Al Walters Heating & Air Conditioning

First thing is the company is now called Mastercraft and that is where calls will be routed as I was told Al retired 4 months ago. They were very friendly on phone and I had someone out the next day to evaluate the unit. Shawn came out and told me what I already suspected which was that the unit needed to be replaced. I had research HVAC before he came out as I have not always had the best of luck with contractors but what he explained was right in line with what I had learned in my research. He gave me all the information I could want and he suggested a specific model and size (- 3 Ton Unit) and initially actually he recommended a lower cost unit and it was my suggestion to go with a more energy efficient unit so the cost was roughly $800.00 more. The cost with the furnace humidifier was approx $5700.00 which is actually right in line with all the estimates I had seen for new units of this type and size and quality. The problem was that the had a bunch of projects so it was going to take 2 or 3 weeks which would have been fine as I have lived without AC but it is still nice to have but... Mastercraft has an actual loaner program. Two gentlemen came out within 3 hours with a loaner unit and hooked it up and life was cool again. They installed the new unit a couple of weeks later and it roughly took 4.5 hrs and the guys put shoe covers on, masks on and put down tarps to protect the carpets. They cleaned up the mess and I can honestly say that I had no complaints about anything except we did not receive a call the night before but just when the guys were leaving the shop. Not a huge problem as we are home due to the virus. Would highly recommend them as they were honest and fair and I can only wish other contractors were like them.

As I remember, it needed a new blower motor.

Good job. Good reports

I was told I'd be the 2nd job of the day, should be around 10:00 , the tech showed up at 10:50. He checked it out, diagnosed the problem in probably 10 minutes and had it fixed in about 30 minutes or less. I only needed a capacitor and he didn't try and sell me any other services. I was so happy to have had a tech available on relatively short notice in the busy air conditioning season and to have it fixed in no time.

Initial contact and pricing were excellent.  The technician was on time, very friendly and professional. 

Mike, the HVAC tech, did a good job. Gave good and honest advice, said my furnace is 20 years old but still working fine.  After the clean and check, it's running noticeably quieter.  I will use them again.

unknown

it went very well

They send a little paper out every year, and you only need your air conditioner checked every year. They know my air conditioner, and they are in the neighborhood.

I contacted Al Walters Heating (AWH) based on their top reviews and recommendations from others in the area. They have a good and probably well deserved reputation, my experience was therefore not as I expected. ALH was contracted to pull a permit, perform the installation of the hard lines, facilitate the pressure inspection with the City Inspector and finalize the installation including removal of the pressure gauge and installation of the final flex lines to the dryer and range.
The crew performing the initial installation arrived as scheduled on Wednesday the 10th. Upon arrival, however, they indicated that they did not have the permit but were aware that they were to do it and that someone in the office would be taking care of it. The removal of the old lines and installation of the new lines in preparation for the pressure test went great, the installers were professional, and the work was completed as expected. In fact, at my request the installers ran a temporary line to my old dryer location (using the old material they had removed) so that I would not be without a dryer for an extended period of time. When they left the house the installers indicated I would be contacted by the office to schedule the inspection after which they would return to final the installation.
On Thursday the 11th I received an invoice for the project in the mail...the work was not yet complete.
As of Friday the 12th I had not yet heard from the AWH office as to when the inspection was scheduled to occur and I called the office. The representative I spoke with indicated the person that deals with the permits is out on Fridays but that it appeared they had mailed in the permit application but had not received the permit yet. Giving them the benefit of the doubt I gave them until Tuesday the 16th to contact me with a schedule before contacting them again. On Tuesday I contacted the City of Ann Arbor and learned that ALH typically faxes over their applications and that the permits are faxed back to them, sometimes they pick them up in person. Regardless, the City had seen no permit application for my house and the and quot;application/permit is in the mailand quot; statement from the previous week was incorrect. I subsequently contacted ALH and their representative looked into the issue and called me back within approximately one hour to let me know they now had the permit and the inspection was scheduled for the following day. Given the piping had now been sitting for over a week ALH indicated they would send a crew out first thing in the morning on the 17th to pressurize the system and make sure it was ready for inspection.
On the 17th the ALH crew failed to arrive as planned and when the City Inspector arrived the system was not pressurized as required for the inspection. To facilitate the inspection I took it upon myself to pressurize the system under the direction of the inspector who then kindly waited 10 minutes while the pressure test was completed and approved the installation. After passing the inspection I contacted ALH once more to let them know the inspection had been passed and to find out when a crew would be by to finalize the installation. ALH called me back shortly thereafter to indicate their crews were all busy and the only person they had available was their service technician but that he was capable of completing the work and would be by shortly; he arrived approximately 30 minutes later.
Upon arrival it become apparent that the service technician, through no fault of his own, was not prepared to do the work and did not have the proper fittings or flex lines necessary to complete the installation. Through a combination of parts I had in my own collection and pieces he found in his truck we were able to come up with the necessary parts to complete the installation at which time he said all was good and left. Upon his leaving it became apparent that he did not perform a soap test for leaks on the final connections and I completed those tests myself so as to be done with this project.
In summary, the work was completed one week after it was begun. Base don't he amount of time it actually took to obtain the permit and schedule the inspection once ALH actually tried to do so (1 hour) the delay was entirely due to poor planning on their part. In hindsight the permit should have been pulled before any work commenced (in accordance with city regulations) and the inspection would therefore have been able to be schedule for the same day as the installation or at worst the following day such that the project would have been completed in one to two days. Instead this project carried on for one week and the only reason it got completed is that I continued to contact ALH to push for them to pull the permit and complete the work.
In following to completion of the work I contact ALH to discuss how the project had progressed, to request a discount to accommodate the delay and the pressure and soap tests I had to performed, and to alert them to the fact that I would be leaving a true and honest review on Angie's List of the work performed. Specifically, I stated that the resolution of this matter (my unhappiness to the project) would be included in the review. The representative I talked to on Thursday the 18th indicated that he understood my concerns but that he was not authorized to act on them but that the owner would be back from lunch shortly and he would have him call me. I received no call from ALH Thursday or Friday and on Monday morning I followed up with a second call.
Upon speaking with the owner he voiced his concerns regarding the fact that his installers had completed extra work (the temporary line to the dryer) and continually indicated that they have been doing this a long time and that stuff happens and the lack of the permit in no way decreases the quality of the work they performed and was not a big deal. I acknowledged the extra work and reiterated my concerns regarding the lack of permit, delay, and inspection issues. While I acknowledge that stuff happens and things rarely go to plan (I work in the construction industry as well...design, subcontractor contracting and scheduling, inspections, etc.) I expect that when things do not go to plan due to an obvious error of one party that party make an effort to make up for those errors. In this case I requested a discount to the work to reflect the delay that I experienced. ALH was unwilling to discuss providing a discount and specifically stated they and quot;want to see a check.and quot; I indicated I would pay the full contract price and that I would leave a full and true review of the work performed.
Though Al Walters Heating has been around for a long time, has a good reputation, and the crew performed quality work, I will not be using them on future work and cannot recommend them to anyone else based on my experience.

Installation crew arrived promptly at 8:30 am to start work. Completed in the two day time-frame quoted.
Cleaned up job site each day. Left broom clean.
Installation is very neat and buttoned-up--that is, angles and bends are good, fabrication of duct adapter and exhaust ports are neat and tight, lines are secured.
Installation was in a third floor condo with space restrictions.
All was handled very efficiently and professional. No fuss, no muss.
I have used Al Walters in the past for maintenance on my old HVAC and they are prompt and professional.

Ed Walters came out and gave an estimate on site. Reasonable price compared to other quotes (who didn't take the time to come out and take a look).
The two guys who came out to do the install were very professional and completed the job quickly (2 hours or so). They were minimally invasive.

unknown

Arrived on time. Called in advance to announce arrival. Provided helpful tips on water heater maintenance. Didn't try to up sell.

It went really well. I have used them a couple times, most recently for a new gas line and generator.

Our entire experience was great. Ed was responsive and always got back to us in a timely manner. Of the three bids we received, this one was the most economical and thorough (some of the other companies didn't even take measurements before deciding what size unit we needed). Ed was even kind enough to point out that we should change the exhaust vent on our dryer to be less of a fire hazard.
We were given a choice of several different central a/c units (some less efficient and therefore cheaper), but we were never pressured into choosing the more expensive option. On the day the units were installed, all of the guys were exceptionally friendly and professional, if not a pleasure to be around. The work went smoothly and we have no complaints (and we're thrilled with both units).
The one potential downside compared to another company we considered is that the units are installed on one day and the electrician shows up the next day. But, in our minds, waiting a day is not a big deal, especially considering the amount of money we saved.
We highly recommend Al Walters to others.

Repaired pet damage to outsice A/C unit. Very quick, and showed how to prevent in the future.

They did a great job.

The furnace stopped heating adequately in February, 2012. It still worked, but we knew we would need a new furnace. We called for estimates from a dealer with a variety of furnaces to get a price for a new furnace and installation.
Do call right away and be available for an appointment and inspection. These folks don't make you wait!
After the estimate from Al Walters Heating we learned we could get sizeable rebates from a Lennox dealer, so we purchased a Lennox furnace. Without the Lennox rebates we probably would have purchased from Al Walters Heating.

Initial contact and installation went smoothly. Trying to get the contractor to arrange for the city inspection, however, took three months. I wasn't concerned, since I wasn't to pay for the installation until it passed inspection. The line was installed around Memorial Day, though, and as Labor Day drew near, I wondered if it would ever get done. After many e-mails and a few phone calls, the inspection was complete and I paid the bill. So, overall, a good job and no harm done (I got to use the grill while waiting), but a bizarre experience -- most contractors are itching to get the job done and get paid. Not this one! May or may not use again--and if I do, will be sure to include specific due dates in the bid.

I was thoroughly impressed. Ed came out to the house and did a walk through for what would be needed. He listened to what I wanted and let me know his concerns as well. About 2 days later he had his quote. I did my due diligence and requested quotes from two other plumbers. One was almost double the cost to do the same work and the other couldn't give me a quote without knowing more information that we didn't have and seemed like it would be too convoluted.
Upon giving them the go, they set up the appointment and two wonderful men with great personalities came out and started the work. It would've only taken less than a day to do it all, but I have an old house and some beams are in odd places and unfortunately they forgot their masonry drill bit (for the fireplace). This wasn't an issue though as they were a pleasure to deal with and I had no problem with them coming back to finish the next day.. Once the job was done, I had a question about the way the pipes were sealed. They answered what was probably an obvious question with no attitude (actually saying and quot;we're not upset that you asked it more than we're happy to say we did that already!and quot;). On the way out they even offered to change my thermostat from the old mercury dial to the new electronic one I had just purchased (no additional cost).
The lines run perfectly and I am very happy with the work and attitudes of the people I've dealt with.
I even went back to them for a winter check up on my furnace even though they weren't the people who the former homeowner had a contract with (that went very well too)!
I will continue to work with them for my heating/AC needs!

Our furnace died last spring and I finally got around to calling to have it replaced. I called Al Walters Heating and Cooling the week of September 17. Mr. Ed Walters came out on thursday 9/20 and went over all of our options. He said he could order the furnace that day and have installed on Monday, 9/24! That is what we did.
The guys that came to the house were great. They arrived promptly, got right to work and worked hard all day to finish up the job. In addition to removing the old furnace and putting in a new furnace, they did all the prep work for a new air conditioner in the spring. Mr. Ed Walters even came out during the day to check on progress. We were very happy and loved the warmth the next morning.

Was able to get an estimate same day (called early morning) while others only had availablity 1-2 days out. Scheduled installation a couple days later, but company had ordered wrong furnace. They were still able to do much of the work needed that day.Ended up installing a furnace better than we originally ordered the next morning. Installers were very polite as well.

Perfectly smooth.

I was pleased with the service.They were very courteous and answered all of my questions.