Contacted them for a quote to finish an already started HVAC system. Tech came out and wanted to charge me $88.00 for the visit and told me they could not complete the job. I told him, no one mentioned anything about a charge for a quote and I went to the site and showed him, it clearly states FREE ESTIMATE... "Oh that's for new installs"... I spoke to a person to setup the appt and that wasn't mentioned, and again this morning to confirm the appt and that was not mentioned as well. See pictures. read more

Empire Heating and Air Conditioning - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Chris came out to do an assessment and give me a quote for a full furnace and AC replacement. He was very friendly and listened to the particular needs of our home and explained everything. Chris, as the sales person, was generally quite accessible throughout the process. He had allocated two days for the installation. I noticed after the second day that the job was not fully complete, as expected in the two days (I had carpet cleaners scheduled two days later and wanted to make sure they were done). They came back for part of a third day to complete it. The installation techs were very friendly and explained things to me. It went a bit over the time expected but the job was completed well. So far the system is working marvellously. read more

The technician replaced a gas valve that dangerously filled my basement with gas. Another technician fixed and found several gas leaks caused by the first technician. A third technician came out to clean up the mess. What was probably just a dirty burner ended up putting my family at serious risk and costing me about $1,000.00. This was supposed to be a routine maintenance call instead I feel like I had to pay for amateur mistakes. read more

Empire Heating and Air Conditioning - The technician applied the thread sealant after he installed the gas pipe. Every connection leaked and filled my basement with gas. - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

We have been with Empire for more than a decade now, mostly because we assumed they would offer a better experience as one of the larger HVAC providers. Nothing could be further from reality. The service they provide is inconsistent at best and can be described as subpar if I am being honest. In our latest experience with Empire, a few weeks ago they performed winter maintenance on our heating system. This morning we woke up to the coldest temperatures of the season so far, so we turned on the heat. Imagine our surprise when we discover that the heat will not come on! I went to the basement to see if I could figure out the issue, and I find that the last tech who was here put one of the installer's guides that came with the heating unit (which we purchased from Empire) on top of some type of air intake vent on the unit. Once i moved that, the unit fired up and started putting out heat. This situation is similar to what happened when we called Empire out this past summer because the vent in our bathroom seemed to be blocked. The tech who came out took a really quick look and, finding no obvious issue, figured it must be a dirty filter and moved on. I insisted that he take another look, because logically a dirty filter would not impact just one vent. I went to the basement with the teck to get a better look myself. In 2 minutes I realized that the vent was blocked because it was full of water (our toilet had overflowed, and the bathroom has a floor vent). These are just 2 of MANY issues I have had with Empire over the years. I always provide feedback to Empire, expecting to hear from someone in charge of customer experience, but never do. Maybe it's time to find a smaller provider who cares more about their customers. read more

I'm sure they are probably a good company, however, the lady who answered the phone was pretty snippy. She then got in a smart comment and then immediately hung up the phone. Just have your guard up when you call. read more

I woke up this AM with my furnace not working. I did the obligatory cycling of the thermostat, circuit breakers, etc. and then called for help. I mistakenly called Empire because I thought they were the ones that installed my furnace a few years ago. It turns out I was wrong about that, but all turned out well. Empire tech Keith Lumpkin arrived at my home within two hours of my call. He identified the problem within 15 minutes, and then spent the next thirty minutes testing the malfunctioning part (a sticking pressure sensor) to see if it needed to be replaced, or if it might be OK to leave as is. He decided it was worth a shot to leave it and see if it will function normally, thus potentially saving me about $280. I was impressed with his knowledge, professionalism, and willingness to explain much more than he had to about what was going on. Thank you Keith. I will call Empire in the future for my HVAC services. read more

The cost to come out is $88 no matter what! I used their service 7 months ago so everything should be under warranty. Good news, it was under warranty! Bad news, They do not tell you that the parts are covered but the labor is not! I need to have a coil replaces and they are charging me $769 for labor alone! I asked if it would take all day for that high labor cost and she said maybe 2hours. That is their fixed cost for repairs! And they don't refund the diagnosis fee even when you get repairs! You need to purchase a whole new system to get that refunded!! Plus I have an 82 year old mother that lives with me and they have no idea when they can fix because they need to order the parts! We had to move her downstairs so she does not get to hot! Wow! Go to a no-name company because there is no way you would need to pay this much any where else!! Two weeks later have heard nothing from the company! Going to BBB. read more

Best AC service I have experienced! Technician was an expert as well as knew how to talk w me. He explained everything and even made it interesting! He even solved why my dog freaked out last winter when furnace came on .... I will definitely use this company on the future and recommend highly. read more

I am skeptical as to the reason for having to purchase two control boards in four years. I have ordered E fuses for my next outage. Enough!

Empire Heating and Air Conditioning has been our HVAC vendor for more than 6 years. During this time, we've owned several houses and Empire has installed three HVAC systems for us. From the initial assessment and estimate provided by Chris A. through the technical support provided by Mike, Empire has earned a 5 star rating from our family. Chris is very knowledgeable about the HVAC systems available and he provided knowledgeable guidance about which system would work best for each home over the years. When we needed maintennace or service, Empire's office staff responded to our call or email immediately and scheduled maintenance or service promptly. Similarly, we could count on the Empire technician to arrive within the time frame initially provided and we received a call when he was on his way. When Mike (or other service techs over the years) arrived, he provided skilled maintenance as needed. If you want a reliable HVAC system for your home and a solid HVAC team supporting you, work with Empire Heating and Air Conditioning. read more

I've used Empire Heating and Air for the last 19 years. I've always been impressed with their service techs and their office staff. Today's maintenance call was with Mike who has only been with the company for 2 months. He did a very thorough inspection and patiently answered all my questions. Two thumbs up to Mike and Empire! read more

I used Empire to install two new systems, one replacing my old one and a new one in the attic to service our upstairs. The team was very professional and knowledgeable. Chris helped walk me through all of my needs and come up with the best solution at a good price and Ken and Devin did an outstanding job with the installation. They were on time, detailed oriented and cleaned up after each day of work. If you need AC work done, big or small, give these guys a chance to earn your business. read more

New furnace just installed. Ken and BJ showed up right on time, installation complete in well under 4 hours. They were also able to work around an obstacle in a tight space and save me several hundred dollars. Friendly, informative, price was right. Highly recommend. read more

Needed a thermostat replaced. Some battery corrosion caused the old one to fail. Figured it was the thermostat when I called and scheduled the appointment, but I guess we needed the 7 seconds it took for the tech to tell me that was the source of the problem. 88.00 for the 7 second diagnosis made me feel great. Went with the simplest one for the basement as we don't use it that much. Took tech just a few minutes to install it then took it easy on his phone while it uploaded? The new thermostat is a Honeywell T6 TH2000. Found it on line for 75.00. Empire charges 345.00 plus the 88.00 fee to come out and tell me I need a new thermostat when I called them and told them I needed a new thermostat. 433.00 dollars for a few minutes to install a 75.00 thermostat unit. Everyone needs to make money, I get it. BUT....this is a rip off. You just know when you are getting ripped off as a customer. Some make you question it. This was a slam dunk rip off. I would have expected 200 to 250. Tech then tried to strong arm signing up for the annual contract to get 20% off and told me the high cost of installing the 75.00-dollar thermostat cost was because of the - year warrantee. Buyer beware on this one. read more

Today empire installed an air conditioning unit in my basement. The young men who came to install were friendly and extremely accommodating. They had to dig up plants to install the outside unit and were very careful with the other plants . They also were careful to not make any mess and clean up afterwards. The new unit works perfectly. I appreciate their hard work and plesantness! Jane Buckler read more

Super responsive and knowledgeable, this company is top notch. Martin has been going out of his way helping me to understand the right solution for my project. read more

I had Empire come out to diagnose an issue with my AC not working. I was charged $88 for someone just to come to the house. That person couldn't do anything, so they sent out a technician to perform a leak test for another $155. They let me know the found a leak in the unit inside, but the outside unit was fine. The quoted me $1,236 to repair the leak on a unit (that was under warranty.) They would not provide a detailed breakdown of the charges that made up the $1,236, and only told me they charged a flat rate. I thought this was odd and got a second opinion. Turned out the outside unit actually was leaking, and had a puddle of oil underneath it. Empire had totally missed this. Steer clear of this company. read more

My technician was Cory. He arrived on time and was very knowledgeable. He figured out the issue and fixed the heat in my condo quickly! The price was fair and the service was excellent. They called me before Cory showed up to tell me he was on his way, which was nice. I will use this company from now on! read more

My HVAC went out a few weeks ago, and I had a great experience with Empire. In addition to being very professional and easy to get in touch with, they gave me a fair quote and did the work quickly. I've been very satisfied with their service. They also replaced my oddly-sized, problematic intake vent and put in more conventionally-sized vent for free. I highly recommend them. read more

This will be the only HVAC company we will ever use! Our AC stop working on one of the hottest days in the summer. We immediately called them the next day and explained out situation. We were so worried because we have a little one and wanted to make sure it was fixed ASAP. They were able to send someone that same day and also get it repaired as well. They were very professional with fair prices. We were not looking for the best price but we were looking for the best work, which was given to us. read more

I was going through Yelp and noticed this old review from 2015. I read the answer I got from the owner Martin H., and then I read his replies to several other reviews of Empire. I think it is good that a business owner cares enough to actually read the reviews. However, if Mr. H. truly cared about his customers, he would do more than write responses defending his company and in effect saying that "nope, you're wrong there and we were in the right." If he really cared way back in 2015 (or in the three years since) he would have contacted me and tried to work something out. But I guess that would mean that he actually cared about me the customer and not just for his company. Mr. H. you should learn something about customers and how to keep them. I'm not a difficult customer, and you could have pretty easily won me over by just talking sympathetically about my situation. I, like most customers, don't really need refunds or discounts, what we most want is to be understood and perhaps apologized to for the problem. You offer none of that, and unfortunately that will hurt your business always. So I'm downgrading my rating to one star. -Jonathan Smith read more

Everyone at Empire Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. Is awesome. Service and quality of workmanship is top notch. They will do whatever it takes to insure all the HVAC equipment is working perfectly and will do it with a fantastic attitude too!!! read more

The air conditioning in my business stop producing cold air and I called Empire Heating and Air for service. A technician came out 06/09/15 and repair the unit. The problem was blown fuses and I was charged $184.00 and I paid it. My staff casually complained daily afterwards that it was warm in the building. The temperature became unbearable and on Monday, June 22, 2015, I called the said company and complained. The same Technician came out 06/23/2015 and checked the system. His diagnosis was "the Freon was slightly overcharged and who service the unit last". I had asked him earlier if he had checked the Freon in the system on his last visit and he said "yes". I was presented a bill for $118.00 and was told that the 2nd service call was not a result of the work done previously, I will have to pay and I unhappily paid the bill. On the 1st call, the Technician said HE CHECKED THE FREON LEVEL AND IT WAS FINE. On the 2nd service call, days later, his diagnosis was "slightly overcharged Freon". and I was charged $118.00 for the trip/service call. This is the same Freon that was fine on the first call, days ago, and now it is "slightly overcharged". Why was it not diagnosed and released on the 1st call?? Was it an oversight or ...??? I can understand if it would have been under and in need of Freon more so than overcharged. I paid $184.00 for the 1st service call to replace the 2-fuses and check the system. What it amounts to is that I had to pay $118.00 on the 2nd call to correct their oversight. As fellow business owners, beware of this procedure being utilized by this company if you were to call them for service. What is fair?? An apology would have been in order, in that an oversight occurred and move on but; to charge me to correct their error is "fraudulent" no matter how long they have been in business and I have been in business for 32 years. read more

Thanks for the feedback. I am sorry it didn't work out, but obviously your response says a lot about the care and professionalism.

Ezekiel came out do to a check up on my AC unit in the condo I recently bought and did an awesome job. I needed some additional refrigerant (probably a leak that will have to be addressed in the future). The receipt was supposed to be emailed but didn't come through for whatever reason so I called the office and talked to Gila who was extraordinarily nice and sent it right over. I would have no hesitation in calling Empire again. read more

I was glad that Empire was able to come to our home on a standby appointment and service our heating and air. Unfortunately from there, everything else went south. I had to leave for an appointment, so my wife handled the visit. I knew the service fee would be around $90, so for that I was fine. However, to find out that the issue was a broken thermostat and that we ended up paying over $350 is mind boggling. This brought the cost for thermostat to almost $250! Well, of course not knowing how much a thermostat costs, I figured, "oh well, some things just cost." But I went online to get some costs and saw that same Honeywell that Empire installed is $99 in most big box stores. This left me disheartened. Even the fancy ones with Wi-fi came in under $150. So Empire marks up their products by over 200%? The labor to put in said thermostat took all of 15 minutes. The invoice shows our costs mainly for the product. What a rip off. I feel like my wife (and I was taken advantage of). I won't be contacting them again nor making a recommendation. Good thing they didn't have to fix something on the furnace; I fear that the price would have been even more astronomical. read more

I have been a customer of Empire's for the past six years, and have their maintenance contract for my heat pump. The office staff is polite, and make a note for technicians to call ahead, and they always call. If repairs are needed, the technician clearly explains what needs to be done. Wish I had known them years before! read more

Empire is the best! We had a fabulous experience today. Our a/c broke in 90+ weather...I called Empire and they showed up same-day, super courteous, professional and reasonable. Our home is cool and comfortable once again thanks to the great Empire team. Thank you Empire! Highly recommend this great local company. read more

A few years ago we spent over $6000 on a new HVAC system with Empire. They did a good job with install and it works fine. We are presently selling our home and the (incompetent) home inspector did not like the way the AC drain line was routed, I looked at it and it drains correctly and has a positive slope as it should. I talked with Empire twice to get them to come out a give me a thumbs up/something in writing that they did install it correctly, but they will not do it without service fee. They also said they would not even send an email that they did the work correctly. One of the conversations was with an employee, second conversation was with the owner of the company. Won't back up their own install? What kind of warranty is that? I can get several other companies to come out for free to do this. Incidentally, home we are moving into needs two furnaces, and two AC units. Wont be using Empire for the next house! I understand the costs of doing business and that things cost money, but the owner is being short sided and not applying common sense here. I've already paid once for this system and a simple email would have sufficed. Its irrelevant that they have not been here in 4 years. The AC drain line is not going to "re-route itself" itself in the interim, it is still exactly like they installed it. If they need to look at their own work, then have common sense and do the right thing. Come out, waive the fee, spend the 30 seconds it takes to look at it, and get my business. I am not even asking you to fix anything. read more

I do not think their business practices are fair. For instance, I called them to look at my A/C unit, which was not working. Upon arrival, I was told they could not do anything because the unit should have been off for several hours before the visit, which was never explained to me on the phone. They charged me a return visit. Aside from that, I had a maintenance contract for several years with them, but I had problems every single year, which forced me to spend several hundred dollars on top of the contract, as neither labor nor parts are covered. In other words, the contract is a glorified filter change, which anyone can do read more

I'm sure this is a good place based on the reviews here and from what I've heard, so I'll give it 3 stars. I couldn't get past the phone call. If you're answering the phone, it's standard to answer and clarify questions. Getting an attitude when calling is an immediate sign to turn around. They may be just as good as people have announced here, but that prompted me to turn around. read more

What a great company!! Empire installed two new systems in my house. At there suggestion we had high efficiency systems installed and we cut our utilities by about 50%. The new systems work great. I have been so impressed I had them look at a dust issue at my parents home. In just a short time they found the issue that 3 other companies and hundreds of dollars could not correct. They found that there was 27% duct loss in the HVAC system. They corrected the issue and the dust has disappeared and the system now cost less to operate. GREAT JOB!!!!! read more

We were Empire customers for almost 20 yrs. We forgave them for mistakes they made installing a new heat pump system (which cost us time & frustration when that system broke down), and for sending out a couple of technicians who were inexperienced and incompetent. We finally found two who were reliable, skilled and helpful. So we always requested one of them for our service, and kept our maintenance agreement with them for many years. After being a customer for that long, they started refusing to send him for appointments. Then they showed their appreciation for our loyalty by trying to double our rate to renew our agreement, all at once, with no explanation. When I complained, they refused to discuss it or negotiate with us, displaying a "take it or leave it" attitude instead. So if you're looking for an H & A company with no loyalty to long-term customers, who will send out ineffective technicians, and who will refuse to work with you, Empire is the one. read more

Called for AC repair. Technician was prompt and friendly, quickly diagnosed a simple wiring problem, and had it fixed in 10 minutes. Did not attempt to sell me unnecessary parts, etc. Price was very reasonable. It was a pleasure doing business with them. read more

After another company ripped me off, this company was a joy to work with. Cost half the price and gave us detailed descriptions of the problem and the fixes. Never hesitated to put anything in writing and never tried to up sell us. Reliable and communicative is what I look for with any company, and Empire was both. Thank you! read more

They came out to fix my AC and both times charged me to replace the same part. The end result is was that I was still left with an AC that had the same problem I called them for. When I called the office to question why I was being charged twice for the same thing, I was told if I did not want to pay, they could have the tech leave now. They will never get another call from me. read more