offers A,B, & C solutions for longer term needs. No up-sell. Friendly, cordial, good listener. Gets my business. Joe shows up a short while later. I'll eventually find out he had arrived early and saw certified tech from other company leave the home. I ask him to complete his assessment, and to reassemble the unit, as it was left partially opened by his tech during the Monday visit. He does, then starts in with the same sell. This time he adds new elements: system as it is "totally ILLEGAL" (?-there are laws on boilers?), "I don't know if you had a home inspection or not but.." Just really laying it on thick. I HAVE had home inspection, and a certified contractor (actually two---other firm also sent a plumbing specialist for independent assessment) just moments before, and none of them are mentioning the BS you're spinning. Needless to say, I ended the conversation abruptly. Beware the up-sell at Polar Bear & do your homework. read more

In 2009, Polar Bear installed a new AC and some limited duct work for $5000. After one summer, the AC stopped working. They charged $200 to come out and look at it. When they came out to fix the AC, they said that it was low on refrigerant - not because of a leak, but probably just a low charge during the initial install. They claimed it was a one time event that wouldn't repeat itself. They still charged for the service because it was just outside the 1 year warranty. A year later, I had another company come look at the AC, and learned that Polar Bear: 1) neglected to connect a safety on the condensate pump. Their technician just left 2 loose wires coming out of the unit. 2) Installed the AC and supply duct such that there is a giant, inaccessible air leak at the back of the unit; 3) there may be a coolant leak in the system. I called them probably 20 times in 2011 to try to speak with Joe, the owner or manager, and had zero success getting him to fix it or be responsive to my problems. This was particularly disappointing because we spoke with several companies about getting a new system installed and got multiple bids and proposals for solutions. The person Polar Bear sent out to talk to us about the new system was reasonable, intelligent and competent. Once they secured our deposit, they completed the work in such a shoddy manner that we only got a year of decent use out of the system and they have since refused to support their product or workmanship. In 2012, I finally got Joe on the phone. He came out to the house. Looked at the unit, added a little bit of freon but said that there wasn't a leak, and cleaned the unit. He gave me some suggestions about how to get better use out of a flawed duct system (that he didn't design). In all, if they had done this in 2011, I would have been much happier. read more

Came home from the hospital to find their service truck parked in my driveway while they worked on a neighbors house. There are plenty of other places to park nearby; this was not just rude, it was baffling. Honked the horn many times, and finally the tech came out, stood by the truck and stared at me. After saying several times he was in my driveway and had to move - no response, still staring - I finally asked if he spoke english (thinking there may be a language barrier); still nothing. No response. Still staring at me. I finally got out of the car and repeated that he was on my property, in my driveway, and he had to move, at which point he began to argue with me. Still not moving toward his truck, he took out his phone - and started video recording me !?! This went on for close to ten minutes; only after I took out my own cellphone and called the police did he finally, reluctantly, slowly head for the truck and move it to a nearby spot about fifteen feet away, where he should have parked to begin with. The arrogant, defiant attitude of this guy is baffling. At least now I know who NOT to call for A/C work. read more

Emergency! Your team installed our AC incorrectly and now there is major flooding. I've called to leave multiple messages. Please call me back today. read more

I am really surprised at the negative reviews, I had two excellent experiences with Polar Bear. The first was in late 2005, the second in early 2010. The first one, in 2005, was installation of four central A/C units in my apartment building, and all units work great five years later. They came back to look at a leak, and showed me where it was coming from (it was not from one of their units). The second, in 2010, was installation of a heating unit in a condo, and it also works great. Both jobs were reasonably priced, and the manager Mike was very easy to work with. read more

We've been working with Polar Bear Air for years. Our first interaction was when our AC broke shortly after buying our house. They tried to fix the issue, but it ended up the entire AC system needed to be replaced. They took the charges for the previous repair attempts off the installation price for the new unit. They were honest and seemingly gave a good price. Since then we've been using them for regular maintenance and repairs. The hourly rate seems high, but once they diagnose the issue they deduct any hourly fees from the flat cost of the repair. They always show up when scheduled and they give you a two hour window (better than most.) read more

Had Polar Bear out to look at my ac unit that was two years old and stopped working. After less than 5 minutes of looking at the unit they stated there was a leak and I would need to spend an additional $1700 to find the leak and they could not give me an estimate of what it would take to repair. They also could not do the test for two more weeks. I called another company who completely solved the issue for a fraction of the cost within the week. read more

I recently had Polar Bear install a new heating and air conditioning and I am extremely impressed with their work. Mr. Angel was so professional and very helpful at explaining what needed to be done. I have been recommending all my friends and family to give Angel a call with any of their air conditioning problems. I am extremely satisfied with his work. He's a hardworking and professional man. He was on time and got the job done perfectly, I couldn't have asked for better results. I won't trust anyone but Angel to fix my a/c problems from now on. read more

Do not use. I was told I needed new air conditioning unit for $6,000 to replace the one Polar Bear had installed just over 10 years ago (just outside the warranty period). Instead, I got a second opinion and had it fixed for a fraction of the cost. read more

We had them install a new Rheem ac/furnace unit this past spring. They showed up on time, the main guys, a father/son team (Michael and Michael I believe) were very nice and professional. They finished in about five hours, did not need a crane for the roof unit and cleaned up after. I would recommend getting a quote from these guys. read more

I called for an estimate and information about my A/C unit. Joe showed up on time, we talked about the unit and how efficient it could still be. He was very honest and didn't push to have the unit replaced but to give it a good service and wait for the warm weather and see how we do. I really appreciated his honest. It really gave me peace of mind. I am sure that when the unit needs to be replaced I will be calling Polar Bear. read more

These guys are great, they installed several A/C units in my place a few years ago and I didn't get around to writing this till now. They most recently replaced a heating unit for me earlier this year, and I would call them again any time. Reasonable price, on time, on budget, nice to deal with. read more

I had a great experience with Polar Bear. I gutted an old rowhouse in Dupont Circle in 2009 and turned it into 3 apartments. I put in 3 completely separate HVAC systems with high efficiency gas furnaces and full duct work for each. Joe Kelly, Polar Bear's owner, came out to the house a few times to go through the project with me in the planning stages and even did a complete layout of each HVAC system to tell me where I needed the most vents and what size units I would require. I got 3 estimates for the project and Polar Bear fell in the middle. I asked Joe if he could meet the lower estimate and he did. The crew that did the work was run by a guy named Mike. Can't say enough good things about Mike. He's a really trustworthy guy and he's honest about problems. It took about 2 weeks to install all the duct work and units. The systems have been awesome. My apartment is the top 2 floors of the house and my highest electric bill yet was July 2011 ($88.36) and I keep my place at 74 or lower. In the winter, the high efficiency gas furnaces have also been amazing. My highest gas bill was in January 2011 ($93.48) and that bill includes the gas for a 100 gallon gas hot water heater and a 36" professional gas range. I've always found Polar Bear easy to work with. Whenever I've had problems, with a phone call they come out and get it right. I'll admit, they are not the cheapest company out there, but having done a $400k renovation and faced nearly every headache imaginable, I've learned you get what you pay for. Nearly every time that I blindly took the lowest bidder, I got the worst product. Joe and Polar Bear stand by their work and they are trustworthy. That goes a long way with me and I'm willing to pay a little extra for it. read more

Polar Bear HVAC installed a mini-duct a/c system in my house Feb 2008. By the spring of 2009, after the warranty expired, I started to see water stains around the A/C vents in my bedroom. Therefore, I called Polar Bear to inspect the area. After they inspected it, they told me to contact my roofer. They could not be liable for damage caused by a poor roof. I contacted my roofer, Kraftwerks, who then inspected the roof, and the owner gave me a full written report that the beams that Polar Bear installed in my roof damaged his roofing work. The leaks continued all summer and fall, and I paid for continual roof and ceiling work. By November, I replaced the whole roof and have a warranty for 5 years. The water damage around the A/C vent in my bedroom reappeared. Thus, I just called Polar Bear in March 2010 and asked them kindly to send a technician. They didn't call me back. So, I called 2 days later. The office worker refused the work. She said I needed to call a roofer. I repeated the whole story that the roof is new and I wanted Polar Bear to check the vents. She refused repeatedly. Then, I changed the subject and asked for Polar Bear to come out for my annual maintenance inspection. Again, she refused the work. I have never experienced this poor service in my life. And, no company that I have paid (thousands of dollars) has refused follow up service. Either they are discriminating against me, they don't want to deal with the possibilty of poor workmanship, or they just chose not to work with me. I wasn't natsy/I didn't yell. I just requested a maintenance visit, and they refused the work. read more