River City Heating & Air
About us
With more than 20 years of experience servicing and installing HVAC, air conditioning and heating in Richmond, VA and the nearby areas, River City Heating and Air has earned a well-deserved reputation for excellence in the industry. We place the utmost importance on your comfort, keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Our HVAC, heating and air conditioning technicians are experts in the field, well-trained, experienced, and capable, whether you need routine maintenance, emergency repairs, or expert installation of a new system. River City Heating and Air is proud to offer service in Midlothian, Chesterfield, Short Pump, Glen Allen, and throughout the Richmond area. Call us today! Additional email - [email protected].
Business highlights
Services we offer
& Air Conditioning - Gas Furnaces, & Straight Air-Conditioning., Aquatherm Hot Water Systems, Central Air Systems, Dual Fuel Systems, Ductless Systems, Gas Boilers, Heat Pumps, Heating, Package Systems, Residential & Commercial HVAC, Rooftop Units, Split Systems
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
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Still, I had them come out to estimate installing a whole-house humidifier. (During our extremely cold winter just a few months before, I decided I needed something to help the heat pump make the house less dry and warmer feeling.)
River City's owner, Bobby, came out and did a quick estimate to install the humidifier and repair my air handler fan, which was not working properly (wouldn't come on some of the time). Dominion Power was offering a complimentary system checkup to all their customers, so I asked Bobby if River City would do that as well (and bill Dominion). He said they do.
After he left, I had James River Heating and A/C come out a few days later to estimate the same project. Their price was a bit higher than River City's so I phoned River City back and scheduled the work (install humidifier + fix fan problem + perform whole system checkup). They couldn't get to it for two weeks.
The young technician (Ryan) who showed up was polite, but didn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed when I asked him questions about the humidifier he was installing. For example, the digital readout on the new humidifier was giving bizarre readings that kept changing every minute or so. When I asked about it, Ryan didn't know why it was doing it so he read the small brochure that came with the unit... over and over. He assured me it was "probably fine", but I didn't find that comforting... especially since I won't be able to test the humidifier until the winter -- 7 months from now.
On my insistence, Ryan made a note on the repair order that I was concerned the newly installed humidifier may not function properly so if there is a problem this winter, River City will fix it at no charge to me.
When I asked Ryan about doing the system checkup, he said no one at his office had mentioned it so he didn't have the equipment to do it on his truck. Adding insult to injury, Ryan told me he repaired my fan problem, but after he left, I learned he had not fixed it and in fact, had made it worse... the fan would not come on at all, so I had no a/c for a few days.
I phoned the River City office to report the fan not working and to find out why Ryan wasn't informed about the system checkup. The office personnel I spoke with didn't offer an explanation, or even much of an apology, but did schedule another technician to come out on Saturday. I requested the technician NOT be Ryan again, and "politely" explained why. The woman said the technician coming to my house on Saturday was a "senior" technician, not Ryan.
The technician showed up on Saturday afternoon. He was older and a bit gruff... didn't smile or say much... was also a bit disheveled looking... like a car mechanic at the end of the day. His name was Brian. He performed the system checkup, fixed the fan problem, but he too, didn't know why the newly installed humidifier was giving strange/changing digital readings. He said he would look into it and let me know what he found out.
To my recollection, I don't think I ever heard back from River City on the topic.
In summary, I was underwhelmed with the experience I had with River City. They are a bit cheaper than some of the "big guys", but perhaps you get what you pay for. If you do decide to use their services, I would INSIST on a "senior technician" for the project because it can be a crap shoot with their junior staff.
Licensing
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