Jane J.

7/21/2023

These guys were so impressive.
Fuse blew right before move-in day and cooked the upper floor to 80+ degrees.
They were able to show up and repair everything faster than any of the other HVAC guys could even get to the house.
Michael M showed up and had everything resolved with a new thermostat setup in about 20 minutes after we spent 3 days trying to figure it out.
Super responsive, fast service, professional, and definitely technical expertise. Will likely give them our maintenance business.

Kevin B.

7/18/2023

We called them for a furnace inspection, which went fine and was done professionally. The problem came a year later when they signed me up for a $250 / year maintenance plan without my knowledge or consent. They have been calling and emailing me multiple times per week trying to get me to pay this illegitimate subscription fee, even after calling them back and telling them I did not agree to the subscription.

Ned M.

07/10/2023 12:00:00 SA

Called to get HVAC repaired. They did not come out for 2 full days. Technical came and replace capacitor in the compressor and said the system was fixed. Billed me $650 for replacing the capacitor and left without testing the system. 2 hours later it was still the same temp (84 degrees) in the house. I called them back and would not send another technical until afternoon of the following day.

I do not recommend them. This is not a customer friendly/focused company and did not take the time to test their repaid before leaving. Also, I have had the capacity replaced in the duplicate unit in our house with another HVAC repaired company 2 years ago for half the price.

Sabrina D.

12/20/2022

An update: no check for killed cactus.

I was told via email and phone call that I would receive check for new cactus and never did

Eric B.

7/14/2023

Had previously had good experiences with Snell, but I will never use them again. A/C wasn't cooling the house. They were helpful in getting a technician sent out as quickly as possible to check the system. They diagnosed the issue as a broken evaporator coil. Wanted almost $7k for the repair. Got a second estimate for the repair from a different company that was almost 50% less. An associate speculated that the Snell price was so high because they were trying to sell me a whole new system rather than just the replacement. To top it all off, I am trying to get the repair covered by insurance, and Snell refuses to talk to the insurance company about the initial diagnosis of the problem. Use another company; Snell is not worth it.

Bill B.

07/03/2023 12:00:00 SA

Care to tune in to a symphony of false promises, multiple same-day cancellations and barely disguised contempt? Try this fly-by-night outfit, which seems to delight in your inconvenience. Snell proves that there are no sure things in this life, including a thrice-confirmed appointment. They offer a ready supply of canned excuses for failing to show up (due to a shortage of technicians. . ., we're unable to service your unit because we didn't install it), all deployed with commendable cold-heartedness once they've locked you in. You'd admire their talent for double-speak if you weren't tearing your hair out. Makes sense that they're in the air conditioning dodge; they've got a heart of ice.

Paul F.

5/16/2023

Bad experience with inspection contract. You sign up, pay every month, and they still try to invoice you.

Susan S.

5/23/2023

Today, Snell plumber Ronnie Willett, fixed a leak from my utility room sink. I had to modify my appointment on short notice because of an unexpected meeting. He arrived quickly, was polite, knowledgeable, friendly and professional. I was very pleased with his work and even requested an estimate on additional services.

S. I.

03/06/2022 12:00:00 SA

We recently suffered a winter furnace breakdown, and it turns out our 17 year old HVAC simply needed replacement at this point.

We originally called 4ServicePros, and later learned they are in the final stages of merging with Snell.

After a quick consult from a friendly tech named Derek, Chris Sikes was the sales consultant who came to our home to help talk about solutions. He clearly went the extra mile with us, staying into the night and helping us to decide on a HVAC replacement system that worked with our house configuration. He was very professional, personable, and kept in touch with me along the way.

The install was clean and the duct work and taping of the joints looks good. During the AC install outside, they unfortunately opened our unit and noticed it was damaged. Yet they were still able to bring another new replacement to our home within an hour or two. I was very pleased with the instructions and tips on how to maintain the system over time. It seems their pricing for the system is similar to other companies, and at the time of me writing this, they warranty the work and product for the first year and will make an on-site maintenance visit to check on things. After that, you can buy a reasonable maintenance plan to help keep the system working longer.

The company also worked with me to add maintenance services to a second zone HVAC system in my attic, saving me maintenance money each year that I would have otherwise spent on a separate maintenance contract.

After sending an internal thank you note for a professional job done and unusually good customer service, Snell contacted me and thanked me for taking the time to acknowledge the performance and professionalism of their team members.

I understand not everyone can have an amazing experience 100% of the time, but this company provided that to us in our case. Thanks again, Snell/4ServicePros!

Brian M.

1/29/2023

Excellent service and team from the service technician, sales person, to the installation crew. I'm super happy with my new Furnace and Water heater and the SNELL team made it happen quickly.

Ang W.

06/03/2022 12:00:00 SA

I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Matt Kloc for going above and beyond to make sure my dad's air conditioning was running and functioning correctly before I flew out over the very hot Memorial Weekend.
I realized this past weekend that you have to put your faith in trained professionals like doctors, mechanics and now a/c technicians to get the job done right.
My father is an 82 year old Army Vet widow that doesn't complain alot but I knew he couldn't go without a/c; Matt agreed and did everything in his power to get the parts and work completed.
I am grateful for Matt and Snell for taking such good care of us!

E. J.

4/19/2023

Great plumbing service (shout out to Ronnie who was very friendly and professional), but the price was quite a bit higher than what a neighbor paid for the same serve. Totally not Ronnie's fault, but I won't use them again.

Jim S.

3/20/2023

Admit that I had a weak moment and should have got a second offer for two HVAC units. We had a service contract with SNELL and they performed well. I trusted them. We got a quote from them for replacement. It seemed high but the trust factor was there. The installation was done in one day. I am still finding trash and cig butts in the yard. Then they tried to cash my check TWICE insinuating that there was a problem on our end. When the HVAC units turned on it sounded like we were at the end of the runway at Dulles. Came out and discovered that both units were set incorrectly both the blower and emergency heat. Problem fixed?? Nope.... Came out again and reset again. Learn from my mistake and stupidity before you overpay thousands for HVAC units....

Sally J.

10/31/2022

I had their plumbing service come out to one of my rentals today. I needed a new garbage disposal. They charged me $752 for a new one. The plumber gave me a credit for $50. However, I felt that the charge was high. So I called other plumbers and they charged $425 to replace a garbage disposal. I tried to call Snells office and got a very nasty young girl. I was not allowed to speak to anyone above her. I could leave a message for their public relations department to call me back in 3-4 days. I've never heard of a 3-4 day response to a complaint before. I would be surprised if I even get a call back???

They are quick to get your business, but try and talk to anyone about an issue is impossible. I even talked to another girl in billing and she was ruder than the first girl.

I would not recommend Snell Plumbing for any job in the future. If you want a good plumber and good customer service call someone else. I will never use them again. I still can't get anyone at Snell to tell me why they charge double for a garbage disposal installation.?????

Haytham Y.

01/06/2022 12:00:00 SA

They charge $99 for what it supposed to be a *free estimate*!!!

I requested a free quote on Yelp and was td that they don't provide it online, but i can get a free quote if i schedule an appointment.

I scheduled an appointment and got a confirmation. But then I was told that they don't give free estimates, but rather charge $99 for them and I was told incorrectly that it should have been clear i. The confirmation I got. I looked again at the confirmation and all it said was free estimate. Scam! Stay away!!!

Matt S.

06/05/2022 12:00:00 SA

We requested an estimate for a new HVAC system from Snell. While we were initially impressed by their proposed options, the salesperson's aggressive sales tactics ultimately convinced us to do business elsewhere. They refused to allow us to decide for ourselves on our own time, and they accused us of being cheap and left once they realized that we weren't going to sign on the spot. They clearly had no respect for us as potential customers nor any confidence in their own products and services. We have had several sales calls from other large and small service providers, and none were as unpleasant as our experience with Snell.

Monica T.

4/25/2023

I had called them regarding a new project and required an estimate. The first time was scheduled last Friday between 2-6 p.m. I cleared my work schedule and made sure I was available. At 6 p.m. no one had showed. I called the office only to find out that my technician wasn't coming. The excuse I was given was that he needed a part and couldn't get it. However this was just an estimate, there was no part needed for anything. They apologized and I gave them another chance to reschedule for today (Tuesday). The window this time was 4-8 p.m. but they had committed to coming closer to 5 to accommodate us given the last minute cancellation last week. I received a text and picture of Ronnie and was told he was on his way at 3:53 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. the technician had not showed so I called to check on the status. After a very long wait I was told that Snell decided to cancel the estimate appointment because they didn't think an estimate was necessary. Yet the project required someone to evaluate the valves and give me a price BEFORE coming to do the work. Needless to say I wasted another afternoon not working and waiting for them only to have them no show a second time. I will not work with them again. The customer service is terrible and they don't seem to value their customer's time, not to mention communication is very poor.

Eve L.

08/11/2022 12:00:00 SA

Outstanding response. Snell came within 24 hours to check our heat pump even though we were not on contract with them. (We purchased our Trane heat pump from a company that merged with Snell.) Nothing is worse than a heat pump going off in high 90 degree temperatures and the screen on the thermostat tells you to contract your service agent immediately.

Strangely, after 16 hours the system turned itself back on just as Franco Delarosa arrived. Still, Franco thoroughly checked our system, saying all was well. Franco also suggested we sign up for the yearly maintenance, which we did. What an excellent suggestion!

Again, our the system stopped working. Again the screen of the thermostat flashed a red alert, telling us to contact your service agent immediately. I cannot blame Franco. The system worked when he was here. Still, he was concerned something was not right.

Very professional. Reasonable prices too.

J F.

04/06/2022 12:00:00 SA

Nothing says stand-up guys with honesty and integrity like sending out ads disguised as US Treasury checks, during a pandemic, in the middle of tax season. I'm not even in your service area. Jeez, read the room.

Mick S.

1/25/2023

Snell Heating and Air was the 4th estimate I received to replace my 25-year-old central AC with a heat pump. Julian, the design consultant, took his time and explained all the options available to me. He answered all my questions and prepared a detailed estimate based on our discussion. We shook hands and I purchased the Lennox system primarily due to the extended warranty offered by both Lennox and Snell Heating and Cooling. The install team led by Josh arrived on time the following day and completed the entire project professionally and promptly. I highly recommend Snell and Lennox to anybody looking for a quality product.

David O.

05/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

I reached out on Yelp for Sump Pump replacement. Someone from Snell reached out saying to call them to schedule an estimate. I called them and scheduled an estimate for the next morning. The associate comes and says this looks really bad and I recommend getting a battery backup. He then says your visit today is $110 but if you sign up now, we will waive the $110. I told him, I was never told about this charge and if I did, I would have canceled it. He then says I cannot provide you an estimate and walks out furious to call his manager and comes back still angry saying we wont be charging you. The technician showing attitude because his company failed to disclose they dont provide free estimates

Abby J.

6/19/2022

I called Snell Saturday around 12 to let them know our air was running but not cooling. They came early the next morning and we were cooled off by 11am.

J K.

11/21/2022

Made an appointment online for the next week and got a call the day before saying since I wasn't having an issue, I had to reschedule. I picked their soonest opening (3 weeks later) and had an appointment between 10-12. Just before 5 pm is when I got my service tech. Be sure you're not able to rely on them however, the technician was awesome (as expected).

Lisa D.

11/12/2021 12:00:00 SA

We were extremely pleased with our gas furnace repair from Mike Maturo. He was very knowledgeable and professional. He did suggest an upgrade for our system and could get a quote the same day (which we will eventually need) but also said he could replace a few items that would prolong the lifespan of our furnace. Within two days our parts were in and Mike was on time and had everything repaired. We are so happy and would definitely recommend Snell, especially Mike. We also had a wonderful experience with their customer service department. I believe the girl I spoke with was Dawn. She was incredibly nice and helpful and definitely aware of everything happening. I'm giving them an A!

-Reston, VA

Kevin Z.

8/25/2020

My story is similar to some of the other stories written here about incredible service from Snell. We woke up this morning in this 90 heat and the AC was only blowing out warm air, not good. We called Snell because we had just received a $50 coupon. This is where it gets good!
By 10:30 we had a fantastic technician out, Mike, who was a pleasure to work with. Followed all the Covid rules, and really knew his stuff. Quickly diagnosed the problem, gave us a price and was ready to go. In almost no time, I could feel the cold air blowing again, what a relief. Mike went over every detail explaining exactly what he was replacing, and why.
A very fair price and I could not be more pleased! From the scheduling department to the technician, to pricing, we were extremely pleased and would highly recommend Snell!

Hoss C.

1/31/2022

Extremely rude service. I called for an initial service assessment but wanted to at least get a general range of cost before they sent a technician for a paid assessment. Instead of acknowledging me, they continued to try to set up an account and charge me without even addressing my concern---lacking basic customer service. I don't want to pay $90 for an assessment to hear the cost for service is well above my range. It's fine if you can't do that, at least have the decency to address my concern and ask me how to proceed. Then when I let her know not to continue with setting up my account because she ignored my concern and continued anyways, she hung up on me mid sentence!

Elyssa Seth C.

9/29/2022

We had our routine heating service and Matt Kloc came out. He was so knowledgeable and friendly and answered all my questions. He installed 2 Wi-Fi thermostats and even set up the schedule and app. I appreciated that he cared about my house and didn't rush through. I will definitely be requesting Matt for my future appts!

Robert S.

04/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

If zero were an option they would get zero stars. I would use anyone but SNELL.
They make appointments then delay and delay, wasting ones time and energy. Then they send out a zero who does absolutely noting to fix any of the well documented issues that were discussed while making the appointment.
They have since passed off their service to another useless company that must use their processes because after another appointment they can't make it today. One week and still waiting....I'll never have anything good to say about this worthless company. Hire a kid of the street, at least he/she might work for you because SNELL won't.

C C.

6/24/2022

Our A/C stopped working during the last time we had several 90 degree plus days. I used Snell's on line appointment system and a technician came out the next day and fixed the A/C during that visit. Snell is professional, reliable and responsive at a reasonable cost

Jason H.

4/21/2022

We've used Snell for a few years and previously had good experiences with them. I recently contacted them for an estimate to replace my AC system and was subjected to high-pressure sales tactics by the salesman they sent to do the estimate. He quoted an extremely high price and then offered to reduce the price by more than $2000 if I agreed to have the job done the next day, citing idle crews as the reason for this generosity on their part. Plus, I never received the email proposal he promised me. Needless to say I am using another contractor. They are rated 5 stars and will do the job for $500 LESS than the Snell must act today $2000 discount offer -- and are installing a better AC unit to boot. Very disappointing Snell!

Randy S.

4/28/2022

Cancelled three times in two days. First they said they couldn't come due to rain (it was barely sprinkling), then they said a truck broke down. They called me to say they were on the way and when they hadn't shown up after two hours I called to make sure they were Ok. They said they meant to give me a call but didn't. They rescheduled for later in the day but then they said the third truck had a flat tire. When they went to reschedule the third time, they were very unaccommodating given the circumstances. Was waiting around all day for two days in a row, so I ended up cancelling all together.

Nikki L.

5/22/2022

We got a quick response from the company and service just in time, as the 90+ weekend was approaching. Great service and very helpful technician. Italo took his time to thoroughly explain the situation with our AC and provide options. He was very knowledgeable and informative. The follow up email with receipt included several notes and pictures from the details he covered during the visit. We've already recommended him to a family member!

Megan K.

6/21/2022

We have been long term customers of Snell. We used them to purchase a new heat pump at our old home with no complaints.

Unfortunately, recently in our new home, our water heater is having trouble and our AC unit is old. We asked Snell to come check out the water heater problems and just give a check-up to the AC unit. The water heater repairman was trying to sell me the new water heater before he even looked at the old one. The AC unit is still working fine. It's just old. Snell was sales pitching us before even attempting to repair our older units. Then they quoted us a water heater for $5000+! If you know anything about water heaters you know that's severely overpriced. We got a second opinion from a well recommended company who recommended we repair our units and laughed at Snells pricing of $517 for a new thermostat (Another item they wanted us to replace - they cost $25). They were also selling us a whole new AC unit for our not broken AC unit for $17,000 (middle of the road pricing). when we mentioned we were long term customers and that we had received a second opinion they were quick to cut us loose saying they wouldn't be going that low. Don't pay their outrageous prices!

James R W.

11/21/2022

Instead of trusting my gut feeling after two encounters with this group, I continued giving them the benefit of the doubt - big mistake. A young man came to my house - at a cost of $108 to fix a leaky boiler system. While he was polite and professional, he informed us that replacing the leaky boiler valve was not something he felt confident addressing. After a discussion with someone at the group's main office, he explained that the additional cost would be $730. Upon further inquiry, they told me the job would require two men and could take the entire day. We agreed that I'd give it some thought and call back. I then located the needed valve for a cost ranging from $35 to $54. I then called Snell again and asked to speak with the manager. The person said the manager wasn't available. Even after additional attempts to reach the manager, it became evident that the manager did not want to talk with me with excuses ranging from that manager no longer works here to sorry, he's really busy but I can help you. Eventually, Snell said they were willing to replace the valve for $600. A few days later, I called to set the appointment. (NOTE: When you call, be prepared to hear appx 3 minutes of a recorded advertisement message ... before there's any chance of anyone answering.) Nonetheless, a nice lady eventually answered and re-directed my call to dispatch where appointments are made. After a 7-8 minute hold, no answer. I called back, spoke with the same lady, however, this time she sent a message to dispatch with the details of my situation, the estimate particulars, and a request that they call me asap. I waited until mid-morning of the next day and still did not get a return call. Frustrated, I reached out to a local plumber; he looked at the situation and said he'd take care of it for $175 and that the job shouldn't take any longer than 30 to 40 minutes. (He located the part at Home Depot at a cost of $35.) Bottom line, my initial suspicions were proven correct. My advice, do not trust Snell, call another group instead. You'll save considerable money and will save tons of aggravation.

Trucker J.

3/15/2022

I didn't use the to replace my water heater or have them come over to my place for one reason they charge $89.00 to give me an estimate not a repair a replacement the woman on the phone tried telling everyone charges that and I replied back nope maybe if I went with the company, they pad that into the price with the Covid price increase you really charge extra. She said if I go with the job they will deduct that in the price but that means they can over charge and still make money on every job.

Karl B.

5/16/2022

Sorry to say, it is no longer managed by the Snell family. The quality of work by their techs is first rate, but dealing with new management is frustrating. We needed a new boiler for hot water baseboard heat. Their estimator provided a reasonable proposal, which I accepted and asked that a tech that new our system be part of the installation team. They assigned others who got the boiler installed but failed to complete the work for two long days -- which meant I couldn't got anywhere. Finally, they sent the tech I requested. He and an assistant were able to resolve the problems in a few hours. Glad I was paying for the job, not time and materials.

Orlando M.

4/20/2022

We purchase a heat pump system to replace our existing system. Both the selling team and the installation team were excellent. A day after we purchased the unit, the installation team came early and performed a flawless installation.

Siva S.

02/12/2022 12:00:00 SA

Our 15 year old furnace died. Called the company that we had used in the past and the technician said that the furnace needs to be replaced. Recommended only replacing the furnace but upon request also gave quote for replacing the furnace or the entire system (furnace and a/c). We have two-zone system with a heat pump for upstairs that also failed last year and, after getting quotes for replacing it, we decided to repair at that time.
Called a few companies including Snell. Justin, System Designer, came the same day and gave quote for a/c and furnace that was comparable to other quotes but gave quote for replacing heat pump system as well that was well below the quote we got last year. The quote included 10-year parts (from the manufacturer) and labor warranty (from Snell) as well. We decided to take the offer and replace both systems and they could do the next day.
Next day, technicians Paul, Kyle, Ludwig and Dennis arrived at 7:30 am to replace the systems. They were courteous and very considerate of our home. They finished replacing both systems around 7 pm and took the time to go over each component explaining, the work they have done and operating instructions. They did a very clean and excellent job and cleaned up all the areas they were working. Throughout, Snell kept us informed and called the next day to confirm our satisfaction and registered all the components with the manufactures. The Lennox systems look good and work well. We are happy with our decision to go with Snell and pleased with the entire process and the cost. Very professional and friendly company!

j c.

07/02/2022 12:00:00 SA

Definitely would NOT recommend this business. We had done business with Shanahan's HVAC for years and they were great. Owner retired, Snell bought them out, and service tanked. I had an HVAC maintenance contract with Shanahans. Snell took it over. When they came out for the annual review (which Shanahans had done just 12 months earlier), the tech found a ridiculous number of problems and tried to upsell my wife on what we needed to do. Left a really bad taste. Because Shanahans installed my HVAC, I assumed Snell needed to service it so when they offered a $79 HVAC special (July 2022), I called to make an appt as my system was not working properly. After several minutes getting all my information and setting up the service call, the rep said we've been forced to institute a $25 service call fee to help make up for gas prices. I pointed out that we live in Springfield and their business is in Sterling - so a $25 fee for gas is totally ridiculous. I told them that this was false advertising and it WASN'T a $79 service, it was a $104 service. They told me it wasn't false advertising, it was the sign of the times, and necessary. I told them it was akin to a service station advertising an oil change for $19.99. However, once you get there, the manager tells you Oh, you wanted a new oil filter with that oil change? That's an additional $20. These guys are snake oil salesman and I recommend you find someone reputable with good customer service and an above-board business model.

Edwin C.

06/03/2020 12:00:00 SA

We set up an appointment on their online scheduler.
I didn't hear from them, so gave them a call. Apparently, the scheduler doesn't work so don't bother. Or, maybe it does and they chose not to call.
We (tried to) use them because we get mail sent to our address. We tried to set an appointment, and the rep said they don't service our area.

Fix your scheduler.
Stop sending junk mail outside your area...maybe even define your area. That should stop 1 star reviews from irritated potential customers that have to wait another day.

Jon F.

7/13/2022

This business is not trustworthy. Despite the fact that I had already purchased a service contract they tried on three separate occasions to bill me $ 99 for a Spring maintenance check on my AC unit. They also imposed a $ 20 fuel surcharge on their visit as a way of squeezing me for even more money. The technician claimed that I was down 2 and 1/2 pounds of refrigerant even though my unit was running fine and is still running fine over a month later. He informed me that it would cost approx. $500 to add refrigerant, and approx. $ 700 to do a leak check (although he could not guarantee that he could locate a leak. He also quoted me a price of $ 15,000 to $ 18,000 to install a new unit. These prices are outrageously inflated and wholly unbelievable. This seems to be another business in the HVAC field that takes advantage of customers and gouges them for as much money as possible. Sadly, there are too many of these companies in this field. I would never do business with them, and certainly never purchase a service contract. This is only a means to gain entry to your house so that they can find additional billable problems. They even cancelled my first appointment because it was during a hot spell and they could make more money on customers whose AC was not working. So much for having a service contract! This business is incredibly difficult to reach by phone, and you usually are on hold for many minutes. Snell is lacking in honesty and integrity.

Glenn N.

7/23/2021

Snell sent Mike Maturo to come out for an AC repair. He had my AC up and running due to a bad capacitor in minutes. During the repair, he took the time to explain process of the repair and did a once over on my system checking the refrigerant and making sure the unit was cooling properly.

I'd recommend their service to anyone.

Richard C.

6/16/2021

They did a get job in replacing my hot water tank and recirculating pump.
I'll call them again!

Jose B.

11/28/2020

I have 3 HVAC units. This guy from Snell came to do a routine inspection. One unit was not starting...

He misdiagnosed all three.

Gave me a report saying I have to replace all 3 of my perfectly working, units for $20,000+ or fix all three for $5000+.

He said the unit that was not starting was leaking freon, thermostat was faulty etc.$850 for replacing Freon, $350 for thermostat, blower cleaning $500 etc. Etc.

I called another company and they said my two main units were perfectly all right and the third one that was not starting just required a board replacement... For $150 !!! And, of course, the thermostat was not faculty at all and no from leak.

This Snell technician forced me to replace my units by suggesting carbon monoxide leak while there was no leak and even scheduled marketing guys to come next day to sell me $20k worth of HVAC for a $150 repair. Of course I cancelled it after getting second opinions from 2 different companies.

Do NOT call this company. I read many more similar complaints...

Junk company and deceptive practises

Kristin F.

10/23/2020

I had a routine appointment window scheduled from 8am-12p today. No one showed. I had received confirmations by text and email yesterday so I know the appointment was scheduled. I called at 11:30am to check in and was told they would check w/ the technician and get back to me, but I did not hear back. I called at 12:10pm and they said they would check again with the technician and I told them that no, they were past the window and I have another appointments this afternoon because I wasn't expecting to need to wait all day for the HVAC technician to come beyond his scheduled window. They were apologetic and rescheduled me, but before I received a confirmation, the phone cut out. I am hopeful they will call me back to confirm and also hopeful they will provide some kind of discount for my time wasted, since I took off of work the entire day for this appointment. I am a nurse and cannot work remotely like many other professions.

I am only docking 2 stars because I have had successful technician appointments before where the technician came during the aloted time and was very helpful and professional. I am hoping this was just a scheduling error and I hope the missing technician is safe and healthy.

Remy D.

2/21/2020

Let me first start by thanking Charles Bottomly, a tech from Snell Heating and AC. He was very professional and very helpful throughout his troubleshooting session of our heating issue. He was describing everything he was doing, and performing maintenance as he moved along. I immediately noticed Charles was on the business of saving us money and provide the best customer service while trying to keep our repair cost down.

I called SHAC at 7:10 in the AM, after taking my info they said i would have a tech in my house between 8a-12p. Charles was home by 8:15am. I cant express enough satisfaction for receiving such as fast turnaround. I also signed up for their twice a year maintenance service and it saved me money straight off the bat for the scheduled visit. They offer discounts should any issue come up as well. No brainer for the piece of mind.

Rob S.

5/16/2020

Snell is great always attentive and fair pricing
Franco de la Rosa is a great tech and very informative and understanding to everyone's needs great man for the any heating and air conditioning problems I would recommend to anyone they take care of all my houses

Bryan S.

7/21/2019

****AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE****

Snell is a awful company that will try and scam you. I called them last year for a heat check, because they apparently were who the previous home owner used (their sticker was on the AC unit), it took several days to schedule but they did come look and gave the OK that everything looked good, and I signed up for a 1 year service plan figuring it would save on the next year's check ups. Then at the end of the summer the AC went out, Snell came back out, and told me I needed more refrigerant (which they couldn't have told me the first time?) and I laid out $450. Come to find out later, that's a common scam, modern HVAC units should never need more coolant unless there's a leak. Snell didn't even look for a leak, then their tech tried to sell me a whole new HVAC system, telling me it would only be good for another year or two (again, after they had just looked at it a few months before).

Then, this summer rolls around. The AC goes out on the first day of the July 2019 heat wave. I called Snell and they told me it would be FOUR DAYS before they could get to me, even though I had a service contract with them. They wanted me to wait FOUR DAYS in 110 degree heat index. Pass. I called another company (DM Select Services) who came the next day and fixed a broken capacitor. That was probably the issue the whole time, and Snell strung me along selling me bogus coolant without even checking for a leak and trying to get me to give them 10k+ for a new system.

THEN on top of that, I called to cancel my service contract (obviously, who wouldn't?) and they told me it was for a year and couldn't be canceled. I threatened to cancel the credit card, and they told me they would still invoice me anyway. Good luck with that, I'd rather see that on my credit report than give Snell another dime.

Terrible, terrible company.

Nick D.

06/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

Things may have changed with this business over the past year because my of most recent experience.

An evaporator coil on my Goodman HVAC that was leaking last year (4/3/2018) was estimated by Snell for $2K by Gary A (Technician) and instead I decided to forego another year and refill our unit with refrigerant for $400. This year (2019) as I knew what needed to be replaced and had done further research on the evaporator coil replacement, I reached out to Snell for estimates to replace and this is exactly the message I received from Mr. Andy Horensky, Service Manager @ Snell

I wanted to contact you in regards to our visit with MOE on 4/8/19. First off, thank you for being a loyal club member with Snell. We certainly appreciate you choosing our service. Our technician did confirm that the current evaporator coil is leaking. The refrigerant that was added last year has been slowly leaking out. To replace just the current evaporator coil the cost is going to $4,000. This includes 5 year parts and 2 year labor.

I also reached out to 2 other vendors (Donmar and 495HVAC) quoting $1700 and $2000 to replace the evaporator coil. So I responded back to Andy @ Snell about why it was now 2x the cost compared their quote last year and compared with the other estimates, Andy rambled on some more about because of rising costs of parts and labor...yada...yada...yada...blah...blah...blah... as he knew I caught them in a lie.

Nevertheless, they lost my service contract and my business for good and I ended up going with Donmar and replacing the entire HVAC unit with a 15-yr rated Carrier unit for $4500, slightly above their overestimated, inaccurate and untrustworthy costs of $4K for a single evaporator coil.

Not so sure if they deserve to be called, The Stand Up Guys, more like The Rip Off Guys

Andrew W.

05/02/2021 12:00:00 SA

Found out 25+ year old a/c system had died Wednesday. Called a few recommended companies including Snell. They came out Thursday gave a fair estimate and could do the work the next day! One day! And sure enough before 8am Friday they arrived and were there till almost 10pm doing a completely new system inside and out. They even came back Saturday for a quick hook up to our existing heat system. The Lennox system looks good and on the first use today runs good! Professional, friendly, and hardworking. This describes my first experience with Snell. We will have them provide continuing service based on this install. We can't say enough good things.

Yelp A.

5/28/2021

I would definitely not recommend Snell Home Services. I called and requested a tune up of my HVAC system for the $49 special advertised on their website and when the technician arrived, he immediately stated I would need a new system and the trip charge would increase to $100 because I didn't get a tune up. The technicians are not trained to provide an estimate, so the following day a sales person came to the property and wasted an hour of my evening. This company is not honest and uses a timeshare like sales pitch where they inflate the price by 50% and hope you don't know anything about the price of a new system so the sales person can walk away with a few thousand dollar commission. I understand that everyone needs to make money, but every other company I know adds their standard mark up and provides an estimate and it's up to you whether you want to move forward or not. I definitely did not appreciate their shady sales tactics and the fact they reduced their original price by 50% by the end of the hour conversation solidified the fact I don't want to to business with a shady company like this one. They would not refund the $100 even though their website states estimates are free. I unknowingly referred this company to someone else before I had this experience and they shared the same experience, so I am warning everyone out there if you want a new HVAC system, do not use this company or they will make a substantial profit at your expense.

Kamran K.

03/03/2021 12:00:00 SA

We recently had an HVAC replaced in our house by Snell. We have two systems and they had already replaced the first one 2 years ago so this was our second experience with Snell. As with the first system, Snell's people were professional, knowledgeable and very easy to work with. The System Designer (Jason) gave us options ranging from fixing what we had to high end replacements and everything in between. We didn't feel pressured at all and were able to make a well informed decision to replace. Scheduling was quick, installation was 3-4 days after the design visit.

The installation team were on time and thoughtful about any Covid concerns. They wore masks, boots, floor coverings etc. and worked very efficiently throughout the day. By 5pm (having started at 9.30am), they had replaced the system and gave us a walkthrough. They spent all the time we needed to understand how the system operated which was great. They cleared up and left the house in good shape.

Having used Snell twice now, I would have no hesitation recommending the firm. If you are looking to replace a HVAC system, I'd definitely look at Snell.

John S.

6/13/2020

We called Snell for an estimate for a new air conditioner. Our Carrier was more than 23 years old and beginning to sound a bit loud. We called Snell because we had used Shanahan in the past, and Snell purchased Shanahan's business when he retired. Our experience underscored the importance of the common recommendation -- obtain three or more estimates.

We thought Snell's estimate to be rather high, based on general ranges published by air conditioning trade associations. We were also puzzled by the estimator's crestfallen expression when, after his hour long sales pitch, we said that we could not sign a contract but wanted to obtain other estimates. (We also preferred Trane and Carrier systems to Lennox, based on Consumer Reports reviews and other sources and Snell sells only Lennox systems).

We obtained three estimates from other vendors, all with very good reputations for quality, and Snell's estimate was $2,000 higher than the highest competing estimate (for an equivalent system). We did receive numerous follow-ups from Snell, offering to negotiate and proposing various one-time, time-limited, and special discounts. However, we very much preferred the honest, straight-forward and far more reasonable estimates we received from Snell's competitors. It seems to me that Snell is working hard to erode the good will it might have purchased when it obtained Shanahan's customer base.

Rebecca S.

09/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

Snell installed a new furnace and ac after my 20 year old system died during a heat wave. Snell answered the phone over the weekend and scheduled an appointment for the next business day. As I expect my system was unrepairable.

The sales portion was very low pressure. The new system was installed without a single problem by a hardworking team.

The call center always answers my follow up phone calls and are sweet and helpful. They put notes in your file to track exactly what you spoke about.

I have never loved my ac this much! Quiet. Cools well. Emails me when it isn't feeling well. I wish my old one had broken earlier.

Can't wait for winter so I can fire up the furnace and rave about it.

Just FYI for those who compare the price of a single part ($250 to install a $25 part) to the cost of the job don't understand how to run a business. When you buy a product you pay for the service, the proper installation, diagnostic work, along with the item and the knowledge of the service person. Next time your system breaks, buy the part yourself and install it without calling an hvac company! Good luck figuring out which part needs to be replaced!

The shirt you happily buy in a store costs the store pennies in fabric costs to make but no one gets upset when the store charges you $30 or twice that for a designer shirt!?

steve b.

7/31/2020

Snell reached out and made it right. I appreciate that from them.

While I won't be working with them any longer, they did act like The Stand Up Guys in this situation.

I appreciate them for that.

Every home is unique.

The inexpensive system they installed for us has worked flawlessly.

The expensive Lennox system has been very problematic

I'd still steer clear of Lennox. But again, Thanks to Snell for doing the right thing by me.

Jennifer Brophy C.

6/21/2020

Critical: Terrible Professionalism, Quality, Value - Never Again

This company may have at one time been top notch. Since they were bought out they are just after your wallet. I've been lied to more times then I can remember. Spent hundreds of dollars and still my AC didn't work. I truly believe they messed up my system to charge me more.

Finally, after over 5 weeks of their poor service and lies I called another company. There was no need for any of the items Snell sold me on. It was a simply programming glitch with the Nest. It took all of 3 minutes to fix. Climatic is the way to go! Honest, reputable and didn't try to up sell me.

Lioimage I.

05/09/2020 12:00:00 SA

Accidentally hired them for $49 AC inspection. Not recommend this $49 service because it only inspection not includes any other mainteuance service. Snell Heating & Cooling may be performed better service if I paid them with more $$(?). Anyway, I was not happy...:( and not sure what the tech recommended me to change the whole HVAC/Heating unit. It costs me between $10k and $18K. So I hired another HVAC tech (from RES Cooling & Heating) next day and pay $99 for complete maintenance & repair includes HVAC inspection. Excellent service from RES. The HVAC unit is now in good condition and do not need spend $10K.

And another tech from RES took care of my HVAC/Heating unit and recommended optional service before summer (only cost me $180).

Larson F.

1/15/2021

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE!

We have been using Snell for all of our heating and air conditioning needs for several years, ever since our previous company--Shanahan's--merged with Snell, and their service has been exceptional.

Most recently, Senior Technician Charles came to our house to perform our annual furnace tune-up, and he did a very through and skillful job. Based on Charles' recommendation that we replace our 12-year old water heater, we decided to buy a new AO Smith water heater with the top-of-the-line 10 year parts and labor warranty at a discounted price that Charles helped us obtain from the Service Manager.

On the day of the installation, Charles and his colleague Michael arrived on time and did an excellent job removing our old water heater and installing the new higher-quality AO Smith water heater. They also made a number of major improvements at nominal cost, including replacing the 25 year old shut off value with two much better valves (for the hot and cold water pipes), replacing and improving the existing metal venting, and installing a drain pan so that any water leak will flow directly into our floor drain instead of our carpet.

Charles and Michael were extremely professional and courteous, completed the job promptly and with excellent workmanship and attention to detail, and cleaned up after themselves throughout the job.

We will definitely continue to use Snell for all of our heating and air conditioning needs and will keep requesting Charles by name (though Michael is great, too).

Thanks for the exceptional service!

Jeanne B.

08/01/2021 12:00:00 SA

I use Snell for just about everything! They keep my HVAC system ( that they installed a few years ago) in good working order with biyearly check ups as well as my hot water heater ( also installed by Snell). Recently I needed repairs on 4 old toilets. Snell sent a wonderful plumber to assess the problems, ordered the parts & contacted me as soon as the parts came in. Job was completed quickly & efficiently. Plumber worn a mask & shoe covers and cleaned up & removed all debris. Very satisfied repeat customer!

Zulema H.

3/21/2020

Professional was nice and made a thorough inspection but savvy in his words! The suggestion was that I needed a new unit and quote was outrageous amount! ( 10x the amount and taking advantage of a women
and Corona Virus situation ) Did my homework and asked around and found out that it was only a small leak. Very disappointed! Please don't get convinced so quickly!

Sharon J.

1/30/2022

To Charlie H. at Snell: I can't find a way to provide you the information you requested via Yelp. If there is an email where I can reach you, I'll be happy to provide information. UPDATE: A highly competent SNELL technician, Bogdan Neskorodev, came out Sunday afternoon and identified what appears to be a defect in the furnace and it is in the process of being repaired. This was after another company had been willing to come out and get the furnace restarted early Sunday morning. Though Snell did eventually address the issues, it has been a challenging process, as noted in my original post. ORIGINAL POST: We had a new furnace installed by Snell late summer 2020 and have continued routine maintenance with Snell since that time. Three weeks ago we had a routine maintenance check and the following weekend, the furnace went out over night. I called at 6:30 a.m. that Saturday morning (one of the coldest to date) and was told our service window would be between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. I called again at 2 p.m. and was told the tech was running late. At 4:30 the technician appeared, fiddled with the furnace, asked if we had had a power outage (we had not) and got the furnace going again by 5:30. Now it is Sunday morning 1 week later and the furnace went out again on the actual coldest night of the year! I called at 6:30 a.m. this morning and was once again given a service window of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. even though I informed the phone staff both about our lack of heat and the prior servicing. She said we have lots of people without heat. This obviously doesn't speak well for their products or their service! Last week I also left text messages with Snell and was told I would hear back from someone within 4 hours--that never happened. Yes, I am a very dissatisfied customer. This furnace cost about $15K and it should function properly. Snell appears to be strong on sales but weak on product and service. The final result is that at 7 a.m. this morning I called Climatic who scheduled us within the hour. We have to pay for the repair but at least we won't be sitting here all day in a frigid house.

Charles A.

01/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

Fixed the problem and was up-front and straight forward with regards to the problem. About a week later now the system is still working without issue. The technician was very thoughtful in addition to knowledgeable. He answered my questions directly and didn't treat me like I was getting in the way. Excellent customer service from the tech: I noticed that he (1) locked the basement walkout door which he used for fast access to get to his truck, and (2) came back a couple minutes after he left to remind me that he had left the thermostat off and that I should turn it back on (I had spotted it already but the fact that he came back to tell me in person meant that he wasn't just in a rush to get to the next appointment to finish his day early, and that he wanted everything done exactly right).

Customer service over the phone was very friendly/courteous. Ended up signing on with their yearly inspection program as it was comparable to ones we had done in the past and had yet to do that for our new home.

Caroline C.

7/13/2020

Snell did a good job of maintaining safety in that they wore a mask and gloves. They came to the home to install a gas line for a dryer.

The BIG problem is that they neglected to apply for a permit. We got excuses and the run around, but not outstanding service!

It took THREE weeks to finally get through to someone who applied to the right place. Now we have to wait for a city inspector and, maybe a month after purchasing a dryer, we will be able to use it.

We will continue to use Snell, since everyone deserves a second chance. But, it'd be great to see some more of the stand-up stuff they advertise.

Rathvon M.

06/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

Our AC unit was making noise. Justin came out to look at it. He told us that the compressor was going bad and that we might prolong the unit life by adding a hard start unit to the system. This took him less than a half hour to install. We were charged almost $500, as we also bought a one year service plan with Snell to save on the repair.

Thinking we were going to have to replace our unit, we called a few other companies that were listed in the Washington Consumer Checkbook to give us estimates. One of them told us that not only is our compressor fine, but the hard start unit that Snell installed wasn't doing anything for our unit and that the part cost less than $50. So, needless to say, we were ripped off on a part that was overpriced to the point of being criminal.

This is not the first time Snell has done this to our family. Several years ago they pulled this trick. We posted a bad review on Angie's List and they gave us a full refund so that we would remove the posting. At the time, we thought they were doing this as a course of being a good business. Now we know, that wasn't the case. I am sure plenty of bad reviews have been pulled from Angie's List, and probably Yelp, using the same tactics.

I know they are not the only ones in the industry that do this, as another company advised me that this is all part of the game. I do appreciate that there are some honest companies out there, and that we found one. I will not be posting a good review for them, out of respect for their privacy.

$500 for a $50 part. How do they sleep at night?

Collin W.

7/27/2020

I called Snell after our AC went out in our rental property. The first tech was able to come out the same day and determined the problem. The second tech was able to respond 2 days later with the part and had the problem fixed. Jesse was great throughout the whole process. She communicated efficiently and was understanding of our tenants concerns! This is the second time we have used Snell and will continue to do so!

Davis C.

7/24/2020

I don't know that I ever thought I would write a review of an HVAC company, but these guys deserve credit - so here is my first ever review.

Going back about 5 years ago, we were having my daughters birthday party and our AC went out. Snell had serviced the unit before, so I called & explained the situation and they fast-tracked us to be serviced in just a few hours. The technician found the issue (a simple one) and fixed it and then didn't even charge me for the service because it was so simple. An air conditioned birthday party went on as planned! We later had them come back for regular services and I found their pricing to be fair, their explanations great and the service effective.

We moved a couple of years back into a new build with 2 units. They installed a humidifier into the house & were price competitive - again with fast & friendly service. I just called them back out a couple of years later to help me with some issues with the upstairs unit not keeping up to the brutal heat. They came out the next day, the tech spent 20-30 minutes investigating the issues. He then identified the issue: The builder's HVAC team installed the units backwards. The guy apologized for not being able to fix it (it would move the liability from the builder to Snell), but waived the service fee and then wrote up the issue so that I could forward the email to the builder. The builder is now taking care of it.

Its so rare that home service groups treat people fairly & 'the way you want to be treated' - and Snell has done that continuously for my family. I recommend them to anyone in N. Arlington who needs help with their HVAC. They aren't the cheapest, but I feel confident that they are 'the best'.

N A.

10/30/2017

We setup Snell for a routine heating system check in early October. The technician, Vince, came out to check our furnace and heat pump system in the attic. After scaring us by saying the heat pump wouldn't make it through the winter and warned that it may start leaking at some point. He leaves us with brochures on new Lennox systems and says a replacement is probably around $8 to $10k. Just two days later we find a massive water leak in our upstairs guest bathroom ceiling. The water has also started dripping down to the ground floor above our kitchen.

Upon inspection I find that the main condensation drainage pipe for the heat pump (when running in AC mode) was left disconnected so all the condensation water would drain into the backup drainage pan. Furthermore, the backup pan drain pipe was also disconnected which let the water flow directly onto our drywall ceiling through the insulation in the attic.

I call Snell immediately on Sunday after finding the damage, and they wouldn't send anyone out to look at it. I call them back in minutes to tell them we found a six inch bubble of water also in our kitchen ceiling and they still don't offer to send anyone out to check and make sure the leaking has stopped. Instead they leave our sales appointment setup for the next day on a Monday and send the same technician out Monday around noon to look at it. They damage the ceiling and can't get someone here until noon which is bad enough already.

The technician thinks he accidently tripped over the main pipe, and says he did notice the backup pipe also disconnected but didn't do anything about it. He didn't mention it at all after being up in our attic which is unprofessional and the hallmark of bad service for a basic heating system safety inspection. What are we even paying for if you don't notice basic obvious problems with the system like a disconnected drain pipe?

So after the technician reconnects the drain pipes, and leave 3 inches of water in the massive drain pan in our attic, we get a visit from David Snell, Jr to talk about replacing the heating system. When he arrives at the house, he is dubious about the damage and says it's not bad and they'll fix it. He seems actually annoyed that we as the homeowners are so angry about the damage and he plays it off as being unaware of it until right then.

The next day they finally get a construction crew in who finds a lot more water left sitting in our kitchen ceiling and the drywall starting to separate from the rafters. Took over a week of ripping our drywall and repair to get things back to normal.

Meanwhile we have a child with pre-asthma symptoms who is now exposed to dusty drywall work and painting due to this incompetent company. But that's ok, they don't care about that, they're only concerned with whether we're going to buy a heating system from them.

On the same Tuesday they start the repair work, I also receive a tone-deaf email from David Snell, Jr. with an estimate to replace the heat pump for $10,000 while I'm staring at a 4 foot hole in our kitchen ceiling. They made ZERO effort to compensate us for this damage. Not even a courtesy of taking anything off the price for literally damaging our home and causing undue burdens on our children and family.

After the ordeal, which severely disrupted our home for over a week, we get nothing more than a sorry from the company and claims that they have a great reputation and we should be happy they even fixed the damage at all. I had to personally demand the refund for the original heating service.

Stay away from companies that over-sell their reputation to mask their below average service and inflated prices.

There is nothing stand-up about Snell. It's entirely possible the pipes were left disconnected and we were warned about leaking to scare us into a new system. Maybe their plan went wrong because I climbed up in the attic to find the problem instead of their technician.

My wife called the office to talk to Andy and left him a message, he never returned the call after this ordeal was done. Very unprofessional. I have reached out to them numerous times and given them chances to make this right for us as customers and all I get is replies about their awesome reputation and how this doesn't usually happen.

Terrible company. Never again.

Douglas S.

11/25/2019

I've long been a Shanahan customer. They were amazing, provided great service with excellent reviews on Yelp and Consumer Checkbook. I called Shanahan and Snell answered. I guess Shanahan sold their business to Snell. Hmm....

I booked a Snell appointment and the technician came out ($100) and gave us a $500 estimate for the radiator repairs. Since the quote seemed high, and I was unfamiliar with Snell, I looked them up. Turns out the reviews aren't that good, and Snell is known for upselling and overcharging.

So instead of going with Snell I called a higher rated (for quality & price) local provider (Yelp/Consumer Checkbook). They came out and did the same repair Snell quoted me $500 to do, and I only paid $180 (plus a $90 service visit) so my total cost for the repair with the other company was $270. The repair was completed and in the end I saved $230 by not using Snell.

I wouldn't waste my time with Snell and instead go with a more trustworthy provider.

Roger B.

02/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

Unprofessional. Quit mid job and was very rude about it. Only giving it 1 star because there isn't an option to do none.

Len W.

11/10/2020 12:00:00 SA

This company does not have stand-up guys, far from it. MY HVAC was checked and maintained by this company in the past and it looked as if the coolant was leaking. The technician told me there are only two solutions, refill coolant or replace machine. I asked him isn't there a third option, to fix? He said yes but to find the issue would cost as much as to refill and even then they might not be able to fix it. My opinion, that doesn't sound very honest to me. He was trying very hard to sell me a new HVAC and their maintenance plan but why would I do business with a company (even something as maintenance) when they won't even try to promote/conduct repairs? They recently called me again trying to sell me more services. I would say if they are looking to attract and retain more customers they need to shift focus to providing better service and conduct actual repairs then just marketing and pushing costly choices. Adding coolant to a leaking HVAC will only delay the problem for another day. My experience with the company felt more like a salesman then a repairman to me and that is a shame as one would assume they repair.

John B.

09/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

Almost 2 years ago I purchased a biannual maintenance package. The stand up guy who performed the service told me I needed Freon, they needed to find the leak, my inside unit had a loose shaft in the motor and some switch in the heat pump was not functioning properly. Total to repair quote was almost $1500. Snell also gave me a quote to replace the entire hvac system.
I called Acu-Air to check out my system the same day and they said there was no trouble found and the system was absolutely fine.
My reason for this review is to let you know after 2 years the system is still running without a problem with no repairs made in the interim. In addition, I just had my winter tune up and the only part needed was a new filter.
Draw your own conclusions.

Ali K.

3/31/2020

These guys do such great, quality work! They were here in the fall, then Charles was here in March to do the annual A/C tune up on both systems. The 14 year old A/C unit is as pristine as the 2 year old unit! No other company has been so meticulous. Charles also thoroughly explained everything to me when he was done. I highly recommend Snell HVAC.

Rach D.

9/15/2020

Snell was supposed to show up today for a water heater service call but no one showed up and no one called me with an update too. Not sure why but this is unprofessional on their part. :-(

Mark H.

12/21/2019

Just had a remarkably pleasant service performed by Moe. Honestly, the best service I've ever had. Many technicians will push you out, do the work, and as the customer, you're left wondering what the state of your system is in, beyond whether it's simply working or not working. Moe walked me through each step of the process, not only explaining the what, but also the why. I now know more about our air filtering unit and heat pump than I've ever known, and I feel more confident as a result.

To Snell: You know how to pick 'em! Moe is a great asset to your team, and as someone who's a relatively new homeowner, it's incredibly valuable for me to learn about these things more in depth so that I really feel like I own my house and its various appliances and systems. Thanks, Moe!

Jack R.

07/03/2019 12:00:00 SA

Snell was outstanding from start to finish. This guy named David came out to take a look at what was wrong with our system and he explained every he was doing every step of the way. I felt very informed by the time the system designer Sean came over which was same day. We designed the best system for us and felt great about it. A couple days later they came to install our unit. The guys who installed our new system were excellent, Howard and Raymond. Very friendly and professional. They knocked it out in one day. I'd recommend these guys every time.

-JMR

Chris A.

03/08/2021 12:00:00 SA

Unfortunately because of a mix up from one of Snells representatives I was unable to use their plumbing services. However, a member of their team called me the next day and also provided me with a future credit for a plumbing service. I was impressed by this quick response. It shows Snell cares about their clients.

M H.

7/21/2017

This review is for the Snell Heating and Air Conditioning location out of Sterling, VA. They run a home-repair service call business through phone contact. We had occasion to use them on very short notice recently.

During a week of 105-degree weather, our HVAC unit stopped working overnight and it was apparent by morning, that something electrical had 'burned out'. We began calling service locations at 8am, and most other businesses deferred repair calls until 4-5 days later, due to volume. In this case, we had Snell arrive at our door within 2-hours and commence diagnostic and needed repairs. We were not a service-club member, though they did offer this as add for $135.00/year, with check-ups & discounts. We declined, it was not a hard sell by the technician who came out.

The technician was highly competent and did not waste a lot of time over-explaining and pushing worst-case scenarios. He figured out immediately in diagnostic ($99.00 service fee) a blown capacitor ($312.00 repair) and gas did not need recharging (potential $1,000.00 cost). He did offer to clean the coils with a caustic chemical solution ($194.00 cost) which we accepted and it immediately lowered operating temperature of HVAC.

Within 2-hours of Snell's service arrival, we had HVAC repaired, operational and back in working order. No muss-fuss, no over-bills, no hard-sells, and 1-year guarantee on work and parts. Folks, this is as good as it gets here in the NoVA area. Highly recommended.

Pam W.

11/21/2019

I am always impressed with the professional service I receive from Snell. The technicians who have come to my home have been friendly, clear, and have never left me worried or wondering. Keep up the good work!

Eddy G.

12/24/2020

I closed the deal with Julian on late Tuesday night and the team was able to do the installation the next morning! Jesse gave me the details on the team as the ink was drying. They arrived on time first thing in the morning. Dan, Cal and Greg were a great team that stayed active all day. Seriously over 12 hours! They installed a new Hot water heater and an 18 Seer Lennox Heat Pump with Honeywell Humidifier and Honeywell Home Thermostats. My 17 year old system was tightly packed into the basement. I think the basement was built around it. They replaced everything...ducts, hoses, fuses boxes, wires and pipes. Everything was insulated and finally brought to code with new sensors and alarms. After working all day, they ended the evening cleaning up and taking me through the system in great detail. It has only been a couple hours but everything is running great. I talked to several vendors when making my choice. I liked several of them and they dealt with my silly process. Julian was very thorough with his pitch. He told me about the factors that differentiates them from the others. I believe I made a great choice. Merry Christmas!

Carlos M.

02/03/2017 12:00:00 SA

Upgrading my review rating.

They reached out within hours of my initial review, apologized and offered to make things right. I understand that things happens and the fact that they reached out promptly speaks volumes of their customer service, hence the rating upgrade.

T H.

7/16/2019

I had Snell install a new HVAC system in my home. They did a great job! The salesman was very professional and the installers kept me informed of progress along the way. I would recommend them.

Gail D.

11/19/2018

I have been a client of Snell for over 10 years and used to give them high marks. Not anymore! Over the past couple years their service has gone down hill. I've had service contracts with them and been told I had to wait 4 months for an appointment. It's as if they are doing me a favor. They don't care if it's an emergency you just have to wait until it's convenient for them.

Today I called about a leak and was told I had to wait 2 weeks. I explained that I can have water leaking for 2 weeks but she didn't care. So even for emergencies - you have to wait. It's a shame they used to be good. I called Michael & Sions regarding the leak and they'll be here in the morning.

Andrea N.

7/29/2021

My A/C unit started running continuously, even when I turned it OFF! I I called Snell and they sent out a technician that same afternoon. He said the attic space where the unit was located was too hot to do the service, so I rescheduled for early the next morning. A different technician arrived and discovered after much testing that the mother board on the unit was failing. The only new one available in the entire area was in Maryland. And I live near Lorton, VA. With Covid there are supply issues, so the technician took off in his truck and went to pick up the part before someone else got it. It took him about 2 hours to get back, replace the part, and within 20 minutes, all was OK. There was no charge for this 2 hour drive, and the total price was much less than I thought it would be, including the service charge. VERY pleased. I will use them again, though I hope I don't need to for a long time.

Tim L.

11/01/2016 12:00:00 SA

I have been using Snell for the past five years since I bought my house. They have always done great work in the past, but I've had some pretty negative experiences with them recently.
A year ago we purchased an upgraded air handler from them and they installed it. It was only a year later during a check up servicing call that their technician discovered the air handler had been installed backwards.
They sent out a technician to re-install it correctly within a week after the service call. However, the technician left without ensuring the access door to the handler's filter would close properly and stay shut.
I will have to call them to come back out a second time to complete a job that should have been accomplished correctly the first time.

Will S.

11/18/2020

Very good experience. I called in the morning for a furnace which was blowing cold air and they were able to get a tech out same day. He explained the issue and fixed it at no extra charge (aside from the dispatch fee) and performed general servicing for a very reasonable additional fee. He communicated well about the cause of the issue and gave good advice on how to care for the furnace.

Mary S.

03/11/2020 12:00:00 SA

Another review here from a former Shanahan customer. I just had my HVAC check -- the technician was efficient and skilled and I was extremely happy with my service. The problem is that Shanahan and Snell have been bought out by a huge national company that seems intent on playing games with how services are priced For example, an annual contract costs $150 if you allow Snell to debit your credit card each month -- but $175 ($25 more!!) if you pay the full contract cost upfront. I guess the new owners assume that a club with monthly dues makes customers less likely to skip a heat/ac check or to price-shop. Sorry, Snell, If you want me to be a loyal customer, do it by delivering exceptional service at an honest price -- not by holding my credit card hostage.

Heather N.

10/15/2021

I had my unit installed in Jan of 2020. First, they flooded my living room because they failed to shut off the fridge line and then they did not have plumbers to fix the issue. It took hours before they resolved the issue. Second, since the installation of the unit, the condensation pump had to be replaced, the system continuously shuts down, and the unit is not removing moisture from the house. This issue has been going on all year long and I have repeatedly complained and they continue to put a band-aid on the situation. I change my filters regularly, I paid to have my air ducts cleaned as they stated that was probably the issue, and nothing has worked. I have put requests for management to contact me and to no avail. This is a health matter as bacteria continues to collect in the air and my house along with everything in it smells like mildew. In addition, we have allergies to mold and mildew which makes it that much worse. I would not recommend this company as they either do not care about the customer, or the individuals they have doing the work are incompetent. I tend to believe that they don't care and are temporarily fixing the problem until my warranty runs out. That's when they'll find and fix the issue and stick me with a large bill. To clarify, only management has not been responsive. I will give the company props on their customer service and tech responsiveness to an issue, just not with resolving it.

Christopher W.

7/25/2019

I used to be a happy Shanahan Heating and Cooling customer, but Snell bought Shanahan a little while ago. On 7/25/19, Snell sent me Gary to do a service on my AC and heating. Gary did a really professional job and gave good clear explanations about concerns I had about my unit. I was impressed enough to sign up for a service contract.

Lewis C.

10/14/2019

We just had a brand new HVAC installed. Our Salesman Ben was very informative and professional. He sold us exactly what we needed and didn't try to upsale us on something we didn't need. He explained why he chose the unit and financing that best fit our needs.
The Installation Crew of Howard, Raul; and Juan were also very informative and professional. They answered all of my questions and gave me a very detailed class on how my new thermostat worked, since it was a HUGE upgrade for us!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY AND THIS CREW!

Roger B.

05/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

We requested the $79 a/c checkup offered by Snell. We were told that, in addition to a new capacitor @ $281, we needed an additional $1261 in repairs.

Specifically a safety switch for operation of AC @$281; cleaning the blower motor @ $281; and installation of a media filter for $699.

We approved the new capacitor but decided to have another contractor we've used in the past to review Snell's estimates and learned the following:

1. We already have a safety switch for the AC.

2. The blower motor does not require cleaning

3. The ONLY problem with the media filter is that we had installed an undersized accordian filter, which is why there was a gap allowing some air to bypass the filter. Instead of a new media filter @ $700, we just needed the correct filter (16x25 instead of 16x20!)

Thankfully we did not proceed with the unneeded work and expense. Whether the capacitor was bad I'll never know. I do know when Snell came out the previous Spring for the $79 checkup, everything was said to be fine including the capacitor.

All in all a disappointing experience. I suggest Snell review this situation. It may have been a one-off.

Kelly H.

7/14/2020

I called Snell on Sunday evening after my air conditioner stopped working for a couple of hours, and they were able to send a technician to my home the next morning before noontime. Franco was a knowledgeable professional who showed up on time and explained each step in detail as he inspected my HVAC system. I trusted Franco fully as he told me what was and was not operating up to the manufacturer's specifications. I never felt like he was just there to sell me something or recommend unnecessary repairs. Franco also showed great respect for my home and family by wearing his shoe coverings and protective mask whenever he was inside my home. Thanks for the great service Snell. Please tell Franco to keep up the great work.

Diane F.

07/02/2020 12:00:00 SA

My air conditioning needed repair. I was able to schedule an appointment for the very same day. I am very impressed with this company and its extremely nice and helpful employees. Excellent customer service! Julian was my technician and he was very knowledgeable, professional, personable and thorough. He quickly was able to repair my air conditioning and explained everything to me. I felt that the pricing was honest, fair and reasonable. Thank you!

ILove F.

7/13/2020

Dakota is the best! He punctual, covers his shoes, always friendly and very detailed. He never suggests anything that doesn't need to be done right away and I always trust all of his recommendations-- I APPRECIATE THE HONESTY!

Arion L.

08/12/2019 12:00:00 SA

We have been using Snell for a few years now and they have always had outstanding service. This past winter we had a few issues with our heating system and they were always very prompt in coming out to take a look and helped us resolve the issues quickly. I didn't think their service could get any better but it did...a few weeks ago, during one of the hottest weeks of the summer, I came home to find that AC dead and a burning smell coming from our vents. It's a fairly new unit so I didn't know what could have happened. Snell was out the very next day and was able to diagnose and fix the issue ASAP. Our usual technician is Lloyd and I always request him when I call to make an appointment. He's very knowledgeable and makes sure I understand everything I need to know.

Linda C.

02/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

After seeing other good reviews, we decided to give them a try when our furnace went out. They came by the next day. James was knowledgeable and got it running again. He wasn't sure exactly what the problem was at first but didn't try to sell us unnecessary parts until he knew for sure. He only charged us for a service visit the first time, with a discounted coupon he told us about. He said keep an eye on it and if it goes out again he'd be back. He had a suspicion it was the gas valve and it turned out he was right. Refreshingly, there was no sales pressure.

A week later the heat went out again (as he thought it might) and James came back to make sure the valve was the issue. After putting in an expedite order for the part, Rick came over and fixed it this time for good with the new valve. He also told us of an online coupon to discount the part price.

Overall we were very happy with their service and appreciated the discounts they gave us. The customer service on the phone was also top notch. They even gave accurate (!) times of arrival, letting us know down to the minute when they would arrive! We would use them again!

patrick o.

08/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

2nd time I've used Snell, first time was for really high bills and I was extremely unhappy with my previous provider.. The ones who should sing 'If you can't, we can't either, but we'll ask you to replace the who damn thing :-)

Snell came out - checked everything, identified 2 issues 1st wiring & 2nd was a default thermostat setting issue ( an owner issue where someone aka me didn't read the manual )
Also got some recommendations on making the place more comfortable for the winter too.

Signed up for the service plan, had to wait several weeks to get someone to do service,which was the only gripe I had - but David came out, was very knowledgable, serviced / cleaned and sorted out some minor issues without making a big deal about it.

Anna L.

11/15/2013

We contracted with Snell to provide our annual service for both our furnaces in the fall and ac units in the summer. We were so pleased with services last year, we renewed again this year.

When we moved into our home last summer, one of the ac units was not cooling as expected. Snell came out, diagnosed and fixed the issue all for a reasonable price. In this last visit, our technician advised the wire harness on our humidifier was going bad. He said the repair is more expensive due to labor involved in replacing and we may want to consider replacing the humidifier sometime down the road. In the meantime he showed me what to do in the event we notice more static electricity in the house - basically tug lightly on a wire to get the humidifier running again.

Their technicians are knowledgeable and professional, not to mention downright polite and friendly. They are always on time and will call if they can come out earlier than expected or if they were delayed by another job. We will definitely continue to use Snell for maintenance service and repairs as needed. Here's hoping we won't have to use them for a replacement anytime soon!

Lisa W.

6/20/2018

Great service! Justin was very professional and explained to me what happened that caused my air condition to stop working. He also was kind to explain to me my options when it comes time to replace my unit so that I can plan ahead on how much a replacement will cost me. My unit is over 18-years old and the cost to fix it was very reasonable. Very happy customer and I highly recommend them. They were recommended by 2 coworkers as well!

Emily S.

11/06/2019 12:00:00 SA

This company's quote was twice as high as any others to replace my furnace and AC. I used one of their coupons to get a seasonal checkup and asked for a quote to replace the furnace. Their quote was over twice as much. I also thought that the things they found wrong with my furnace were odd. So I got a second opinion from a different company and they disagreed with Snells. Definitely thought Snells was a scam. I really regret trying one of their coupons to save money.

Jane K.

01/02/2020 12:00:00 SA

After this post and a post on Google, Snell reached out to me and had the damage fixed the next day.

Breeda W.

12/13/2019

We had a warning notification flash across our thermostat on Tuesday evening and we contacted Snell that night and they had a technician out to our home early Wednesday morning. Our technician Gary was extremely friendly, knowledgeable and consistently kept me informed on what he was doing to address the problem. Unfortunately our compressor went bad on our Carrier unit and due to the age of the unit we decided to replace it with a Lennox system that is more efficient and would fit our budget and needs. Snell was able to have Chris who is a member of their sales team over to our home that same day. Like Gary had done before, Chris was meticulous in his work, sizing and giving us various options for the correct equipment for our home. He went over each option with me and what would be done on the install. I completely trusted his recommendations, knowledge and we had an install team from Snell at our home the following morning. They arrived at 7:40 am and I was highly impressed with their workmanship and professionalism. They were able to complete the job in a timely manner, and before leaving went over the install, functions of the unit and a tutorial of the new thermostat with me. We are more than happy top to bottom with what we've experienced with Snell and we will continue using them for our future HVAC needs.

Cat R.

5/29/2019

Seems like they are trying to rip you off. They charge $99 to come to your house and refuse to give you pricing estimates. I am trying to find out how much freon is per pound and they want $99 just to tell you the price. Horrible business practice to try to charge unlimited amounts when they get to your house.

Xavier L.

9/26/2017

We received an outstanding service tune up for our heating system. The response time was fast, and the technician arrived on-time just as they advertise. He was extremely courteous, and definitely knowledgeable about our type of system and what needed to be done. I would recommend these guys to anyone.

Troy A.

5/21/2019

Okay folks I have a working unit but it is not working very well. It is not getting very cold. I came across this company in my search and liked the idea of their tune up for $49 because they will inspect the unit as well. The service rep, Cindy i think, said they are scheduling this out with first availability in August. She actually said I was not a priority. They had customers with no AC. Now I was never a customer of Snell but I can say if this their first line of customer service I never will be. I was even will ing to give them a shot despite a poor review. Yet I am writing this one in support of no using these guys.

ROB C.

03/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

You see that review below? Obviously a fake one - this company is well run, but they seem to focus on selling replacement units or high priced coils and compressors - geez i paid $240 for a capacitor - whaaat? And felt some pressure to replace the heat pump ( before determining that it just needed a capacitor - one i could buy myself for $25

The technicians are nice and clean, but come off schlocky as they are commissioned on sales and have weekly/monthly sales contests - they probably incentivize overpricing, too - would not surprise me - undortunately this is the way many HVAC colpsnues are run these days - maximize the per call revenue

Jamie T.

9/23/2017

We have had Loyd come out a few times to do standard maintenance for us. He is fantastic. Very kind, knowledgeable and helpful. Thanks, Loyd and Snell for great customer service standards!

Earl B.

01/06/2020 12:00:00 SA

Snell is our continuing HVAC service company. They always do a great job on our pre-season inspections. The past 2-3 visits, the techs consistently pointed out a couple of components nearing wear-out (our Carrier system was 16 years old). We opted for a free in-home estimate to replace the heating and a/c. The representative, Mr. Broderick, was very thorough in his evaluation and presentation of our alternatives. We made our selection and the install team arrived the next day (a Saturday). Eleven hours later we had new Lennox (made in the USA) heating and a/c units. The install team did a very thorough, neat, and professional job, including cleanup. Highly recommend!

Bl G.

10/31/2019

Franco De La Rosa, Service Technician, is outstanding. He made a service call today to my residence and did an exceptional job. He is an exceptional representative of Snell. Lucky Snell.

Evan M.

06/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

Update: Lesson learned, if you are dissatisfied, reach out to customer service, Snell will try to make it right. The Snell internet satisfaction team reached out within hours of this original posting and offered to send someone out the next day free of charge. Ben was very professional and thorough. He spent almost 2 hours doing the diagnosis and the follow on work to recharge the outdoor unit.

We had Snell come out to the place i'm renting near the beginning of May, and was given a 4 hour window for a technician to show up. Snell never showed up due to dispatcher error. Luckily i have a pretty flexible remote work policy with work so the only thing i was sweating was the heat in the house. The Snell tech (I think his name was Albert) shows up shows up a day or two later and goes through the outside, tells me that the coils are overloaded and proceeds to hose down the wrong unit, drops it in the mud and doesn't bother to hang it back up as he found it. As the technician goes through his review he says that the issue is an old thermostat (that had previously been working fine), and quotes a **$500** thermostat replacement. I asked if we would be getting a Nest or smart thermostat, he laughed and said no, you get a regular thermostat with a backlight and that's it. Thermostat replacement is fairly easy, so we go to the store, pick up a nest, and install it in less than 15 minutes - can't really understand how Snell can justify selling a $30-$50 part and 30 minutes of labor for $500. At this point, i'm asked to pay for the $99 appointment fee and the technician goes on his way.

Everyone in the house ended up travelling for work or vacation for the rest of the month and by the time everyone gets back, the ac isn't working. So we call Snell and our landlord to make sure she knows that this might be a more serious issue than previously thought. We book another appointment with Snell and we're given a window between 9AM - 1 PM. I call at 11:30ish to make sure there won't be another dispatcher error and am told that the technician is wrapping up his morning service appointment and should be there around 1-1:30 - nbd. I get a call 30 minutes later and am told that there's news from the dispatcher that says they cannot make it today because the landlord didn't provide them authorization to be on the premises and they would only accept the landlords credit card. I find that hard to believe because a) i paid for the previous appointment and b) the landlord has not written or called in to give authorization for Snell to come out for various reasons in the past 2-3 years.

Sarah H.

9/30/2019

We are new to Snell, we had been with Shannahan and Snell bought them. I was not happy with Shannahan, but Snell has an entire different approach and I like their approach and customer service. I have had a problem which they have addressed satisfactory. Today Gary Alvarado-Revollo was the service technician that came to the house. He had a total grasp of what the issues were and reassured us in staying with Snell. I would recommend him to anyone looking to have a good DX of issues with the HVAC. We will most likely buy the service agreement and take steps to further address issues we are having with certain preventative steps.

Rodrigo V.

5/20/2020

I can definitely copy and pase the experience from a previous reviewer. I also accidentally hired them for $49 AC Tune-up. They didn't tune up anything, they just looked around and told me about all the parts that need to be replaced - I paid $49 to have them tell me my system is old, which I already know. Weirdly, many of their repair costs were exactly the same price ($500 for a refrigerant refill, $500 for a new contactor, $500 for a leak search, and so on). I definitely do not recommend their $49 AC Tune-up service, as it is just an opportunity for them into your house to recommended you to change your entire HVAC system. That said, the technician was polite, his company's pricing is not his fault. So, I also hired another company (RES Cooling & Heating which was recommend by another Yelp reviewer here) for the refrigerant refill service for a fraction of what Snell asked for. Excellent service from RES.

Amanda H.

11/15/2019

I had previously tried out a number of HVAC companies in NoVA, and Snell offered a refreshing level of professional service from start to finish. I signed on for a full contract at first service. My technician was named Cory Ashwood and was kind, thorough, and incredibly professional. Very happy with Snell and will be recommending ya'll to friends & family!

Amanda D.

11/13/2019

Technicians are great and knowledgeable on very old systems; however they have repeatedly cancelled my scheduled maintenance same-day for more lucrative emergency appointments so I would not recommend calling them unless it is an emergency.

Peter O.

2/17/2018

I have a Snell service contract for three houses, and I have been happy with their regular service and repairs. Recently a technician call Moe. L. serviced my furnace and gave me several useful tips for keeping it in good order. I have also used to Snell to install a whole new HVAC system at one house, and all went well. Also, the price was good.

Rutherford N.

7/25/2016

I started this review in October of 2014, but never finished it just in case the concerns that their technician raised turned out to be true. We asked Snell to come out to our home for a routine check on our heat after purchasing the house a month earlier. During our purchase of the house, we had our boiler inspected and no issues were raised.

We were recommended to use Snell by our realtor, so I called them with relatively high hopes. The technician for Snell-- Vince Lavery-- however told us that the boiler was leaking carbon monoxide and that it was unsafe and needed to be replaced immediately. He said that the replacement would costs would be at least $8,000 dollars and he would give us an estimate in the next day or two. He refused to show me the CO reading when I asked him about, but he was sure to point out other issues that he thought needed to be repaired in the home (going so far as to assert that a heat vent was not in line with Fairfax County / Virginia code). Vince Lavery was neither reassuring nor did he try to explain any of the rationale for his conclusions. For me, his behavior was unprofessional and reeked of someone trying to take advantage of a new and perhaps naive new homeowner. He charged me nearly 100 dollars for his assessment.

My initial assessment was reinforced soon after. As a lawyer, I looked up both Fairfax and Virginia code regulations that he said our house was in violation--- he was completely wrong. I then had separate HVAC companies come out for a second opinion. They both called Vince Lavery's assessment flat out wrong, as they showed by the CO levels on the HVAC were fine. Vince Lavery and Snell never followed up with me. Two years (and two winters) later we still have had no issues with the boiler or the heat. To this date, I'm not sure what was motivating Vince Lavery-- ignorance or attempting to rip me off (if he was trying to rip me off, he would have been smarter telling me I needed one or two parts replaced-- not try to sell me on replacing the entire boiler). Regardless, I don't trust Snell or at the very least Vince Lavery; he doesn't know what he's doing. I wouldn't let him into my house if you do hire Snell. ****
Snell responded that I need to be vigilant with my HVAC system. I completely agree-- that's why I had their assessment double checked immediately. Both second opinions disagreed with Snell. What's strange is that Snell wasn't equally vigilant? They made an assessment that my boiler was leaking CO, but decided it wasn't worth following up with the customer on how it could be fixed. Also interesting in their response is they use extra sensitive CO readers. I have no idea if that's true, other than to say that two far higher rated companies and an assessor's readers found the CO levels normal. But even if that's true-- that their readers are somehow are more sensitive--the company appears to be engaged in fraud by calibrating their instruments to detect problems when none exist. This is as close as a consumer will ever get to having a company admit fault-- thank you Snell.

Thy T.

11/19/2016

TL; DR: Pretty good all things considered. Some snafus with the installation. In any case, I hope the new Lennox heat pump will be headache free but I won't hesitate to have Snell come out if things go wrong.

*********

The outdoor unit of our 15 year old heat pump wasn't working. Snell HVAC responded quickly to my call for service and just as quickly diagnosed the problem: the motor on the outdoor unit was locking up and the capacitor on the outdoor unit was also only at 50% power. They recommended replacing the unit and I agreed. Installation date was 10/31/2016 (Halloween!).

An aside that has nothing to do with Lennox or Snell: our old unit was a Kenmore sold and installed by Sears and was a real lemon. Every 2-3 years something would go wrong and it must have cost us (conservatively) an extra $2K over the lifetime of the unit to deal with it. Oh, well. You win some you lose some. Hopefully the new Lennox system (14HPX paired with CBX25) will do the job for us with fewer headaches.

Ok, on with Snell review:

(1) I liked the technician (Kevin) who came out to diagnose the problem and sold us the new unit. He was knowledgeable, proficient, professional, and friendly. I hope we're in his usual service area if things go south with the new Lennox unit. I'd rate Kevin 5 out of 5 stars.

(2) I liked the people working at the Snell office. They were polite and friendly and they answered their phones! They have a dispatcher who calls to let you know when their technicians are a half hour away. They're also thoughtful and efficient: I didn't get any invoice or serial numbers from the installation guys so here I was already to be annoyed at having to track down those numbers so I could register with Lennox. I shouldn't have been concerned. Because the nice folks at Snell filled out the registration for me (I know this because I got an email from Lennox congratulating me on registering when I did no such thing). Think about that: Snell could have easily emailed me and said, Here are the serial numbers. Go register with Lennox. Instead, they took a few minutes and did it for me. Hooray for thoughtfulness and efficiency! I'd rate their home office and dispatch system 5 out of 5 stars.

(3) I liked the guys Snell sent to install the unit. They were nice guys. But here's two reasons why Snell lost a star:

(a) Snell promised installation would take just ONE day. However, the metal the installation guys need doesn't arrive until late in the first day so they have to come back a second day. That's ok. Stuff happens. However, second day comes and goes and they still aren't done -- because while they have everything installed they can't get the outdoor unit to turn on. Well, it's because the indoor and outdoor units are on separate circuits and they forgot to flip on the breaker for the outdoor circuit AND they didn't engage the main switch on the outdoor unit. I know this because technician Kevin came out on the THIRD day and diagnosed it all in about 5 minutes. So that's an extra 1.5 days I was out of the office because I had to hang out at home for installation / installation issues.

(b) The installation guys were nice guys. However, they weren't very careful with the metal shavings they created when cutting the metal to connect the new indoor unit to the existing ductwork. I found small, sharp metal bits outdoor in our parking space as well as small, sharp metal bits in and around the utility room where the indoor unit was installed. By small I mean about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch long pieces though there were also nail-clipping-sized pieces. Also, they left tape and some unused metal in the utility room. Anyhow, just a small annoyance and not a big deal. Just thought I'd mention it since according to their website: When we are finished working we'll clean up thoroughly and to your satisfaction. We'll go over the job with you and make sure you're happy with the work. The installation guys didn't clean up thoroughly nor did they over over the job -- though they may have left abruptly that second day because of the frustration over the outdoor unit not turning on ...

So 4 out of 5 stars for the installation snafus.

Nicky T.

8/28/2019

We highly recommend David S. who is a technician for Snell. He has come out to our home several times to do semi-annual checkups and to address any HVAC problems. We have found him to be very helpful, knowledgeable and proficient in diagnosing issues and recommending solutions. Today he installed a new NEST thermostat and reviewed every step of how to use the NEST. We couldn't be more pleased. It's difficult to find a technician who not only understands the nuts and bolts of HVAC equipment but who is also able to communicate well with homeowners. David is definitely a person who does both very effectively.

David R.

8/29/2017

I had routine checkup/maintenance service scheduled, Tim M. from Snell showed up on time, preceded by an alert call 30 minutes earlier from dispatch. He did a great job, provided much needed insight to how my unit measures up, did all the checklist items and provided an update before he left. Nice work all around!

Allison L.

2/20/2017

I used Snell for my furnace check up. Italo was my service person. He was great. I wanted to learn about what he was checking and why and as he went through the check he explained everything and now I have a better understanding of how the furnace process works. Very helpful and I felt like they did a very thorough job of the check.

Sara W.

10/05/2019 12:00:00 SA

Franco diagnosed the problem with our A/C unit and he was very polite and professional and clear about the work needed. We decided to replace rather than repair the aging system and Mike came out the next day to discuss the replacement options. He was likewise very clear and professional. The system gets installed tomorrow. Very quick turnaround.

Joe M.

9/25/2019

Snell is a very professional and efficient HVAC company with a good business model and excellent customer service. Web site is very good allowing easy interaction and contact for questions and appointments. I have always had great service from respective technicians. For my most recent appointment in August (2019), technician Francisco DeLaRosa provided excellent service. He was very knowledgeable, professional, and courteous. He was able to trouble shoot the problem very quickly and lined out various cost options for repairs. He had to go to the warehouse for a part, came right back, and fixed the AC unit in short order.

R p.

9/17/2019

Most recent use was for the periodic A/C check, and with an advertised special rate. Technician Gary was professional and very thorough, as well as personable and polite. As good as it gets.

Donald M.

06/12/2017 12:00:00 SA

I called Snell Sunday night and they responded the next morning, five minutes early. Technician Boyd was professional and fixed the issue and explained preventive measures. He also accepted the $59.00 coupon and did not attempt to up-sell additional products. I'll call Snell next Fall

Matt S.

3/16/2014

I talked to 3 different HVAC companies in the Northern Virginia area.

Knowledge
Overall, Snell came across as the most knowledgable. The sales person was able to articulate difference in different models. He was able to explain sizing and air quality decisions. As far as being able to talk about different products and requirements, Snell was good.

Price
Snell came in a bit higher than everyone else but not unreasonably so. We talked about price, and they did give me a price match. I felt like I was getting a good deal for what I was paying for.

Service
After the deal was done, the service department came into play. They finished my HVAC/Heater install in one day. It worked great. I don't expect many problems either. They had to come back to clean my vents and relocate the HVAC's drain pipe, but their vent cleaning machine broke. No biggie, but I do have to take off more time from work.

Company
There is a disconnect somewhere between sales and service. The vents in my house make noise due to expansion and contraction. I told the sales person about this, and he told me that a new HVAC would take care of it. When it didn't, I let Snell know. The service department arrived to fix it and said they couldn't do anything about because we have thin vents. It was one of my top concerns when I bought the HVAC. It does not look like it will be fixed by Snell.

Elana B.

12/29/2018

We had a new HVAC System installed by Snell and they are just an excellent local business. David Snell came out to do the estimate himself. Since the HVAC has been installed, we have called Snell to answer questions related to the system as well as coming back to fix a piece of the system that wasn't functioning optimally. They did the fix free of charge. Always responsive and reliable.

Alissa L.

9/15/2017

I had nothing but the best experience!!!!

My situation was unique. I recently underwent chemo and am very sensitive to fumes.

I was having an issue with smells in certain areas in my home and the owner John came out and quickly figured out a solution.

He was 100% honest and gave me do it yourself tips, rather than putting out money for professional services.

I chose to the professional service for a variety of reasons (too long to get into here). Their prices are phenomenal! THEY DO NO NICKEL AND DIME YOU LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!

And they were pristine! 0 Fumes from their work and did exactly as they promised!

I cannot say enough nice things! All the workers were really top notch and the owner came out the day of the job to explain exactly what I needed done because my situation was so unique!

So professional and friendly at the same time!!

I wish there were more companies like this!! IF YOU HAVE ANY FUME/ ODOR ISSUES, I SERIOUSLY RECOMMEND YOU CALL JOHN!

Carolyn K.

08/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

I have had Snell as my heating/a.c. company for several years. I now have my 100 year old mother signed up with Snell. I am pleased with all services that I have needed. The people on the telephone and the people who preform the services are always great!

C.J. R.

7/25/2019

Have used Shanahan's for several years. Always pleased, so I was surprised when I called to get Snell. I went with them as they had my records. My AC had gone out after a sweltering week. Franco did a great job and was very professional. He gave me several suggestions to avoid having a leak in the future. While the cost seemed a little high, I'm glad to have the cool air back in the house. Thanks Franco for your assistance.

Narae K.

11/07/2012 12:00:00 SA

NOTE: Its a long read, but may save you some $$$$$.
They may be good just for maintenance when nothing is wrong but if you need something real fixed, I wouldn't recommend.
They were so bad that they caused me to do my first review on yelp.

We went with Snell because of the great reviews we have read. We loved that it was a family owned business. I have to say that the customer service and technician was great... UNTIL... it wasn't so great. If you can't couple great service with competitive prices, it kinda downgrades the whole experience.

Day 1 without heat: Our heater broke. It was blowing gas, but wouldn't ignite. Snell came on a Friday and fixed it (YAY!) for $253.00 (with coupon). I know... a little pricey, but we were just glad to have heat. We left the house and 4 hours later, we come back home and its not working again. But this time, the gas isn't even blowing. So we were worse than we left off.

Day 2 without heat: We called Saturday morning and let them know that whatever they did didn't work. They came same day. We were impressed. The technician stated that he thought it was one thing, but that he was wrong. He said we would have to get a new gas valve (which by the way was working until they came and fixed our heater) replaced instead and that it costs $684.00!!! They didn't have the part so said they would special order it first thing Monday and that it should get in on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Day 3 without heat: We did some research and called the manufacturer and found the part actually costs $132.79!!! I'm not stupid, I understand any business no matter how awesome they are need to mark up their parts to make a profit, but if the part costs $132.79 and they are charging $684.00. They are basically saying that their labor and warranty is $551.21 on top of the $253.00 I already paid them for NOT fixing the heat. Unacceptable.

Day 4 without heat: We called and asked about our part. They said they are working with the manufacturer and it may take up to 7 more days when they quoted us TODAY. (I think they just forgot to order the part). We asked them to give us a break down of the price. What they were charging for the part, the labor and the warranty so we could decide if they were charging us a competitive price for the part. They said they don't do that. Then it got shady. They wouldn't answer any of our questions and they just kept saying they don't do that.... that its just a lump sum price. We asked if we could just order the part ourselves because it was so much cheaper to do so and if they could just install it. Again, they said they don't do that... lump sum price... (I guess we were asking too many questions...)

Day 5 without heat: We called 3 other HVAC companies. Fairfax Heating & Cooling gave us a great quote. The exact part (gave them serial #), labor with one year warranty is only going to cost of $350 TOTAL. Includes free service agreement (inspection now and one in the spring.) AND they are coming WITH the part tomorrow. 1 day turnaround. hmmm... $350 vs. $684 (not including the $253 I already paid).... its a no brainer.

We're going to call Snell tomorrow and ask them to give us our money back for NOT fixing our heat (minus the $99 they charge just to come out). We'll see how that goes.

Their service might be great in terms of smiles and customer service, but my experience was that they rip you on price.

Erma D.

08/03/2018 12:00:00 SA

The house's AC unit was leaking right before a trip. (what a nightmare). We needed help fast. Snell has excellent reviews so I gave them a call. Each person we encountered when working with Snell was professional, personable and competent. From the call into the office with Champ to schedule a visit to the first visit from Tim, I felt we were in good hands. Tim described the work that was needed in easy to understand terms, recommended future preventative work and gave us options. The work he did solved the problem immediately. The work space was left clean. A couple of weeks later the preventative work was done by Blaine and Rafael. They also described the work that was going to be done in easy to understand terms. They were careful going through the house and left a clean work space. The filtration system was neatly added. Again, I felt comfortable having these men in my house, confident the work was done well and happy about the long warranty period. We also signed up for their maintenance program!

Chris D.

9/27/2010

Warning: I spent the last two weeks without air conditioning, so you may not want to trust my opinion.

My old system was complete crap. It broke every time we went on vacation and this latest time, was pretty much beyond repair. After shopping around, I decided to replace my AC and furnace from Snell and snag the tax credit. I went with them for a couple reasons, among them was because I didn't get the used car salesmen I was expecting. My options were explained clearly, including how to save money if I didn't plan to stay in house.

The install guys were so nice, I wanted to punch them and offer a reminder that no one in the Mid-Atlantic is that pleasant. They greeted me, were exceedingly polite, explained everything I could ever possibly want to know about the new system, rewired a previous botched install of our humidifier, wrote all the model numbers on one piece of paper to make warranty registration easier and baked a batch of cookies. Okay, they didn't bake me cookies... but I bet they would have if I asked nicely.

The whole experience exceeded my expectations. Spending that much cash on home repair is never an easy pill to swallow, but at least working with Snell gives it a chocolate coating to make it go down easier.

Cheryl T.

07/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

In the middle of a heat wave, and 3 days before my due date, our AC broke. Snell rearranged their schedule to service me first - and I couldn't have been more thankful! Quality service and able and beyond customer service. Highly recommend!!

Charles G.

3/14/2016

Kevin was able to diagnose why our air-conditioner wasn't working within minutes. After a quick wielding job, everything was fixed and we are happy it wasn't thousands of dollars to buy a new unit.

We will definitely use Snell again.

Thanks!

Dan B.

03/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

We have a contract with Snell to perform the annual maintenance on our heating and cooling units. I mistakenly discarded the postcard they sent to schedule our service, but have now switched to email notification so we don't go through the winter without our system servicing.

I was contacted by the office staff during my service window to inform me of where the technician was coming from and when I should expect his arrival.

Kevin was professional during the service. Wore shoe coverings while in the house and I hardly knew he was here until he needed a signature to document the service.

Toni G.

11/21/2011

I got an offer from Snells via Angie's List Big deal for a $69 21 point furnace tune-up.

It was great. Ben was my service tech last year and when I mentioned how pleased with his service last year, they offered to send him out this year.

Ben showed up w/i the prescribed appointment window (and Snell had called to confirm and reschedule if I needed) and introduced him self. Looked at the furnace, looked at thermostat, and turned heat on.

Asked numerous questions about status of use, any problems, concerns, etc. He was very careful about his tools and my home, put little booties on.

Asked about the AC, explained their program about also servicing the AC unit in spring, made sense to me since, I had not gotten that checked. Explained the service program, asked if I had questions, no pressure. When he finished, asked if I had any Qs about the work today or the AC program. I decided to sign up for that since I believe, a pound of cure is worth an ounce of prevention. Again no pressure, just doing the the marketing for company. I had no problems with it.

So that was it. Ben was professional and asked what I believe to be all the right questions. I highly recommend Snell and Ben!

Jon K.

3/28/2016

We have had two HVAC systems installed by Snell (two different homes) and in each instance, they could not have been more professional, courteous and informative. Each step of the way, they made sure we understood what was happening, what our alternatives might be, and the timeline. It couldn't have been a better experience.

Recently, Mike Wilson serviced our unit and suggested a series of upgrades. He patiently explained each, even returning a second time to share the suggestions with me. Mike went thru each option, gave me all of the needed information and then scheduled the upgrade while we were talking.

This is how business should be done. Even the folks answering the phones convey a sense of professionalism and accommodation. These folks are honest, professional and reliable. Exactly what we look for in our tradesmen.

Jackie F.

12/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

I cant say enough about the service. Being new to the area, i am always hesitant when it come to finding new services. Italo from Snell did my fall HVAC service. He was very helpful in explaining things to me, very personable. I was totally pleased with service and pricing!

S L.

5/26/2016

We have been using Snell for around three years now and its been top notch service every time. We've had several issues with our HVAC unit & SNELL has come in within a couple of hours of us calling in. They are thorough with their servicing (twice a year) & the staff are knowledgable and pleasant to work with.

Lang L.

03/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

I had three companies come out to look at my heat pump which had a frozen condenser and a leak inside. FH Furr charged me $75 for the visit without doing a single thing. BK Tech told me my freon was low and that I need a completely new unit. Snell's technician (Kevin Walker) told me that I don't have a freon problem and that my problem could be repaired the same day. Kevin saved me thousands of dollars today! I'm one happy customer thanks to Kevin's knowledge and great customer service. Also, they replaced a water heater for a few years ago and did a great job then, too! What a great company!

Marcello J.

9/13/2012

This is a really good, family owned business. From the first phone call to the repair work for our heating and air conditioning system, the Staff were very friendly and efficient.

Good customer support on phone, and great professionalism in person.

I would reccomend them to any of my friends without reservation.

Jo S.

8/30/2019

On August 1, 2019, Mr. Wen Nguyen from Snell HVAC replaced a leaking valve in my HVAC system. My system was still under warranty, so the only thing I paid for was the $90 service fee. This was the second year that the HVAC system had failed to cool off my apartment. Last year (2018) a technician came out and basically just put in some refrigerant and charged me over $400.00. This year when I called Snell, I was fortunate that they sent out Mr. Wen Nguyen to fix the problem. Mr. Nguyen spent several hours patiently looking for the leak in my system. Mr. Nguyen located the problem, discussed the situation with me, and ordered a new valve. Mr. Nguyen then returned and finished the job. I am so thankful for Mr. Nguyen's expertise -- he is a very kind and thoughtful person and I believe that he takes pride in his work. A rare experience in a busy metropolitan area. Mr. Nguyen cares that he provides good service to his clients. As I said, I couldn't be more thankful that Snell sent out Mr. Wen Nguyen to fix my HVAC system -- he is truly an asset to Snell.

Kevin H.

6/27/2012

Had a problem with my 2 systems about 5 years ago now. Had 2 other companies out to look at them that couldn't figure out the problem and said that it needed to be replaced and quoted me a system. My neighbor referred me to Snell, these guys came out, diagnosed the issue for both systems in less than 30 minutes, gave me the cost for repair and didn't even mention a system.
I did the repair, and signed up for them to check my system twice a year and have not had a problem since, these guys have never missed an appointment, or even been late.
Thank You for Your Service Snell

Ben S.

9/16/2013

I am very please with using Snell and the top-notch service I receive everytime I need help with my HVAC systems. They have been doing tune-ups for me for the past 3 years, and my heating system was built in 1988 and my AC in 1998, both are still working fantastically. The technicians have always been reliable and polite, and I never feel like I am pressured into anything and always feel like they are on my side with the repairs. I have dealt with some other service providers in the past that consistently leave me feeling like I have been overcharged and taken advantage of, but never with Snell. I have older heating and A/C systems where it would be easy for someone to come in and tell me I have major issues and convince me to replace them, but I always feel like the Snell techs are honest and open with their opinion of my system and whether or not it is all in working order.

Recently, I have had inquiries into my systems as a result of selling my home. I have moved away from my house and had a limited window where I would be able to get a neighbor or friend to come over to the house to allow the technician inside. The first time we tried to do this, it did not work out, perhaps more on my part and schedule than that of Snell's. However, I was offered to receive the service free of charge and was able to quickly schedule another visit within a tight window that the tech made with no problems. I really felt like Snell has bent over backwards for me, and I will always recommend using Snell to any of my friends and family in the area. I wish I could take them with me to North Carolina!

Marc T.

11/05/2014 12:00:00 SA

Don't bother calling. Deceptive advertising. They will go to one area but not another, even if the desired area is in between two areas they service. Employees are condescending and couldn't care less. If you want a stand up guy, I suggest you stand up and go someplace else.

John S.

06/11/2013 12:00:00 SA

These guys are awesome. We have three air conditioning/heater units for our home, and they are carefully checked each time the Snell people come out. (we see them twice a year for the semi-annual check). They are prompt, courteous and helpful. I am the sort of home owner who likes to watch and ask questions and they never make me feel in the way or troublesome. James had a lot of very good info and taught me a couple things I wasn't aware of about our systems.

We are very happy with them and I highly recommend their service.

Steve D.

02/12/2015 12:00:00 SA

I am very surprised by the mixed reviews for Snell on Yelp. They are highly rated on Angieslist, and we have used them multiple times now without a negative incident, and with several above and beyond experiences.

We used Snell for a small A/C fix several summers ago, and compared to other companies we had used, they were prompt, professional, honest and fairly priced. When it was time to replace our entire HVAC system, we went back to them because of that positive experience. They replaced the whole system in one day, for a reasonable price, after detailing many options with us.

Since replacing the system, they have come back twice to perform two minor fixes. One was due to a small installation error, and one was to replace a part (humidifier condensate pump) that pre-dated the new system -- but they performed both free of charge, and again, the technicians were on-time, professional and fast.

Snell has earned our repeat business due to multiple consecutive positive experiences.

Angel W.

5/16/2014

I hired Snell for Winter and Spring maintenance and for an estimate on a new HVAC system.

Pros:

1) Great telephone customer service - they always answer the phone and follow through. They guarantee they will answer the phone 24/7 or else you get a $50 gift card.
2) Their staff is professional, polite, and clean cut.
3) Per their website, they run a tight ship - just read the rules their employees must follow (although only one of the two technicians knew about the rules, so I am not sure what good the rules are if the technicians are not aware of them). I also noticed their technicians are not aware of the Snell guarantees (see below).

Middle of the Road:

1) Per their website, Snell offers a lifetime unit guarantee for the original owner of a new HVAC system. I am wondering if they have funds in escrow to cover this claim. The technician didn't mention the guarantee during the appointment, so I didn't know about it - it may have changed my mind.
2) Per their website, many of their systems supposedly come with a 10 year labor guarantee, but I was only offered a 2 year labor guarantee.

Cons:

1) Their website stakes a lot of claims, but the staff is not up to speed on the claims. For instance, Snell apparently price matches, but I emailed the technician to inform him that I was offered a better deal ($1200 less for a more upgraded system - same manufacturer) and he did not offer me a price match.
2) Dominion Power offers a $99 rebate on tune-ups but Snell is not a participating provider. Most other well known HVAC companies do participate in the program.
3) Snell prices were $1,200 higher than any other company I received an estimate from.
4) Two maintenance calls did not resolve a humming noise that was easily resolved by the next company I hired.

Full story:

My HVAC was making a strange humming noise so I thought a tune up might help. I hired Snell to perform winter maintenance and to determine if maintenance would resolve the humming noise. They sent Kevin, a junior tech, to perform the winter service. The inspection took all of 10 minutes. He was not able to diagnose the humming noise because he could not hear it - said he does not have great hearing. I inquired about when I might need to replace the unit and asked about installation. He was able to provide minimal information (their senior techs are responsible for estimates). I wanted to get the humming issue resolved so I signed up for the $159 comfort club so I could also have another technician come out for spring maintenance.

I contacted Snell for spring maintenance and asked if they could send out a senior technician. They agreed. Justin, the senior tech, was obviously more versed in all things HVAC. Both he and Kevin thought the humming noise was originating from the blower motor or the duct work. Justin said the outside unit was leaking freon and I already knew my furnace was 30 years old so I asked for an estimate for a new system. He recommended two different Lennox heat pump models - a Basic model - 13HPX-018-230 & CBX25UH018 (1.5 ton, 13 SEER) for $5,487 or a higher grade model - 14HPX-018-230 & CBX25UHV-018 (1.5 ton, 14 SEER, variable speed motor) for $6,410 after a 5% discount. This was the first quote I received, so I called around for other estimates and realized that Snell's prices were sky high. The next company I called offered a more upgraded heat pump than Snell's highest priced model - XP14-018-230-09 & CBX32MV-018/24 (1.5 ton, 14 SEER, variable speed motor) with I Comfort Wifi Thermostat for $5,500 - $300 rebate (plus an additional year of 0% financing). Snell's pricing was a big deterrent.

Also, it turns out that the humming noise was coming from a vent on the other side of the HVAC and a few of the grates needed to be opened a bit wider to resolve the issue. The company I hired to complete the HVAC install figured it out - third time's a charm.

Note: both technicians were friendly and professional. Had it not been for the large price differential I would have likely hired Snell for the job.

Sergio B.

2/16/2017

I am writing to appreciate the service that Snell did NOT do for me. I asked them to make a fine tuning on my air conditioning. The technician came to my house, looked at the equipment and found something wrong with the heater. He called me, told me that it did not make sense to work on the system until the heater was fixed, and instructed me about the options. As the service could not be done they did not charge me for the visit. In sum: I really appreciate that they did not try to do a half job and charge me anyways. I will fix the heater and would definitely consider hiring this company again.

William S.

1/13/2017

Great service! Italo was on time, fixed the issue quickly and was very professional.

Lindsey M.

10/07/2014 12:00:00 SA

We had a great experience with Snell on the sale and install of a new Lennox HVAC system. Bill, our sales rep, was really helpful and thorough in explaining what system we should buy and why and he followed up via email within a few days. The install techs were fantastic, spending 12 hours doing a very complete and thorough job. We are very pleased with how responsive Snell has been, would highly recommend them to friends and family, and will likely remain customers for years. Thanks guys!

Mike W.

5/21/2014

I have no idea how Snell has bad reviews on Yelp, as they are the highest rated provider on Angie's list having received their super service award every year since 2008 -- they are an excellent company to work with, and as a homeowner that has experienced major issues with HVAC since purchasing my home, I consider myself an expert on the local HVAC companies. Before you think to yourself This guy must know the Snell's or work for them...check my other reviews. I am blatantly honest and not afraid to bash companies, but also provide positive reviews where deserved.

In the 2 years I have owned my current home, I have worked with 4 separate HVAC companies to service a 20 year old AC unit. We purchased a fixer-upper, so the AC unit replacement had to sit on the back-burner for 16 months while we addressed more pertinent issues.

I had 4 different companies (Snell not being one of them) attempt to fix my AC unit before realizing it was a lost cause. Despite having worked previously with those 4 companies, they absolutely gouged me when it came to providing quotes to replace the system. I then joined Angie's list to find the best provider, had David Snell out to assess the issue, and he came in MUCH cheaper than the others. He also got me on the schedule immediately. My new system was fully installed 3 days after signing the contract. David was super helpful, very knowledgeable, and as someone that works in sales, I can say that his honesty and transparency was refreshing compared to the snake oil dealers I spoke with at the other HVAC companies...

The service team was awesome. SO CLEAN, very friendly, again...SUPER knowledgeable, and even provided some additional work free of charge when they saw my air return was in an ill-advised place from the previous home owner.

Snell now being my 5th (AND FINAL) Heating and AC company I've worked with in 2 years, I can tell you it's tough to find a good company. I'd recommend these guys 10 times out of 10. Ask for David Snell -- he is awesome.

Steve F.

3/18/2014

Are these people Irish Travellers?

Like the review from Narae K. and Doug T., I had the same experience. Same vastly over inflated quote for a rare and hard to get gas valve for a common furnace. Quoted me $795 for the valve and the fix BUT I could get the $99 diagnosis charge credited against the price of, you guessed it, a beautiful, brand new furnace! That's right, Bob, if you spend $3300 on a new furnace we'll toss in the warning sticker for the front cover FREE!

What a joke. Northern Virginia is chock full of these scams. Do yourself a favor and vote with your dollar to put them out of business.

Re Rob C's comment about the fake review: I'm a non-resident landlord. I live in California and own a townhouse in the Cascades. If anything, my review should be instructive. Not being local and often having to do business over the phone, I've had to deal with more than my share of scam artists trying to take advantage because I'm not there to call them out on their deceptive practices. Due to my situation, it's really a true test of honesty for a business.

Alex D.

08/09/2019 12:00:00 SA

Outstanding and friendly service. My A/C died when the temperature was nearing 100 degrees and Snell sent a technician the next morning. He arrived within 20 minutes of the promised time, and I even got a call 30 minutes before his arrival, and again 5 minutes before he pulled up my driveway. The technician was polite and knowledgeable. He explained what he was doing, what was wrong, and how to fix it. He suggested a couple of maintenance fixes I could do on my own. He fixed the problem on the spot for a reasonable price. Considering that the outside temperature reached over 100 degrees that day, and inside temperature was reaching 90 degrees, he could have ripped me off and I would have gladly paid. Instead he fixed the problem quickly and for a fraction that I would have probably been willing to pay under the circumstances (I have two small children and my 80-year old mother was visiting).

Dawn A.

7/13/2017

I had a nightmare experience with a different a/c company about a month ago and was wary to call Snell Heating and Air but did so based on good comments from my neighbors and a coupon they were offering on their website. My entire experience from booking the appointment to the service technician was amazing. Justin W. (tech) was polite and professional - I'd definitely recommend this company. I even bought the protection plan $135 annual fee as my heating and air unit is 15 years old and I want to keep it limping along for as long as I can.

Doug T.

12/19/2013

Over inflated the cost of repair in order to try to sell me a new furnace. I guess they thought I would be an easy mark when they saw the two-year-old freezing by the fire.

Steve H.

2/25/2016

$300 for a $25 ignitor? Technician was great but obviously constrained by HQs price list. HVAC is a racquet and this didn't change my opinion.

Fair Rating D.

08/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

The technician was nice but $190 to top off refrigerant is a bit much. I'll look for other providers with more reasonable prices.

Danielle O.

9/17/2018

I contacted Snell in a state of desperation. My family and i had been without air conditioning for over month! We had been attempting to get a new unit through our home warranty but the contractor they selected was awful and completely unresponsive. We decided to source our own hvac company and take the cash out. Snell was the only company that we could find that was 1.) Extremely responsive - from the initial phone call with the receptionist, to inside sales, speaking and working with David Snell, the hvac technians and ending with the follow up after the install. 2.) Everyone was knowledgeable and extremely helpful. 3.) Able to provide us with a new furnace and evap coil installed in under 1 week at a fair price. The guys that came to our home worked from 730 am until 500 pm and didn't stop until everything was tested and working perfectly. Excellent service and in hindsight i wish we had mad the call sooner to go with Snell.

Paul M.

1/30/2014

When I went looking for a company to help with my heating and AC unit, I checked out yelp. I came across Snell and out of all the companies I call, they provided with with the best understanding of what I needed. They arrived promptly as indicated and Ben was fantastic in explaining things to me and fixing my problem. I know who I will call when it's time for my checkup!

Gretchen P.

2/23/2017

So far our service with Snell has been great. The problem was fixed and the system works great. Each service person who has been to our house has been polite and happy to explain things.

Kevin D.

8/25/2015

I had some issue with my heat pump a few weeks ago and called Snell because previous house owner used them. I had no prior experience with HVAC repairs at all so ended up using their service without much hesitation, in order to make the house livable again. After identifying a leaking coil, replacing a capacitor and refilling some coolant, the guy tried REALLY hard to sell me a whole replacement unit. He told me that the warranty on coil was not transferrable, and replacing the coil was not a wise thing to do and the heat pump would break down soon because of previous leaking. He even offered some discount on replacement cost. I was almost scared into buying until I decided to do a bit of research first. So I called a couple of places and it turned out that the same service he performed for me on that day could be done with half of the money he charged me, and his quote of replacement project was also grossly inflated to start with. I ended up using another local company to replace the coil, who told me that my coil was actually still under warranty therefore I didn't even need to pay for the part.

My advice: STAY AWAY from Snell. There are good-conscious local businesses out there, but Snell is not one of them.

blk x.

09/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

Had called early Monday morning to set up an appointment. Wednesday appointment was made. However, no one showed up. After calling at 4 p.m. found out that a technician came out earlier in the morning, but could not locate unit despite each unit (condo) displaying a letter identifying the various units.

I had asked why no one called if my location could not be found; that I would've been happy to have come outside and walk to the technician. No explanation. I was informed that the tech called the Snell office and said they could not find my unit. I was asked if there was something different about my condo set up - no, it's a normal condo. Nothing is hidden. It was noted the street my condo faced in the original appointment. So, I am really uncertain how this was such a puzzle.

I asked if someone could come out, but no, we had to reroute the technician's schedule. we could come out Saturday. .....

Taking off a day of work, for a sorry was not a very good show of customer service. Maybe knocking off 20% would have me reconsider an appointment.

Will look elsewhere. Was NOT impressed.

Sonia S.

03/12/2016 12:00:00 SA

We had Snell install an HVAC system this week and they did a great job. They had to install some new ducts and were even able to run the ducts into the master bedroom, something other places said couldn't be done. Something went wrong with the install (a duct got cut that shouldn't have been or something) causing the work to take much longer than expected. Rather than scheduling a return visit and making us take another day off work, the techs agreed to stay late and finish the job that day. They even sent a bunch of extra people to help out. Thanks Snell for your hard work and dedication to customer service. We will definitely call you back for any other heating/air work we need!

Tiffany M.

7/21/2016

Justin came out to perform a tune up on our HVAC system. Not only was he professional, but also efficient and very knowledgable. I'm very happy with the quality of the service he performed-especially at a reasonable price. Snell will now be my go-to business for any HVAC needs.

Evan D.

11/03/2016 12:00:00 SA

They responded quickly and fixed the issue at a fair price. We ended up taking out an annual maintenance contract with Snell since we were so pleased with their response!

Tom M.

10/21/2014

I had Snell install a new furnace for me seven years back, and was happy with them then and have been since. This past summer I experienced an A/C failure, during the heat of July, and called Snell to diagnose. They initially fixed it, and the unit worked for a few days, then failed again. They quickly returned and determined that the electrical junction box had failed at the outside condenser. That was fixed, but then another issue apparently happened, necessitating installing a new blower inside.
Through all of this this they were professional and prompt, and I have no reason to think that this was anything but a series of separate failures. I should mention also that they volunteered to install a room A/C during an interval when they were waiting a part and the heat was high. This was critical because my wife is homebound and suffers from MS, which is greatly aggravated in high heat.
I think Snell offers quality service and I have no hesitation in recommending them to others.

Sheldon R.

1/14/2013

Called en route.
Arrived on time.
Performed Tune up, including changing air filter and camera inspection of heat exchanger.
Did not check operation of humidifier, which I thought should have been included.
Did not document test results:
Discovered weak blower capacitor, but without documentation, unable to verify.
Claimed pressure switch to be defective, but without documentation, cannot be confirmed.
Subsequent internet research says technician should have used manometer. However, results of any manometer readings were not documented. I do not know if tests were performed both before and after changing the filter, which may be all that was needed.
No service club membership program was offered.

Kerstin W.

08/07/2017 12:00:00 SA

We were really disappointed with Snell when we had our yearly maintenance done. They used a scare tactic on us to try to get us to install a new AC unit with them by telling us the AC unit was going to fall through our ceiling. The technician was sexist and told me that if we wanted to go with a new unit, he would come back when my husband was home to talk numbers and go over any questions he had. He also commented on the fact that we had a pool and said he would never buy a house with a pool and put his personal preference over the safety of a child... He tinkered with our AC, which has never had any issues, and that night it stopped working. We have a 3 month year old, so this was really awful with the summer heat. We called Snell to have them come fix it and they sent him back out. When I answered the door he asked gleefully if the AC was leaking through the ceiling like he predicted. I told him no, it had just stopped working. He went up to fix it and told me the coils were corroded - which he had failed to tell me the day before? He poured two buckets of water into the unit to clean it. It started running after he was up in the attic for a bit, so he left. That night water started leaking down the door frame of our 3 month old's room. We called Snell and asked them what in the world was going on. They defended their employee and weren't available for an emergency visit. We ended up calling another HVAC company and paying over $400 for an emergency visit to fix the clog in our drain that the Snell employee had caused and put the cap back on the drain which he had left off and caused the drain to conveniently overflow. The other company told us our AC definitely would not fall through the ceiling... Either it was gross negligence or they tampered with our AC. We will NOT be using Snell again.

Gean S.

09/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Snell replaced my ~20 year old furnace and blower in one day earlier this year. The entire process was smooth -- David came to my house, provided me with a quote, I approved and they were able to schedule and install within a week. They priced competitively, performed an extremely high quality of work, and were very easy to work with. Everyone that I interfaced with at that company is extremely professional, and were there for me the entire way -- answering any questions I had and informing me in great depth about the new system including maintenance routines, filter replacement, and operation of the new thermostat. Would definitely work with again.

Patricia C.

7/27/2016

Excellent service, prompt, professional, and trust worthy.

Joshua N.

7/13/2016

Charged $99 instead of the $59 Service Call Spell and Diagnosis of the issue, as listed on their website. Also, instead of receiving a paper receipt with detail information (like they used they just emailed a PDF with minimal information. They didn't actually diagnose the low volume of air-flow problem...so I'm glad I wasted $100 on them.

Matt B.

03/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

Kevin was on time, courteous, informative, and very friendly. This was the second time he has been to our house and I would highly recommend him to anyone who asked.

Tater T.

06/07/2013 12:00:00 SA

I had my entire central cooling system upgraded to Carrier and I am happy with my unit. I went with Snell since they came recommended on Angie's and my fellow Yelpers. Kudos to the folks out there for the reviews!

They sent Ben out who was very helpful in explaining what was wrong with my previous unit and told me to print out the coupon from Angie's for a discount on the services. I'm extremely pleased with the service they provided and will be glad to do business with them again.

Martin T.

9/17/2015

We had our furnace and HVAC systems cleaned. Our technician, Velimir, was outstanding. Friendly, helpful, gave great explanations. Excellent customer service and service all around.

T J.

5/31/2016

I chose this service per the many superior ratings (and a neighbor) here as well as other sites but my experience with Snell was marginal at best.
Due to my allergies, I request Snell to replace the returns, supplies, and duct work for my upstairs system with the theory that this would minimize the dust within my system.
Justin provided an estimate of service but later informed his manager that he told me that they cold not do the totality of work to be accomplished which caused a dispute for which they later honored as I had a contract which supported my argument.
Next, Snell (per Justin's measurements) ordered the wrong size part which caused a delay.
During install, a Snell worker actually lost his footing and came through my bathroom ceiling (that God he was not injured) which they had to repair/paint.
I know you all think at this point think that this must be a joke but trust me, these are facts.
Next, I required follow-up after the initial installation which found another item which required repair and to my surprise, to date, no one from the company has followed-up despite my calling the office and my primary point of contact.
This in turn led me to another company (Thanks A1) which flawlessly addressed my issues. Please note, I am not an angry nor disgruntled customer but my project just seemed like a comedy of errors from beginning to end.
I am highly disappointed with the lack of professionalism as I expected better.

JA P.

10/08/2014 12:00:00 SA

I called Snell to locate a Freon leak. The telephone service was excellent--very friendly and responsive. They scheduled me for the next day and actually arrived early. The technician seemed very knowledgeable, suspected the problem was the evaporator coil, and located the leak with his electronic detector. So far so good. He told me they would get back to me with a quote for replacement of the coil. I called the next day asking if they had a quote, but they could not find the technician's report. I called again the next day (Friday) and they said they would get back to me soon. Meanwhile, to get an idea of what to expect, I found a couple of on-line retailers that sold the coil for $600 - $700. The next Monday I still had not heard anything, so I called again. The person said the man I needed to talk to was not available right then but would get back to me shortly. He did call back within a half hour, apologized for the delay, and told me the cost to replace the coil would be $2,490. I asked why so much and he said the coil was unusual and had to be ordered from the manufacturer and would take about 5 days to get. I said I would get back to him. I then went online and requested estimates for the replacement of the particular coil (4 ton Goodman R-22 system) through Networx.com. Within an hour I had a response from Fire and Ice HVAC, which set up an appointment for an estimate the next morning. Before the appointed time, I got a call from Fire & Ice saying that my 9 yr old coil might be under warranty, but that the price to replace it would be $1690 if not. Either way, they could replace it the next day.

My conclusion is that the staff at Snell is very polite, but I wonder whether they were just so busy that I fell through the cracks (even though this is a slow season with mild weather). Still, it is difficult to understand either their high price quote or the stated time to get the coil. Needless to say, I did not have Snell do my coil replacement.

Michelle C.

03/11/2011 12:00:00 SA

I love the guys at Snell! They answer all my questions and are always so patient with me when I don't know what is what with anything to do with my A/C or furnace. I've never experienced anything but quality, timely service with them. I like that I can always trust the guys they send to my house, always presentable and clean.... and they clean where they worked in my house when they're done! Honestly, I'd never use anyone else.
Last time I had them out one of their technicians showed me what needed to be done, didn't pressure me into anything and were able to fix it on the spot when I decided to repair it. Really great service!

Theodore Z.

06/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

I asked them to resolve a problem. It seemed to me something that should not have taken that long to resolve. I appreciate the concept of a multi-point check, but when you add $65 amount of the multi point check to the $85 I was charged just for a very minor repair, I was told that the multi-point check is automatic every time. I don't understand charging someone a decent amount of money just to look around and then an additional amount just for minor repairs.

Lauren W.

1/26/2015

Nobody likes a broken furnace but these guys were responsive, honest, friendly and helpful when helping with ours. We got a much-needed new furnace from them which was basically at the price I expected it to be. Stuck with the estimate price to the dollar, no bait and switch. Great job!

Alan L.

10/18/2013

After our 25 year old heat pump failed and leaked through our ceiling, we were fortunate to find Snell Heating and Air Conditioning on Angie's List. Their prompt and courteous service has made an otherwise extremely annoying experience a rather pleasant one overall. We have been impressed with their honesty and competence, and with their dedication to making us into satisfied customers, which we are. They replaced the machinery quickly with a minimum of disturbance to the rest of the hose, and have completed touch ups to paint, etc wherever necessary. They left areas of the house where the work was done even cleaner than they were prior to the work. All in all, a great company to deal with! Thank you Snell, Inc! Alan Luba

John W.

1/16/2015

On time and knowledgeable technician follow up work to fully correct the problem was a VERY HIGH Price.

S S.

12/13/2010

My air conditioner refused to run at the height of summer. The snell technichian was on time, found the problem quickly (blown fuse) and explained to me what was wrong. I highly recommend these guys and am currently having them put in my new furnace.

Pat S.

11/14/2012

Over the last 3 years with a basic contract with this company, I have never been able to obtain same day or 24 hour service when the heating unit has stopped likely due to a cleaning. they do not automatically schedule the spring and winter cleaning so you best remember. they also have twice cross wired the ac unit and blew the fuses. at least they replaced the fuses without charge to me. good luck

Ann S.

03/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

Excellent service and technicians! Had a damaged gas line in the house that needed repair, and called Snell as well as FH Furr. Furr tried to tell us we needed to fix gas lines that Washington Gas had inspected and confirmed were fine, telling us that we needed to spend $1,600 to fix something that Snell knew was as simple as replacing a washer - costing about $200 and less than 30 minutes to fix. Snell was honest, professional, knowledgable, and will definitely be getting our business again! Big thanks to Adrian and company. Saved us after two days with no heat, hot water, or stove, right before a major snow storm.

Usha S.

2/25/2014

Technician was vey knowledgeable and courteous. He did a thorough inspection and explained type and cost of repair in great detail. Great customer service. Highly recommend!

Tiff W.

10/23/2013

We've had a few HVAC companies come to our home since we bought our house 4 years ago and I'd have to say this was the first time I had a great experience with one of them. The hubs had me call Snell (he was referred by someone, don't know who) to get a tune up done on our 22 year old furnace/ac combo this fall and to have him look into an issue we were having with it. Since the hubs wasn't able to be home when the tech was here, I went this one solo and am really glad that we had such an awesome tech. He (Ben) was completely honest, down to earth, and frank about what we did and DID NOT need done right away (I let him know straight up that I was fully aware it's an old system and its day is going to come...I just need that day to come AFTER this winter and maybe if lucky, not until next summer). Anyway, thanks to Ben, our unit is working much better than it was before the tune up and fix AND he let me know know that for half of what another tune up inspection would be in the spring that I could get a club membership and they'll come out and check the a/c unit in March/April. So overall he took care of our needs this fall, gave great info on some questions I had, and let us know about the club so we got 50% off the Spring inspection-which we know we will need to do. Overall, great customer service and looking forward to the Snell folks comin out to take care of our A/C unit in the spring.

J N.

10/15/2013

Early for appointment, and did a fantastic job. Appreciated the honesty and options that my water heater needed.

Eldna S.

8/16/2013

I've been thrilled to have Snell as my HVAC service for a number of years. I find them professional, prompt, and courteous. They have kept my 20 year old system running way beyond its expected life span. When it comes time to replace it and I know it will be soon, I'll be giving Vince a buzz. There's no one better than Snell in my opinion!!

J L.

6/23/2013

I have heard of companies using PR firms who pay people to give the company a good review and I am thinking that is what has happened here as that is the only plausible explanation for so many good reviews that were totally opposite of our experience with this company. First of all let me say that my husband is a contractor so we are fairly reasonable and patient when it comes to dealing with contractors. We called Snell as our air conditioning unit would not hold a charge so we knew we had a leak or other issue. They scheduled an appointment for 9am to 1pm on Wednesday, May 22nd. My husband took off work that morning to meet the contractor. At 1pm they called and said the technician was running a little late and would be there within the hour. Okay, at least they called. When 3:30 rolled around and he still had not arrived, I called (no one called us) and spoke to a very unapologetic representative who said the technician would be there shortly. He arrived around 4:00. Had we known, my husband could have worked in the morning (actually he could have put in almost a full day!). The technician did a thorough test of the system and said we would need a new evaporator coil. My husband told him we would discuss that evening and call them to schedule the repair. On Friday, May 24th I called to schedule the repair. The representative told me she needed to talk to someone to find out if they had the part or had to get the part and someone would call me back to schedule. I waited for a return call, but nothing that day, or Monday (Memorial Day so that is understandable), or Tuesday......finally I called them back on Wednesday and it was as if I was calling them for the first time. Again I was told someone would call me back, but nothing. Thursday I called again and after explaining our situation, the person scheduled the repair for Monday, June 3rd starting between 8 and 9am. She said if by chance the part did not arrive in time they would call to reschedule. Sunday evening we received a call confirming our appt. Monday AM (again taking off work for the repair) we waited........at 9:30 I called and was told they needed to check with dispatch. We received a return call a half hour later and was told that they did not have the part! More unnecessary time off of work and continued poor customer service. The representative told me she would check on when the part was to arrive and would call me back that afternoon - - I confirmed that we should expect a call that day. That was June 3rd and as of today (June 23rd) I am STILL waiting for that return call. We, of course, had the repair done by another company (U.S. Appliance Tech) who did the repair timely and for over $300 less! If you are thinking of using Snell for your A/C needs, I suggest you run (don't walk) to another contractor (maybe US Appliance Tech!).