I hired Aire Serv of West Orlando for labor-only change-outs (I purchased all materials). It turned into the worst trade experience I've had, and my family went 10 days without AC in August.
The permit
Abandoned mid-job. Crew left before completion; I had to hire others at expedited rates to restore cooling.
The permit contractor never appeared. Work was done by people who, in my experience, lacked proper HVAC credentials/supervision.
Massive material waste. About 150 ft of 7/8″ ACR copper and 150 ft of 3/8″ ACR copper were rendered unusable, plus wasted couplings/fittings and Armaflex insulation. I had to rebuy materials.
Poor brazing. Multiple joints were done so badly that they had to be cut out and redone by another installer.
Improper electrical at the air handler. Field splices were left without listed connectors and/or outside an enclosure--I paid to correct this.
Ceiling & electrical damage. An inexperienced helper walked on the drywall/ceiling, light fixtures fell, and lights began blinking; now requires a licensed electrician to inspect boxes/splices/fixtures.
Excessive drywall cuts. Access holes were irregular and larger than necessary, so now I need patch/tape/texture/prime/paint to make it right.
Refused to remove their defective copper. I asked them to come back and remove what they installed so new installers could proceed; they declined, so I had to pay others for demo/removal.
Recycled old units with no credit.
While my deposit was refunded, the real costs (replacement materials, electrical/drywall repairs, demo/removal, and delay damages) were far higher. In my experience, owner Mehul K. Patel was not interested in resolving the issues and left the job unfinished, which was unacceptable in the August heat.
Bottom line: I would not hire this Aire Serv of West Orlando for change-outs. I'm sharing this so other families don't go through what we did in the August heat.
If you hire them anyway, require the licensed contractor of record to be on-site. Verify technicians are licensed/certified (e.g., EPA 608). Insist on nitrogen-purged brazing. Ask for photo proof of pressure test, deep vacuum, and final charge. Put everything in writing and take photos. read more