Robben Heating Air Conditioning and Gutters

Tech said furnace too old to repair He told us there'd be no charge for his visit & he'd have Ron come out to bid replacement. After several weeks with no word from Ron or anyone else from Robben we received a call wanting payment of $98. We have not received a bill nor the requested bid. The woman told me she'd talk to Ron. I told her not to bother we'd gotten cold without heat and gave up on them. We've gone through another company.

The work went great. We have waited 3 weeks to even have an electrician contact us, but Greg with Robben's came out the day we called for an estimate. They have great contacts with the gas company and a gas line to the house was installed within a few days. The work was completed within 2 weeks of the initial quote. We had great service and couldn't even tell that any workman had been in our house. Greg came out to make sure we knew how the controls on the heat pump worked after it was installed. There was a minor problem on the water heater not because of the equipment installed but because of the restrictors to several facets didn't provide enough water pressure. Again, when we called they were there within an hour. The price was reasonable and the workmanship excellent.

Installed heat-pump and ductless heat/ac wall unit. Showed up late or not at all, caused unnecessary damages to floor and drilled hole in brand new wood floor when duct work was all suppose to be in another room. Refused to make repairs, didn't finish install. Took a mediator to get them to return and finish the install but did not repair damages. We had to get manufacturer to repair damages. have had to fight and argue with them to get them out to service unit twice in the year since they installed it, discovered from manufacturer it was a used unit that had not been repaired. We were totally ripped off. Government Community Services agency paid for installation so we could not sue Robbens direct., claimed they were ending their contract with company due to too many complaints and unfinished work. We would never use this company again for anything, bad install, bad customer service, totally unprofessional. Dates are only approximate.

The explanation for the failure of the original heat pump was that we had a power surge that burned out both units.  When the the technician pulled out the original unit, he also discovered that the gas line pipe was crimped.  This had occurred when the first unit came loose from the wall due to the installers failure to properly secure it.  The tech originally thought this might explain the failure of the unit.  The explanation I was given by Robben heating was that this could not have caused the problem because the compressor was not affected, only the circuit boards and fan.  BUT, when asked if they knew that the pipe was twisted and crimped when they came back to secure the original unit to the wall 3 yrs ago, he said "yes" and they made the decision at that time (without consulting us) to leave it that way rather than draining the line and replacing it. I believe they thought enough gas could get through the crimped pipe to allow the unit to work and, in my opinion, they did not want to spend the time it would take to repair it properly.  The unit did work for about 3 1/2 years, although we didn't use it a lot so don't really know how well it worked. The new unit is not fully installed yet, as the tech had to return to the shop for parts and could not get back to complete the work the same day.
This experience is just one of many that we have had with this company where they either did not install something properly, or had to return to redo or fix what they originally had done.  Unfortunately, they installed the original equipment in the house and we do not have many options when it comes to maintenance and repair of these units here on the coast - SO we will probably use them again and just watch them closely, and ask a lot of questions.

Installation was slow and horribly organized.  Worker spent 2 of the 5 hours charged for labor on the phone discussing other jobs and searching for misplaced tools in his unorganized truck at a hefty professional rate.
The heater was not installed correctly.  A  5lb. metal heat shield fell from the 7' tall wall furnace and hit my 1 year old child in the head.  I am outraged that ANYONE could perform such poor and dangerous work.  Completely thoughtless, unprofessional, and plain stupid.    A teenager could have put this heater in better than this company.  There is another front panel that falls to the ground after about an hour from the buzzing and rattling of loose parts.
I don't even trust this company to fix their own work.  I honestly want the heater out of the house and my money returned.  Might even talk to a lawyer.  My daughter is OK but this kind of crap work could have killed her. 
Bottom line is.  DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!!

After contacting Robben Heating about obtaining a quote on the gutters, they were very quick about coming out and giving us a quote.  I called them back to tell them that we were going to go ahead and have them put the gutters on.  Left a message and was told that they would call back.  Two weeks later I still had not heard back.  I called again and my call was then returned. 

The work was done.  Gutters looked great.  My husband went up on a ladder and noticed that the flashing had been pulled away from the eves in order to apply the gutters, but they left the flashing pulled out and did not flatten them back down.  It was lucky that we saw that.

We then called the company and they did come out the next day and laid the flashing down properly.

Robben Heating Air Conditioning and Gutters was quick with their bid and it was much lower than the other bids that came in. The first rain after the gutters were installed wet areas appeared along the walls and ceilings where the gutters had been placed. 
I found the screws attaching the new gutters were pushing up the flashing which was pushing up the edges of the shingles causing water to puddle a few inches in from the edge of the roof. (This roof has no overhang and shallow slope)
 I contacted Robben Heating Air Conditioning and Gutters. They said sent someone to fix the problem but the next time it rained the same areas were wet again. I spoke with and showed pictures of the problem to the owner at Robben Heating Air Conditioning and Gutters and he said they had found nothing wrong with the gutters and the problem was with the roof. 
A roofing contractor needed to replace the now ruined flashing and first row of shingles then he reattach the gutters properly to stop the leaks into the exterior walls and ceiling edges of the house.

Fast , good communications, good work and clean up. Price on high end of estimate

We've called them a number of times for furnace check-up, maintenance, and cleaning.  The technician who has come each time is excellent.  He does good work, is very knowledgeable, explains what he's doing, and patiently answers our questions.

This was the third time I've used Robben Heating and A/C to replace a vital component in my home. I've had outstanding service each and every time. Most recently, it was replacing our leaking 20-year-old hot water heater with a tankless model. Not only did the owner, Greg, consult with me personally to discuss my options and what would fit within my budget, but the office staff also helped me fill out the rebate paperwork. As it would take a few hours to install, and I have an infant, Greg offered to have his crew install it while we were out of town so as not to disrupt my daughter's schedule. I simply handed over the keys and had complete faith in his crew. They not only performed the work flawlessly, but when we returned they had cleaned up so well it was like they were never there, except for the fabulous new tankless system! They even alerted us to a black widow problem in our attic space. I just can't say enough about this company. They've also replaced our gutters (which were broken when a tree fell on the house) and our furnace (which was original to our 1978 house and had become dangerous). I'd recommend Robben to anyone, anytime! They're awesome!

Two installers from Robben Heating came to our home on the scheduled date.  They were on time, courteous, and kept our home very clean.  The installation of the two mini-splits went very well and were completed in one day.  Robben Heating also filled out the paperwork necessary for us to get our rebates from the local utility.  

We also got bids from two other companies.  Robben Heating took more time to answer our questions, their price was very fair, and they had the simplest solution for electrical work.  Ductless mini-splits are very common outside of the United States but here in Oregon, these are relatively new.  Robben Heating was very patient in answering all our questions about ductless mini-splits and made us feel confident that we were making the right heating decision.   

We have had the ductless mini-splits in our home for six months now and could not be any happier.  Our home is always comfortable when we arrive, our electrical bill is a fraction of what is used to be, and the units are virtually silent.  For a home with electrical baseboard/wall heaters, a ductless mini-split(s) might be the perfect solution.  

In September 2010, I responded to a promotion involving a furnace tuneup for $89.  Since the promotion was by NW Natural gas, it required contacting them for a referral.  I was told to contact Robben Heating & AC in Lincoln City to make the appointment.  I told the representative at Robben the furnace was 5 years old and provided the make, model and serial number of the appliance.  I also stated the furnace had the germicidal lights and the filter had not been changed for a couple of years.  One of the features under "What You Get" in the promotion was a filter change (additional charge).  When the technician arrived to perform the service, I was told he did not bring a replacement filter.  I was also told that although the germicidal lights were illuminated, their effectiveness only lasted a year (verified later).  The estimate for replacing the lights and filter was around $165 to $175.  Based on this information, I approved replacing these items.  Approximately three weeks later, the same technician returned with the parts.  It took him less than 10 minutes to complete the replacements.  Two weeks later I received the invoice with the astonishing amount being charged of $445.50.  The charged amount included $83 for the service call.  Since the business has a finance charge on any past due balances, I sent a check for the full amount along with a complaint letter.  I also sent a copy of the complaint to NW Natural.  A week later, I received a telephone call from a customer service representative at NW Natural (503.226.4211 x4526) and was advised they would contact Robben on this matter.  About a month later, the representative called stating she had trouble making contact with someone who could make a decision on this but was told I would receive an adjustment of $245.  Another month passed without receiving a refund so a call was made to NW Natural.  Another delay of several weeks before I was contacted again and was told that Robben had adjusted the refund amount to $145.  No explanation as to why the amount had changed.  A check for that amount was received in February.  An adjustment  took way too long to settled and the amount did not reduce the $445 charge anywhere close to the original estimate.  I consider the business practice by Robben to be dishonest, deceptive and borderline fraud.    

We initially contacted Robben in Oct. of 2010 at which time the heater they installed had quit functioning The unit was only five years old at that time. This home was a vacation rental at the time, so our guests were mighty cold. We were unable to get through to Robben's office (it was a weekend, but Robben advertises 7-day svc). When we finally got through to Robben on Monday, they insisted they had been there all weekend w/no calls. When the technician came by, we asked him about the Thermostat first thing, but he said that wasn't the problem (he didn't check it, by the way), so proceeded to clean out the burners and returned with a filter - seems they can charge $82 each time they come back. The heater ran until February 12, 2011, at which time we had another guest in - without any heat. We called Robben again, and AGAIN we asked about the Thermostat. It was the same technician - who again insisted it wasn't the Thermostat (without checking it again). So, he proceeded to convince us that it was the Control Board at a cost of $200 +(board plus postage)...so another service charge to come when he came back to install it. Let me add that we were only able to turn the heater on by flicking the circuit breaker every time it went out- it would run for a bit, but would shut down again. The heater worked for a day or two, then we (and our guest) were back to flicking the circuit breaker - but the furnace ran only for a minute or so without producing any heat. At this point, we had paid a total of $613 with still no heat - and the Thermostat still had not been checked! Our conversations with Greg Robben were frustrating in that he was argumentative, and he was insisting that the problem could be any number of things - not necessarily the Thermostat. He finally offered to send a technician out at no cost to recheck the system. This time we insisted that he check the Thermostat (this was a different tech) - surprise, surprise - it was the Thermostat after all! We are now the proud owners of a $613 Thermostat! In reality, our costs should have included one service call @ $82., one Thermostat @ $81, one filter @ $10...a total of approx. $173. Here's another key point: we asked for our old Control Board back, but, of course, it was no longer available (had been thrown out). One key lesson: Always keep your old parts - they belong to YOU - not to Robben! Robben does not want you to have the parts after they've left the premises. Why? We just learned here on Angie's List that Robben is NOT BONDED - NOR IS ROBBEN INSURED in Oregon! There is also no Trade License info available - what's that about? Small Claims Court is always an option, isn't it?

UPDATE: We came to a mutual agreement, and he refunded a little over half the money that we paid him. He has also said that he will provide free labor for the next year if we need it.

A Robben technician looked over the job and spent very little time at the house. He didn't tell the general contractor that tying the water heater and a direct vent stove vents together wouldn't meet code, but instead told the contractor what parts he'd need to utilize the existing chimney. This fall, as the weather became colder and the stove was more in use, the pilot light would go out and the stove would shut down. We've now learned that the ducting doesn't meet code and are in process making corrections. Had the Robben technician simply stated that the ducting would have to be replaced, then we would have saved some additional headaches and expense as we are now making corrections "after the fact." The general contractor went back to Robben, but they are taking no ownership for this error. They will never see any more of my business.

The gutter is on the second story and about 45 feet in length. The two men were prompt, professional and courteous. They made suggestions about improving the ability of the gutters to handle the runoff from rainfall that averages 70 or more inches of per year in a house surrounded by spruce trees. They worked quickly and finished in about an hour so their charge was the minimum. They left the area free of debris.