I have used Fred to take care of my three HVAC units for about 4 years now and I will never call another company. Living in McLean, you always run into the issue that a company is going to come out and up-charge you because of where you live. But Air Control has never been like that, I have always felt that they charge me an great price for whatever issue I am having with my units. The owner, Fred, is the friendliest person I have met in NoVA and bends over backwards to meet your HVAC needs. Fred has done so much maintenance on two of my units that they run like new. We're in the process of having to replace my oldest unit, which is about 20 years old, and he has been very helpful and resourceful on how he will replace them, what he will replace them with, as well as everything you need to know when upgrading to a modern system. Fred is very prompt and hard working, which I find to be lacking trait in Northern Virginia, so when I found Air Control, it actually put my mind at ease when it comes to my HVAC units. Also, Jackie who runs the office, is just as knowledgable as anyone when it comes to HVAC, so it's nice that when I call the office I'm speaking to someone who knows more than just how to set up an appointment and who also does their due diligence on your paperwork and is up-to-date on the issues going on in your house. read more

Fred has always been there for us whenever we needed help with our HVAC system. As the owner of an older home it's important to keep systems properly maintained and there is no one I trust more than Fred, I recommend him to all of my neighbors. read more

I should have trusted some of the other reviews of this company and never booked with them! I scheduled a service call with Air Control LLC yesterday (5/20/14) and they never showed up for our 5:00PM appointment. I rushed home from work to make sure that I would be there early. After they were 1 hour late I called and there was no answer. I left a polite voice mail asking for someone to please call me regarding the status of our scheduled appointment. After waiting for 3 hours I realized that they were not coming. I would have appreciated a courtesy call or something. The dispatcher and wife of the owner, Jackie, did call me earlier in the day (around 12:30PM) to ask i f I would be available earlier than our scheduled time. I told her no, I was at work. She told me that was fine and that they would be there at the scheduled time. Not true. I am very disappointed with this unprofessional experience. I completely wasted my evening. This is very inconsiderate and I am taking my business elsewhere. read more

Fred was awesome! Our AC stopped working on a 102-degree Saturday when I was preparing for a house-warming/pre-deployment party. Fred agreed to come out and look at it. However, we encountered a slight problem. Our compresser is on the roof, and you need an extension ladder. Well, my husband managed to finagle an extension ladder and Fred fixed the problem efficiently. We are continue to be super appreciative of Fred's willingness to come out and work on a beautiful (albeit HOT) Saturday afternoon. Thanks again Fred! read more

My air conditioning unit suddenly stopped working in late June, so I made the call to have it checked out. Upon paying for the unit to be inspected, I was told by Fred Lowery that everything was perfect with the unit and the problem must have been my electric thermostat. Okay... Except, the problem keeps coming back. Fred had assured me my 5-year old compressor is in good shape. He says it wasn't the cause of my issue, but my capacitor was low, so I also paid for him to address that -- to be on the safe side and on top of all possible maintenance issues. But after all that money, the problem is back. So, I made sure to restart the settings on the thermostat. Yet, despite having the system set on cool, the vents have warm air coming through them. Since Fred must have overlooked something last time, and he seemed like an honest businessman, I called him back. First, I called and left a message and never received a call back. When I called back a few hours later, I was told that the weather at the end of June is different from the start of September, so it wouldn't be the same. What!? A simple Google search of possible issues tells me that warm air coming through the vents is one of just a few possible issues -- all of which would have been broken/needing attention the same in late June as in early September. So I paid Fred Lowery several hundred dollars in late June for nothing because the issue was not resolved. I should have gone with another company the first time. read more

Fred is great! I've used his company for many years to do maintenance checks on my old place, which is currently a rental, and my new house. I'm surprised by some of the bad reviews because I've always had a very positive experience with him and most of his techs. He always answers all my detailed questions about HVAC issues, and has recently replaced my water tank with a tankless water heater. I'm very pleased with the job. read more

Unfortunately, I never got to experience what seems to be 5-star service. I was scheduled to have an AC tune up on Friday, 6/28 (evening) and when I called to confirm the appointment about an hour before he was scheduled to arrive, I was told due to the weather the repairman wouldn't be coming that evening. Issue #1: You (the company) should not wait until a client calls to convey this type of information. It's just ridiculous. I understood, the weather was definitely wonky that evening. The lady on the phone apologized and said he would be there the next morning (Saturday) by 9am. This was no problem for me, so I accepted the new time and date without hesitation. Issue #2: 9am Saturday morning came and went, and by 9:30 I called to see if there were any delays. Unfortunately for me, no one answers the phone on the weekend, so I was out of luck - and a repairman! It is now Wednesday and I haven't heard a peep from them. No call to apologize for the scheduling mix up, no email, no nothing. I've had much better luck from other companies whose customer service is far better than theirs, so I'll stick with them from now on. read more

I called Air Control because they had a decent review on Yelp. When I called, the receptionist said that they were super busy and asked if she could call me back. I said OK. Two hours later, she hadn't called me back... So I called again. On the call I told her that I needed new 'tubing' and that the air was no longer cold. I have since learned that the 'tubing' is called 'supply line'. The technician showed up on time. One star for that... He was a very nice guy. I showed him the busted supply lines and where the A/C unit was. A little bit later he came down with the paper work filled out and said that everything was fixed. I was surprised at how fast it all got fixed, but whatevers. When I was paying, I asked about the supply lines. He said, "oh right, you are going to need about four feet of 'supply line'". What??? I'm thinking to myself, why do I have to fix this myself?? I don't know the first thing about it?? But clearly he was not going to fix it. So I asked a few follow up questions on exactly what I needed to buy. He literally watched me type the specs into Amazon. ugh. So after he leaves, I go upstairs to test the system. It's a joke. Yes the AC is running again, but no I'm not getting any flow into my bedroom. This was one of the reasons I called in the first place. I call the main number and explain my situation. "Fred" hears me out and then says that he will call the technician and then call me back. -- when Fred calls me back, he's useless. I explained to him EXACTLY what happened, and he basically called me a liar. I offered to do a three-way call with the technician whom I knew wouldn't deny what happened, but Fred said that he didn't want to bother the technician and that they would call me later. So an hour later, I get a call from the technician. Fred is not on the call. Coward. The technician didn't deny the situation. He says that the receptionist didn't tell him about the tubing... he tried to fix what was wrong, but didn't have any spare tubing and that I should buy it... he clearly realizes now that he should have fixed it. He apologized and offered to come and repair it. I accepted his apology but decided to decline the offer. I don't want to work with this company any more. Any company that calls their customers a liar is not for me. Do yourself a favor and don't give your business to Mr. Fred. read more

Fred and Tony are AWESOME! Yelp-- thank you, Yelp! Helped me find Air Control. A few weeks ago my AC unit decided to attempt to commit suicide on me. It's almost July, the temperature kept rising... Thankfully, Fred came to the rescue to help us out. As you can imagine, this is a busy season in the Heating and AC business. However, Fred reasonably assigned an arrival day and time and came within the hour of our scheduled appointment. What I found most impressive was Fred somewhat diagnosed our issue over the phone. When he arrived, he confirmed the issue and provided a fair estimate. (I researched the cost of the fix online and Fred's price aligned with the average.) Unfortunately, in order to fix my unit a part had to be ordered. However, Fred and Tony made sure to return to my house the day that they received the part. A few weeks later, my AC has been working since fixed without any issues. Outside of excellent service, Fred and Tony appear to be extremely nice. Meeting nice people who are also able to assist was AWESOME! Thank you, Fred and Tony!!! read more

This is a company I'm happy to put on my yearly maintenance schedule. (look through my 300+ reviews - I don't write that often) Fred rescheduled twice to make sure his folks came when the temp was right for doing a diagnostic. He didn't want to come when it was too cold to do the right job. His honesty earned a lifelong customer. Also, they could have charged me twice as much for the diagnostic and upcharged me. They didn't. They gave me an honest assessment of what I need and don't need. They pushed back on a condo requirement, telling me it would be a waste of my money. Jon did the servicing. That dude really knows his stuff, and is personable too. read more

My AC started squealing during the hottest week of August this year. After reading the positive reviews on Yelp, I gave Air Control LLC a call. They came out the next available day to diagnose the problem. The guy that came out was a young guy, who had been with the company about 6 months. He turned the AC on and waited for the squealing to start. Instead of just waiting around, he did a complete diagnostic on my system, even going outside and checking my Freon. I figured he was going to pull the typical AC guy scam and say I needed a whole system overhaul, so I was pleasantly surprised when he told me everything was in great working order. I thanked him for checking everything and he said something along the lines of, "You've gotta pay $90 for us to come out and check out the problem, least I can do is make it worth your money." The squeal finally started and he diagnosed the problem as a bearing problem. I had already done my research and knew I needed a new motor, and that most of these motors run about $80. So I was very surprised with the $480 price tag that Air Control had on this service. I told him I'd think it over and started looking into getting a motor and replacing it myself. Turns out, the price was high because I have a variable speed motor, and even getting a contractor pricing on this thing I'm still out of pocket $335. So I called Air control back to get them to replace my motor, as they have a 1 year warranty on their service. The same guy came out again, with a 2nd guy that seemed like he was learning. Took them less than 2 hours to replace the motor, and in that time they also cleaned out the housing unit. They were polite, to the point, and expedient. They only get 4 stars because it seems like the front office still has a lot of improvements needed. It took 3 separate phone calls to confirm my appointment, and they couldn't figure out how much it was going to cost. Every time I called, they weren't at a computer where they could look up if they had ordered the motor, if they were coming, or how much it was going to cost me. That was very frustrating. Aside from that, I would recommend Air Control LLC to my neighbors and friends. read more

Fred is a first rate technician and I believe his wife does the bookkeeping and helps out in the office. He has hired at least one younger guy who I believe is ok but not Fred like. Fred helped me install a brand new unit in a condo in downtown DC. There was an issue with a leak or something and he spent hours upon hours trying to fix it. Finally he said I'd need a new unit and I agreed. He probably took a hit on labor for the work he did for me but he was first rate in every way. I called him out to our new place in Ashburn and he sent his new worker. He was knowledgeable but I would have preferred Fred to come out. He is honest and reliable. read more

I called Air Control based on the positive feedback from other Yelpers. My fellow Yelpers did not disappoint. Scheduling was pain free. I called Tuesday, they were able to come out on Wednesday. They arrived about an hour late, but it's understandable due to the unpredictable traffic in the area. The technician was courteous and knowledgeable. He checked both of our HVAC systems and offered recommendations to help maintain the systems for a longer life. The price was just right at $65 per unit. No extra hidden fees, no surprises. That's true honest work. The only pet peeve I have is that they should have disposable booties to slip over their shoes. I don't like outside shoes indoors and it would be nice if the technicians came prepared when they enter a clients home. read more

I called Fred at 7PM on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. He answered the phone. (1 point to the good with that.) I understand HVAC systems though I am by no means a technician. I described the problem and my elementary diagnosis. He talked though it and agreed. As there was just one day before the holiday he arranged to get the part from a warehouse in Baltimore (+1) the next morning and sent one of his techs to get it (+1). Wow. The tech showed up the next afternoon and installed the new control unit on the blower motor in about ten minutes. Fred worked WITH me, took some risks to get me heat before a long holiday weekend and did not charge me an arm and a leg. Great, professional service. read more

I have relied on Air Controll, LLC for over 10 years now. I met Fred 10 years ago when I was selling my condo and the buyer contracted him to service the unit prior to moving in. I hated that condo because it was always so hot in the summer. This is part of the reason I sold it. Upon servicing, Fred discovered a filter which had never been cleaned or serviced (not the normal filter you change every month) and was resulting in the unit grossly underperforming. I had the unit serviced regularly by a "big box" type of company for 6 years and complained to them every service appointment about how the unit did not cool the small condo. They always recommended getting a new unit as it could help, but said the current unit was fine. I figured it was just something I had to live with. After Air Control, LLC serviced the unit, my condo was cold again! In the middle of August, after 6 years of sweating through the summers, a simple service from a company who actually took the time to care about their customer and explore the issue in depth, resolved the 6 year long problem. Since that day, my first call for anything A/C related has been to Air Control, LLC. Fred is the best of the best! He is genuinely a nice guy, an honest person who doesn't try to rush through an appointment or upsell or push services that you don't need and takes the time to trouble-shoot and explain issues and general maintenance to his customers. I cannot recommend Fred and Air Control, LLC enough! read more

I called this company based on the reviews before mine. I needed some maintenance service done on my air handler unit, as I had noticed some leaking water from it. I called on a Sunday, today, and he was able to make it out to my house within two hours. He did charge an extra $50 for a sunday service call ($125 instead of $75 for coming out to diagnose the problem...services performed cost extra), but he did show up on time, and the $50 was worth it to me because I didn't have much availability during the week. He performed the needed maintenance and informed me of other issues facing my unit, being as it is 23 years old. Based on his ability to get the job done on such short notice (regardless of the extra $50), I recommend Air Control LLC and will be calling them again when needed. read more

I had trouble with my AC going into the 4th of July weekend. I searched on yelp and found Air Control which is a real find for quality service on your HVAC woes. They accommodated my busy schedule by coming after 6 pm. Fred, the technician was really friendly and was able to diagnose my AC issues right away. They were able to fix my AC right away. The prices are very reasonable, not once did I question my bill which is rare for expensive services such as AC repair. Even more surprising was Fred's honest evaluation of my current AC system, giving some really good recommendations on future AC repair/replacement efficiency. It's been almost 2 weeks and my AC has never worked so well! There are probably services listed on yelp that have loaded comments boosting their rating. Air Control is definitely not one of those services, they deserve their five star rating and more. I will always recommend them to my friends and family, most of all I have to reinforce their strong rating on yelp. read more

If there was a 10 star option I would give Fred and his crew 10 stars. I called on Friday morning, got a response in the afternoon for a service call on Monday at 7:30am, Fred arrived on time and quoted me a fair price to get the job done the same day as the inspector returned on Tuesday. I had a different hvac contractor that failed inspection due to a taped up flue vent, for a replacement hvac system they were hired to install. That company said the vent was "pre-existing" and wanted to charge an absurd amount something that should have been included. Fairfax county requires contractors to sign off on a "vent certification form," indicating the whole system, flue vent included is up to code, as the vent was pre-existing the contractor had just signed the form!. *Be aware a contractor only needs to sign and submit this form and unless something blatantly wrong like tape on the vent the county inspector will pass the inspection!! Fred was there to pick up the pieces, he not only took care of the vent, he quoted me a reasonable price to make small repairs to other duct areas to ensure my system would run at max efficiency and run for years. His tech had initially completed only part of the job, I called Fred up to confirm what we had discussed in the morning and within minutes his tech returned and quickly finished the job. Not only that today is Tuesday (inspection day) and I got a follow up call from Fred to make sure my hvac passed inspection for a system that was installed by another contractor!!! I let him know the system AND vent passed and thanked him for the follow up call. I cant say enough about Fred and his folks! Responsive! Fair Pricing! Honest! Reliable! And Professional! thank you! THANK YOU! read more

COMPASSIONATE AND FAIR: It was Round 2 of the 2010 DC Blizzard and my furnace was cycling on and off repeatedly. I had 4 kids, 3 cats and 2 adults in the house with NO HEAT. I used ServiceMagic.com and found Fred's company. He called me immediately after I filled out the webpage. Fred, you know what you did to help me and my boyfriend at the LOWEST cost possible and WE THANK YOU very much. You let us know that there is still compassion for other people and its not always about the money. Fred was honest and very knowledgeable. My unit was back up and running within 30 mins. I couldnt be more thankful and will use Fred and his company in the future for sure!!! Thank you and stay warm. :) Crystal, Alexandria, VA read more

I found Fred on yelp and he lived up to his great ratings. I had Fred take a look at an old heating and air condition unit that was causing problems in my rental property. Since I live far away from the property it was important that I work with someone who was professional, communicative, and not afraid of technology (email, scanning receipts, etc.) He and Jackie were both great. He walked me through my options, explained the pros and cons, and we agreed on next steps. He was always responsive, kept to his appointments, and kept me in the loop. His fees are reasonable and his customer service is fantastic. read more

Just had my entire HVAC system replaced by Jason after Fred came out to evaluate it. Both were totally professional, prompt, courteous, and a pleasure to work with. Very happy customer. read more

Jackie spent a very long time on the phone with me giving me free advice instead of charging to send a technician. They are a standup company and know their field. read more

AC was blowing warm air during the heat wave in NoVA. Fred was awesome. He gave me a very detailed analysis. And treated me like I was member of his family. He was actually trying to make the best decision for me without spending a fortune. He told me he was able to fix it that day but came back when he said he could and fixed it. Jackie was very helpful coordinating everything with my busy schedule. Fred is the person I will continue to go to for all my HVAC needs. read more

For the second year in a row, I called Air Control to schedule a spring and fall HVAC inspection. I spoke to the receptionist and was able to schedule an appointment. When the techs showed up, I was told the receptionist only scheduled my unit for spring inspection. After some back and forth, they stayed and performed both inspections, as scheduled. The inspection was just OK, and at one point one of the techs turned off my AC unit and then proceeded to tell me it wasn't working (until , that is, I turned it back on and it started working again. Shocker, I know). The service definitely did not inspire confidence to say the least. Then, after the techs left I realized they forgot to replace the HVAC filter. I called the office immediately and was told they would come back in 3 days time and replace the filter. 5 days later, no one showed up, no one called. I called the office and got a different receptionist. She proceeded to tell me they don't replace filters (even though they did last year they came out). Then, she started telling me how upset she was with me because I "mistreated" the techs. How, you ask? Well, I insisted they stay and perform the inspections I scheduled them for. I also told them it didn't inspire confidence that they turned off my unit, apparently did not realize it was turned off and proceeded to tell me I needed to replace it because it wasn't working. She constantly interrupted me on the phone saying how they never schedule double inspections and that I spoke to a temp receptionist (their accountant, I think) who did not know not to schedule a double inspection. How it is my fault or concern I don't know. I understand they had a family emergency and had to have a temp covering the phones, but again, a) I am not aware of it and b) not my fault your temp doesn't know what she is doing. Find another place for your HVAC work, folks. read more

After a severe thunderstorm knocked out the power and our condo building water pump malfunctioned, the result was 30+ hours without A/C and concern among the residents that our individual heat-pumps had suffered potential permanent damage. Although the A/C seems to be working normally now that the water pump has been repaired, I was still concerned and wanted a professional HVAC technician to check it out. Of course, I checked the ratings on Yelp and saw that Air Control LLC had 5-star ratings across the board & scheduled a service appointment. As it turns out, a service appointment wasn't required. The technician explained how my heat-pump works and was confident that no permanent damage had been caused. He said that if I was still concerned, he could keep the appointment, but I'd just be spending money unnecessarily. I'm VERY impressed with the technician's honesty & professionalism, that I will absolutely call them back if/when I do need A/C repair! This company gets an A+!! read more

My husband called Air Control this morning to discuss a potential issue with our heat pump/filter that some technicians from Sears had brought to our attention. When he contacted Air Control to schedule a diagnostic visit and explained Sears' concerns, they asked some questions about our heating setup and what we were told, and came to the conclusion that the system is most likely fine, and that Sears was just trying to get us to buy more services from them. Basically - we had resigned ourselves to having to fork over cash for yet another home maintenance issue on our recently purchased condo, and they had the (uncommon) decency to tell us not to waste our time or money, even if it meant losing a job on their part. As a result of this interaction, we will DEFINITELY use Air Control in the future and refer anyone we know with HVAC issues to them. read more

Seriously, this company is awesome!!! This is the second time that I had to use Air Control for heating problems. The first time was 4 years ago. My furnace is very old 1940's- early 1950s. Jason called and arrived ahead of the scheduled time. He actually remembered being here 4 years ago. He diagnosed the problems and fixed my unit. I could tell that he really enjoys his job. He is passionate and extremely thorough. I also had a very pleasant experience with Ms. Jackie who set up my appointment. She was friendly, personable and beyond knowledgeable when it comes to furnaces. I hope that this company stays in business forever!!! I highly recommend Air Control for your heating needs. read more

One word to describe the service I received to repair my natural gas heater: Outstanding! The service technician, John, came on-time. He was very efficient in identifying the problem (shut fire damper) and the potential root causes (dirty furnace coil, faulty secondary heat exchanger). He also explained how much it would cost to repair each potential root cause. I am most impressed that John did not jump into conclusion as to what the root cause of the problem was. He checked the heating system thoroughly. Finally, he identified that the real problem was the air filters that I was using. The air filters were probably the best quality one could find in terms of filtering particulates and eliminating odors. Unfortunately, the air filters were so restrictive that it blocked the air flow particulates accumulated on the filter (I regularly changed the filter every 3 months). I was glad that John took the time to identify the real problem. I was initially worried that he would simply say that I need to buy a new furnace, which would have cost thousands of dollars. The cost of the inspection and the repair of the fire damper were very cheap. It was much cheaper than 4 other HVAC companies have quoted me. I appreciate the excellent work that John has done. I would recommend Air Controls LLC to anyone. I commend Air Controls LLC's integrity in doing business, their high standards, and their highest priority on customer satisfaction. Thank you Yelp for helping me find Air Controls LLC. read more

AC went out on the evening of July 3. Called the morning of July 4. Arrived by mid-morning. AC fixed within the hour. Friendly, fast, inexpensive. Highly recommended! read more

WARNING, DO NOT USE! "Fred" just came for a $75 checkup and a $295 coil cleaning. (1) Price quoted by his wife/business partner was much lower, "Fred" said its not his problem. (2) The coil cleaning was just one coat of Home Depot spray and watching it bubble. It's still very dirty! (3) The checkup was just checking the temperature and one pressure. (4, and most importantly) He was demeaning and angry when I mentioned the price question, and ever when I asked questions about the work, insulting and dismissing me. He told me he would just pick up and leave and I couldn't have agreed more...happy to pay and have "Fred" get the hell out of my apartment. Do yourself a favor and get someone professional. There are enough bad reviews here that you should be weary. read more

Air Control - The cleaned coil upon leaving - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me - Mclean, Virginia

Good service, got gouged by the price of repair. Fred seems like a very nice guy; he talked me through some troubleshooting when I called to ask for help with an A/C problem. He scheduled the maintenance, and called to confirm the appointment. So far so good. My gripe is with the price of service; I had already disassembled the air handler and I knew before the techs arrived that I would need a new motor and blower wheel. A blower wheel runs about 40 or 50 bucks, and a new 1/2 hp motor is around $150. I understand that parts get marked up, and I don't mind paying a markup to have experts do the work... but I was charged $690 for $200 in parts and a job that took all of 20 minutes. My bad for not asking about price before I had them start work. read more

Jason from Air Control came out to my place to estimate what it would cost to replace my heat pump system. He was perfectly nice, and I received the estimate about a week later from Fred, the owner. The estimate was competitive, and I was interested. I replied to the e-mail and asked how much more it would be for a more energy efficient system. I didn't get an answer from Fred. I called and e-mailed several times and never heard back from him. I don't know if he's just disorganized or if he wasn't interested in the job. Either way, dealing with these people wasted several hours of my time. read more

I had a service contract with Air Control, and I tried to schedule the service check and a possible repair due to our air conditioning not working well. I called multiple time and left multiple messages over multiple days, and I did not receive a call back from them for 3 days. I called another company that promptly sent at a person and fixed our problem within hours. Their service quality is great and their technicians are helpful, but getting someone to respond is poor. read more

had a new gas furnace and A/C installed - excellent job- very happy with their work. thank you!!!

They gave me a two hour window, and no showed and never called to tell me about any delay. Two hours of my life wasted. Taking my business elsewhere. read more

Our A/C went out right before the hottest stretch of weather in D.C. Thankfully, Fred was able to diagnose and Brandon was able to install a new circuit board to limit the amount of time that we were without A/C. Brandon was very professional... arrived early and thoroughly tested the solution to make sure we were up and running. I would highly recommend Air Control LLC. read more

Like other yelpers, I made the mistake of trying this company because of some of the positive reviews I read on Yelp. The reviews that I read referenced Fred the owner of the company and how excellent he was and because I have had the misfortune of choosing terribly incompetent and dishonest HVAC companies in the past I decided that if I was going to try this company that I was going to ask for Fred to come out. When I called to set up my appointment, I asked if I could request that Fred be the one to come to the appointment because I had read excellent reviews on yelp about him and the company. The man who answered the phone was not friendly at all, to the extent that I became a little uncomfortable just talking on the phone with this person. I was told that yes, I could request that Fred be at the appointment and I was actually very surprised when the unfriendly sounding man on the phone said that HE was Fred. I would have thought there would be a little change in his telephone demeanor after hearing me reference the fact that I was choosing to go through their company after reading excellent reviews on yelp and after specifically requesting him, but no. He was able to set up an appointment for me within a few days and I asked again if HE would be the one coming out for the appointment just to make sure. In the same flat unfriendly tone he verified that yes he would be coming to the appointment. I was a little discouraged by his unfriendliness but I was looking forward to the prospect of discovering a competent new HVAC company so that I wouldn't have to continue searching. The morning of the appointment I had a huge presentation at work and had to leave very early but my husband stayed home to be available when Fred arrived for our scheduled appointment.Within minutes of leaving my house I began receiving a flurry of phone calls from my husband because the HVAC man had arrived and wanted to know what was wrong.This threw me back a bit because I was very specific on the phone with Fred about what the problem was and even if I hadn't been I would think being a professional and owner of his own company that he would be able to figure out what the problem was just by looking at and listening to the unit. I soon discovered that Fred was not the one who showed up, it was some other tech. I continued to receive a flurry of phone calls from my husband asking me what the problem was over and over again because the tech kept asking him. Given the fact that I was the one who originally purchased this unit and it's in a room that is primarily used by me, my husband wasn't able to be as helpful in explaining the details of the problems that I was having with it. Trying to prepare for my presentation I finally had to say "I've told you everything I can tell you, he's the professional, isn't it his job to find the source of the problem and fix it?!" Keep in mind that the unit was making a tremendous amount of noise, it was absolutely filthy and had very little air coming from it. Also, the piddly amount of air that was coming from the unit was not very cold at all. I explained all this to Fred on the phone when I set up the appointment and told Fred that at the very least I would need it to be cleaned thoroughly. Not only did Fred not show up he did not tell me he would not be able to make it and he did not relay any of that information to the tech that he did send. When I arrived home I was excited at the thought of my AC being in excellent working condition, only to discover that the tech that was sent to my home didn't think there was anything wrong, charged us $70, and left. Almost immediately I began to receive a lot of phone calls & voicemails from a woman at the company who said that the tech who had been at my home misplaced some of his tools and she was requesting that I call her back to let her know if I found them. At this point I was absolutely livid! Not only did Fred never call to try to reschedule or mention that he would not be able to show up after I specifically requested him (which he agreed to), but the tech he sent in his place didn't have a clue what he was doing and did nothing more than show up to my home and collect a free $70 fee. It did not even take an expert to hear the loud noises coming from my unit or to feel the low pressured warm air coming from my unit! My husband told me that he didn't even take the outer casing off of my unit to check the inside! Yet for the next several months I continued to receive numerous phone calls and voicemails from the company asking about this man's tools that he thought he left over here! Never a phone call to follow up on the appointment, nothing! I don't know why they thought he left his tools over here anyway because he didn't even use any tools. I was so pissed from the entire experience (where they basically got paid for doing absolutely nothing) that I never called them back to tell them he did not leave his "tools" at my house. read more

Our 15-year oild AC unit failed last month. Some other company examined it and quoted a ridiculously high price for replacing it. Recalling past good experience with Fred, I called him to try my luck - not expecting that the unit could be fixed but just looking for a reasonable price quote for replacing it. And then Fred arrived, repaired our failed AC, and told us that the unit may last for another 5 years. He is absolutely the best! I'll definitely recommend him to all my friends. read more

I had a great experience with Air Control. Fred came to my house in SE Capitol Hill from McLean, was as patient and kind as other reviews note, and -- most importantly -- was as skilled and honest as other reviews note. When we talked about my AC unit's issues, he said it sounded like a leak, which could run up to $800 to fix. However, when we got up to the roof, he quickly saw that it was a busted capacitor. He replaced it and checked to confirm that was the only issue. He easily could have tried to up-sell me into getting more coolant or other services but never did. I also spoke with him about some of the negative reviews on Yelp. He was very straightforward in accepting the blame for most of the late and/or missed calls, and he explained that his business just grew too fast. With limited staff and a desire to please everyone (particularly on hot days when people were begging for someone to come out) he tried to get everywhere and let some things drop. He stressed that he was trying to make sure it never happened again. I was impressed by how honest he was in admitting the issue. But mainly I'm just happy that someone came out quickly and fixed my A/C unit for less than I thought it would cost. I would use them again. Fred clearly knows his way around an air conditioner. read more

I called Air Control to fix our heater at a condo earlier this year because of its good rating on Yelp. My experience is similar to Alex G's. I was charged over 200% markup for the parts ($338 for $100 parts), plus $75 service fee. I just wish I knew beforehand. So, next time you need its service, ask them how much markup they charge. read more