Premium Heating & Air Conditioning

Robert---the owner of PREMIUM---came to my home after I told him I needed a second opinion. One hot day during this mild spring I attempted to start my air conditioner. It would attempt to cycle on repeatedly without success. I contacted contractor one to diagnose and fix the problem. Contractor one said my condenser and compressor were bad. Contractor one did not run a compressor test that I could tell, Contractor one tested the condenser using a Geiger counter like device that made a clicking sound. Perhaps it was a Geiger counter. Contractor one made no effort to clean the unit. Contractor one said I had multiple leaks and the compressor was bad. He estimated it would cost me more than $5K to replace the condenser and compressor. He said I would be better off with a new unit. Contractor one looked in my attic and told me that I should replace my heater as well. All told, contractor one said that for about $10K he could replace my HVAC system and ensure that all the ducts and other system components were up to code, which he said contributed to costs. Contractor one had over 35 years of experience in the business. This was important to me as all the research I did indicated that the contractor was more important than the HVAC brand. My research also indicated that the longer a contractor was in business, the more likely the contractor would be to provide good service and value. Contractor one left me with a non-working air conditioner, shiny pamphlets, and a $10K estimate. Robert, however, clearly ran a compressor test and tested the condenser using a solution that would form bubbles if there was a leak. The process reminded me of how leaks in inner tubes are located. Robert also cleaned the unit. He said the compressor was good, there could be leaks in the condenser but he said he was skeptical. He said he suspected there was a very slow leak in the coil. He gave me a choice: either he could continue to try to locate the leak, which could consume time and thus an unspecified amount of money, or I could replenish the freon and wait for the next hot day to see if the slow leak was such that I could get through this and perhaps future summers. I chose the latter. Robert presented me with a very reasonable bill for 7 pounds of Puron and his two hours of work. He took the Bryant manufacturer ID and said he would contact Bryant to determine if the coil was still under warranty. While I do not have a final solution to my problem, Robert left me with a working A/C, a clean unit, a healthier bank account, and with considerable confidence that when it comes time to finally replace the unit, that Robert would be the best contractor to do the job.