Get matched with top gas fireplace pros in Marumsco, VA

"Absolutely wonderful"

"I will preface this review by saying that I work as a general contractor (with regular interaction with mechanical contractors), work in the service and sales industry (as a personal trainer), and am a business owner (yes, three separate jobs in three separate industries). I say the above because I have the credibility to be able to write a review like this. On 10/3/23 I discovered that my AC (an Amana 3 ton, 36,000 BTU, R410a split system) was not blowing cool enough air to meet thermostat settings. As the original installation of the system was performed by Snell Heating & Air Conditioning [on 1/6/12], I decided to use them for the service call.  The technician (Franco) arrived on 10/4/23 within his scheduled time slot. Franco was transparent and clearly explained the process. Within minutes he was able to identify the source of the problem (the evaporator coil within the indoor air handling unit had frozen indicating a refrigerant leak). He presented me with three options: 1) refill the refrigerant at $715 per four gallons; 2) do a leak check to identify the source of the leak and replace the component from which the leak is originating (i.e. the coils at the outdoor condensing unit, the evaporator coil at the indoor air handling unit, or the line sets) for ~$7,000 and possibly higher; or 3) replace the entire system at anywhere from $18,000-$35,000. This is when I realized the 'sales pitch' was going to start. You see review readers, companies like Snell and others (that have been gobbled up by private equity firms and/or larger companies) no longer operate as a 'small local family business' where integrity, honesty, and doing what is best for the customer is the priority. Snell (which was acquired by Horizon in 2020) now operates as a giant selling machine. These types of businesses have large overhead, extensive marketing costs, training costs, fleet costs, insurance costs, uniform costs, IT costs, and much more that all need to be accounted for in their pricing. They simply cannot operate as such a large business if these expenses are not passed down to the consumer...and frankly, most consumers will happily pay it (as is evidenced by the hundreds of positive reviews). However, an educated consumer can be dangerous for these types of companies. Let me expand on what I mean here. For example, R-410a refrigerant costs <$400 for 25 lbs or <$15/lb (Snell is charging close to $200 per pound). An Amana evaporator coil costs ~$600 (Snell is charging close to $7,000). I won't even begin to tell you how much of a markup they are putting on a brand new HVAC system (it is astronomical). It is understood that their prices include installation, travel, warranty, and all of the aforementioned overhead costs, however, within minutes of their departure I found several small residential HVAC contractors that quoted the same items for fractions of the cost of Snell. Let me be clear, Franco was professional, courteous, and patient. He was an ideal employee for this type of business (a commission-based business where sales are the priority). However, the bottom line is this, Snell is part of the new wave of larger residential HVAC contractors where maximizing profit is the most important thing...and, you know what, I get it. As the old saying goes, "don't hate the player, hate the game". This is where we are in America - products/appliances/gadgets/devices becoming obsolete and having shorter and shorter life spans and businesses caring less and less. I am not some disgruntled 'Harry Homeowner' It is simply inexplicable to me that a system that was installed by Snell only 11 years ago (and just out of the ten year warranty period) must already be replaced. My hats off to David Snell and their entire team - they run a well oiled machine but I simply will not pay the type of costs they are charging."

"The repair work was well done. I had no idea it would take 2 people. The first quote was for a lower price but then they did not have the parts so I said OK to the more expensive option. But then they were not able to do the more expensive option so they went and got the part for the lower price option. But ultimately they charged me for the higher price option. I have called three days in a row and have not been able to resolve the price discrepancy."

"Great job! Fair price!"

"Was very responsive and did an excellent job."

"Sixpenny Chimney Sweeps did a fantastic job servicing my gas fireplace. They were thorough and efficient, and they took the time to explain everything they were doing. They also did a comprehensive walkthrough of all my appliances, which I appreciated. I would definitely recommend them to anyone needing their chimney or fireplace serviced."

"Moore Designs did our stamped concrete patio this spring. We told them our ideas and they took it up a notch to beyond what we could have imagined with lighted bench seating. It came out wonderful and brought life to a dead space in the yard. It was a wonderful experience."

"I had a very pleasant and positive experience working with Julio. He was professional, polite, knowledgeable, and very responsive. He and his team did a great job, on time as promised. I would gladly use them again."

"Quick response, clean and thorough servicing of fireplace functioning. Returned for a followup question that arose (no problem found) at no additional charge. Service personnel was competent and personable."

"Very professional, knowledgeable and affordable. Jaime showed me where I could improve my dryer function and also installed a much better vent cover for not a lot of money. Will definitely use again"