I read some the mixed reviews here about Oasis Heating, A/C & Refrigeration http://www.yelp.com/biz/oasis-heating-a-c-and-refrigeration-lorton. I chose to use him because his name pooped up first on Homeadvisor. As an engineer, I understand the technical issues and figured it could not go wrong.
Long story short, recently my heat pump stopped working, tripping the breaker. Before I hired Oasis, I already suspected that my compressor was faulty after some checking. I don't have the equipment to test things like Freon charge or system leakage. I decided to get a "professional" opinion. My wife was home when Joe Skrutsky, the owner and one of the only two technicians at Oasis, showed up. My wife got him on the phone with me. I liked him at beginning because he seemed to know his trade. After about an hour, or 50 minutes to be exact, he was done with checking the system, and confirmed that my compressor was faulty. My wife asked me how much was considered reasonable. I told her it should be between $90 and $150 based on my previous experience with all trades people (plumbers, electricians or HVAC technicians). My wife was shocked when Joe charged us $257 ($65 service call + $192 for 1-hr labor). I was also shocked but told her to pay anyway because, as I just said, I liked him.
Things turned after I got home. I found my Cloth Dryer vent cover on the wall behind the heat pump broken into many pieces (I have photos). The Heat Pump cover was laid at its position without being screwed back, the compressor jacket was laid inside the heat pump without being put back. All these were not told to my wife who did not even go out to look when she paid the money. Another puzzle is that when the next technician (from a more reputable firm) came to replace my heat pump, he found the Freon is empty. I asked him if the system was leaking. He tested and did not find leaking anywhere. I remember Joe (OASIS) mentioned over the phone, when we discussed replacement options, that my unit used the old Freon R22 which is expensive. In reality, my unit used the new R410A Freon which was clearly labeled below the defrost board compartment.
I called Joe about the Cloth Dryer vent cover, he did not offer any apology, nor did he offer to repair it for me. Instead, he started to defend himself by telling me that the cover was previously broken "in four corners" and was weather rotted. It was broken when he put his arm on it and tried to reach the compressor connectors inside the heat pump unit. I have photos and kept the pieces to show it's not that fragile but for sure could not sustain the weight when Joe use it to leverage his body while trying to reach the compressor inside the heat pump. He suggested that I could put a pie of sheet metal in the place. Of course he did not even bother to mention the unit was not put together. I found the screws on the base of the unit. Where is the professionalism and personal integrity?
Later I e-mailed Joe asking him to repair the vent cover and mentioned his charge was over-the-top. He again defended himself for breaking the cover. He said did not tell my wife because he merely forgot. Regarding the charge, he told me it was my "prerogative and an oversight" on my part for not asking about the pricing before making the appointment (through Homeadvisor). Since the unit has been replaced, I only asked him to replace the vent cover. He ignored my e-mails. This factual review is one of my actions. I will file a suit through the small claims court.
Ask about the price before they come. Check and double check what they did to your system. Check and double check for Property Damages. read more