ARS / Rescue Rooter Durham

I had them come and do the annual  check up of  my cooling system (about 4 years old), three month after they giving it two thumbs up, the system broke down, which I had to call them to fix it for a hefty price. Fine, a coincidence. Then, I had them check my heating system, again less than 4 years old. A few month after their check up, it broke down. They quoted me $5500 for a tankless system (about $2000 more expensive than other contractors in Durham). I paid them to install a tanked one (about $900 over the average price in this area) because I was desperate. Again, it could have been all coincidence. I also believe in a free market in which a company can price  its products whatever it wants. Fine. It is just that they will not have my household as a client ever again.

Possibly the worst company to deal with ever anywhere. I normally give plenty of credit where credit is due, and am slow to complain since I figure everyone is doing the best they can do on any given day. But these guys are just evil in my opinion. I contracted them to install a mini split system, which they did, and the system worked fine for a little over a year before it shut down. I paid an ARS technician to come out to diagnose the issue and he isolated it to a controller board in the outdoor unit that was under warranty from the manufacturer. Although it took him less than 10 minutes to remove the card and declare it dead before reinstalling it, he told me that it would cost $1000 to replace it (even thought the part would be free).

Many phone calls later, left messages not returned, waiting on hold for 10+ minutes each time I called, they eventually sent out a senior technician to check it out. He said that it was low on coolant due to a leak in the feeder lines, and that I should replace them and recharge the system. They wanted to charge me $1100 for this even though the leak was due to a faulty installation (which they performed). They did this work and the unit still does not operate. The tech suggested that I must have a lemon, but that his management would be willing to give me a discount on a new system. There is no way they will ever get another penny from me, and I will warn anyone who asks to run away if anyone from ARS ever suggests that they touch any part of your house for any reason. The business model seems to be to hire barely qualified labor to do installations, then make in nearly impossible to get in touch with anyone when problems arise. I feel dirty from having done business with them. Stay away!

Someone from ARS will probably leave a note suggesting that I contact them to remedy the situation. I've been doing this for weeks now with no luck at all. One last thing, while you're on a ten-minute+ hold, you get to listen to ARS ads telling you about their amazing service and top-notch technicians. I just hope I haven't ground my teeth down too much while being on hold.

I called for an appointment to check out my HVAC units. The appointment was set 2 days from when I called. In that time my lower AC went out. Lucky me ? Well I know they were coming out and would be able to fix whatever was wrong. 7/6/2015 ARS was at my door. they called me 45 minutes before they got there. The Tech introduced himself and was very presentable young man. His name was Alfredo Olive. He checked out my HVAC units. He sat down with me and recommended a few things and also told me when was wrong with my lower AC unit. I gave him the go ahead to repair the unit. A capacitor was out. I also signed up with them for the fall service. Alfredo was an excellent Tech. He explained everything in detail on what was to be done. I would recommend him and ARS to anyone who wants to have there HVAC serviced. My experience was a 5 star plus experience..
Update : I also had a follow up visit from ARS on the heating in the fall. Ok, the first thing they do is check the filters, right ? Well this service man did not check them. They were a month overdue and dirty. He did try to sell me a part that may go out and it may not. The part was $379.00. I did not mention the filters at all, see if he would check them. He never did. Well if you do not check something that obvious, what else have you missed. It seems like it is a selling game of things that don't make sense.

SHOP AROUND & HOLD THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE!!!

- Overpriced compared to other companies. If they give you a quote, SHOP AROUND!!

- Not responsive - DON'T PAY until they give you ALL the paperworkf & proof of filing for ALL local/state/federal rebates they build into their quotes. One set HAD to be submitted by installer & I had to call them & rebate administrator 3-4 times to find out why rebate was rejected. Sales person showed no concern or follow-up after the sale. Office staff was not much better - kept getting passed from 1 person to the next. HAD to threaten to NOT PAY remaining balance to get them to file the paperwork CORRECTLY!!!

- Lapses in paper work - 1 of the 2 inspections needed didn't get scheduled for 18 months!!!

ONLY thing positive about my experience with ARS is that the Installation was done quickly & professionally.

Told I required 2 new AC units due to leaks. Another company came to provide a 2nd quote, it was confirmed I did not require 2 new ACs, saving me 14K

Called number on flier to get an AC system check, was told that the service plan would be better. That it would 'clean, check, tighten and inspect' the AC units now and then in the fall do the same for the heater. I was told this would cost me $284.88. I agreed and scheduled the visit for 10Jul17. The technician, Alfredo, came out and told me that he 'inspected' the units and that both units had leaks, one a major leak and one a smaller leak, but that I really needed to purchase two new systems because my current AC units required R-22, a gas that was soon to be discontinued and was quite expensive.  I asked if the leak could be patched or repaired and was informed that they could not be 'patched' and that I could just add new R-22, but that it would cost me $1,043 to add R22 and I would need to 'replace' the evaporator coil at the cost for $2,999 a total of $4,042. With such a huge cost to 'repair' the systems, I was told that they could just replace the systems because they were both old (11 years) and did not have a warranty and because the price of the R22 was increasing daily. He was very friendly and seemed sincere in his desire to 'help me'.   He then told me that ARS could have a 'comfort care specialist' come to my house immediately to help me discuss the purchase of 2 new AC units.  The 'comfort care specialist' arrived  on 10Jul17 and again seemed very nice and sincere.  After his 'review' of my systems he diagnosed that I would require 2 new systems with a range of $12,001-$14,177 depending on the system size/type/and energy efficiency (this was because I would require an entire HVAC system replacement and then a new unit as well). I trusted both of these service providers as ARS was a trusted and reputable name and company.  I thought that they were telling me the truth and that I should trust what they were telling me, which was that I needed two new systems immediately. I did not have $12-$14K available, so I had to apply for a $14K loan. It was suggested that I should apply through ARS to pay for both AC units. I trusted the sales person and made the application and was approved for a $14,177 loan to buy a new HVAC and air conditioner.
The next day I spoke with my father who convinced me to call another company and obtain a 2nd quote.  I called another company that my friend had used before on remodeling jobs and asked if they could fit me into their schedule to come and review and provide a quote.  The company came out 11Jul17 and attached all of the gadgets to review the levels, they walked me through what I should be seeing if there were leaks or not and what all of the figures meant.  They then showed that there had not been any significant cleaning nor was there any 'review' of the systems since there were still cobwebs on everything, showing that the ARS technician had not even opened up the unit. The company cleaned both systems for me. They then showed that I did not require 2 new systems.
I called ARS on the 11th and informed them that the contract was cancelled (as per my 3 day cancellation notice in the contract) and that I requested a refund for the 'service plan' that I had been sold. I spoke with the manager and was told that I would be issued a refund of $288.84 and that they would like to have their service manager come to my house to verify the issue. I was further informed that the 'service plan' only inspected the units and did not 'clean, tighten', that these were extra costs. I am baffled as to why I would pay $144.42/unit for someone to 'look' at it twice a year. I informed ARS that after being lied to and swindled, that I did not desire to have them on my property again.  I further stated I would post my complaint to social media, but then I decided not to since I felt that the matter had been closed.  It is now a week since I was promised the refund and this has not yet been processed, therefore I am deeply disappointed that ARS has lied to me again.

Had them come to add a furnace to my system, they wanted to replaced the whole unit for 10k then was pressuring me into signing a contract with them, I said I think you are pressuring me into something I don't want, after some discussion about the prIces, interest rates and options the sales person decides to walk our, I told them from the big going not to show up if their intent was
To sell  me a new system, big con artist, better watch out

We lost our AC but the technician was able to come out the same day and resolve the problem.  Josh was super friendly and professional and knew his craft.  The only downside is the price, but obviously you get what you pay for.

Update 2: ARS called me saying that they saw the review and wanted to make sure I was happy with their service. Again, they blamed the AC parts manufacturer, Rheem, for my HVAC problems.

In the end, the ARS rep offered to call Rheem and set up a inspection of my AC unit. This was two days before Thanksgiving 2018.

To date, I NEVER HEARD BACK FROM ARS.

**Edit: After leaving this review, a representative from ARS reached out to me. She was very apologetic and didn't make any attempts to make excuses for the technicians. After explaining the assessment the 2nd HVAC company made, she also confirmed that what the 2nd HVAC company told me was accurate. While my experience with the technicians from ARS were terrible, the follow up by customer service is a model example for other companies. It shows a high level of ownership and a commitment to doing what's right for the customer. Based on my conversation, I feel like my experiences were likely an unfortunate series of one-off events that isn't typical of ARS. I would be comfortable giving them another shot in the future.

Called ARS: AC not working.   To net it out, ARS mis-diagnosed the problem and presented a proposal to make mostly unnecessary repairs, or as an alternative, replace the system to save the repair costs.

The whole story:

Thermostat set to cool, indicated cool on, and set to several degrees below ambient.  Outside, compressor not running, and inside air handler fan not running.  All circuit breakers on.  Nothing indicating cool was actually on as the thermostat indicated.

ARS tech checked outside unit and found no problem, but did note two aging parts there.  ARS tech opened inside unit and began checking voltages.  ARS tech, measured control circuit transformer input, (the 120 volts side) and it was good, and then said the 24 volt side had no voltage and that the transformer has failed and replacement would cost about $380 (The OEM retail price for the transformer is about $25.00).

In addition, the ARS tech quickly provided a list of costs totaling $1458 to replace the defective transformer and 4 other aging parts. The total approximate retail price for OEM quality parts is about $140 from online HVAC parts suppliers.

I said I felt it was too high of a price to pay $380 to replace a $25 part that I could replace myself in 15 minutes and assumably the AC would be fixed.

The ARS tech offered, and I agreed to, him setting up a visit and follow-up estimate by ARS sales to replace the entire system.

The ARS tech left, and I'd let ARS know what I wanted to do after the sales person visited later that day and presented an estimate.

I then decided to re-check the 24 volt control transformer.  To my surprise it tested working perfectly.  I did a little more research and found a YouTube video showing how and where to check for control board voltage going to the thermostat, and that was good as well. I then popped the thermostat off the wall, and removed the two AA batteries to reset it.  I reinstalled the batteries, and plugged it back into it's wall mount. The AC came on immediately, and started cooling perfectly.

The ARS had not checked the thermostat.

When ARS sales called I reported the mistake and that I'd fixed the problem, and asked for a management callback.  I also called the ARS Durham main number and asked for a management callback.

No callback.

ARS almost screwed me BIG TIME for like $3000!  I had a check done on a 14 year old system by a tech named Ron.  Within 30 minutes after having done 1 small test he  just proclaimed that the blower motor needed to be replaced due to failed and loose bearings and heat cells at early stage of cracking and failing then quoted me a great price for a new unit which I feel is an example of deceptive practices for a tech with such knowledge and experience as Ron claimed he had.

I got a second opinion and that tech talked through everything he was doing and showed me guides that proved the readings he was taking were in the acceptable range for my unit.  I googled as well and my furnace was just fine.  
These are the notes I took during his visit:
-Flame sensor taken off and cleaned.  Took off blower motor and checked heat exchanger in every way. Used heat exchanger experts book (heatexchangerexperts.com) to ID typical breaches for each brand and model. I looked in everything and everywhere and saw nothing as well.
-Took off blowers and looked at each opening with lighted mirrors.
-Checked co2 with sensor and it was 0 ppm.
-Checked capacitor. 7.4. Shud be 7.5.
-Blower motor drawing 4 amps is ok for  .5 hp motor. In heating mode drawing 3.66 amps.
-Temp diff bet in and out shud be 30-60 degrees.  Mine is 45.
-TEch adjusted and centered blower fan toward center

diagnosis: IN GREAT SHAPE.  He showed me all the parts and all tests and educated me on how to know what all the readings should be.

ARS Rescue Rooter is one of the worst Air conditioning service never ever seen in my life at all. They are Extremely Horrible customer service. I am very lucky that I did not signed up for any kinds of service at all.

About a week an half ago, I happen to be at Home Depot over Guess Rd, NC and I was approached by one of the Home Depot lady who start asking me if I own Home and interested in Air Condition Service maintenance, I immediately said sure then she started telling me all the good stuff and preventive maintenance and then told me how normally that service plan cost. She then said right now there is a huge drop price for all full diagnostic and fix for only $49.99
I then agreed to the offer, then she immediately called the ARS Rescue Rooter and put the person on Speaker.
After getting my information and home address then setup an appointment for the following Saturday.

Here is where the worst nightmare begins. I had to setup my weekend schedule and canceled all my other things to do activities. Then that Saturday morning 20 minutes before the technician suppose to show up, I received a phone call from ARS customer service (Not the technician) to let me know that they are canceled my appointment and want to re schedule. Very much Disappointed. I immediately told the customer service lady that they should've call me a day before if they already canceled my appointment and not 20 minutes before the technician supposed to be at the service location.

After explaining to her then we rescheduled for next Friday between 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM.
Its Friday today and when I got off work just before 3:00 PM, called ARS Customer Service to make sure that the technician is coming. She put me on Hold and verified the information and came back to me and confirmed that the technician will be there between 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM.

5:18 PM, No technician at the House. Then picked up the phone and called back and asked why the technician is not here. She immediately said He might be on his way. Please hold on let me double check. Once she got a hold of the technician, came back to me and asked me Is it raining in your area? I said it's a kind of cloudy but no rain. She said Well, if there is thunder and storm in your area, we better reschedule because the technician can not do all diagnostic Tests and fixes. I told her back it is not raining and also so you know last week, no one gave me a prior notice and canceled my appointment 20 minutes before the scheduled appointment. I also mentioned to her how much I was disappointed as first customer. She also mentions will give me some kinds of discount on the next appointment. I told her that I don't need any discount and want the technician now. At least he should've call and let me know if he is going to late but he didn't. She understood and said he will be there in 10 -15 Minutes then.
After she hang up the phone with me, the technician called me back and he was in the area withing 15 minutes from my house and asked me the same question weather if there is any rain in the area. I told him the same thing looks like its cloudy and might be raining later but no right now. Then he said will be coming and showed up at the house around 6:00 PM.

At the main entrance door, I explained to him about the canceled appointment without any prior notice then he said since it started raining then he can't do anything now. He said He can reschedule for tomorrow morning between 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM possibly before 11:00 PM. He called the office and I can hear the lady on the other end on Speaker phone, told her to reschedule me for tomorrow.
She keep saying she will try. The next thing I know he said once she put you on schedule, she would call me back. Its been three hours now since the technician left my house without any work.

I would never ever recommend this worst company for anyone.
First of all, they have terrible customer service. They don't care about anyone but keep trying to get as many as customers in their hand without any services
Be aware and read more reviews about this company before signing up any contract

One star just might be one too many.
A year and a half ago I was working out of town for long periods of time. In the heat of 2011 summer, the AC went out. In somewhat of an emergency, instead of a cheaper compressor replacement, we had our entire heating and cooling system replaced for $10,000 by ARS. Seems a little high, but the equipment was highly rated and ARS was recommended to us by a contrator at our church, and it was darned hot out!. So we bit the bullet. All was ok for only a short time...maybe a week. Soon after the AC had a major problem.
- there was a leak in the cooling coils (which I have little doubt was caused by poor installation) The fellow came out with a replacement unit and discovered it would not fit through the attic opening. Instead of having the opening frame taken off as they did in the installation, he gets out his soldering equipment and goes to town. BAD SIGN. Later in the summer -
- water was leaking from the AC unit (in the attic) through the ceiling into a second floor light fixture caused by an improperly installed drain vent pipe for the AC condensation. Lucky I caught it and fixed it myself early.
- This was followed by them coming out to properly install the humidifier (which was not discovered until winter when it was needed) The poor fellow struggled terribly figuring out the hookup. He got it working after several trips, but left a total mess of wiring in my attic.  
- Soon thereafter the AC had problems again. We escalated to ARS management. They were responsive and genuinely concerned after I told them the history we had. They had what seemed like their best guys come out and check the system out. They ended up replacing the coil unit in the attic (again) and the entire outdoors compressor unit that had been damaged. They cleaned up the wiring job too. It was spring by then, but I should have asked about the humidifier before they left.  My wife claims she did.
All seemed great, but now it's winter and we notice the humidifier is not working. I have little doubt that they unhooked something this last time they were here. It's a hassle going down in my crawl space to check the humidifier but DOH! The water to it has been shut off, and the vent turned off and a burned out (electrical open) water valve solenoid. I also check the installation in the attic, and it's leaking air like a sieve. What's the use of a high efficiency unit when so much air is lost in my attic?

A long time ago I was a Computer Field Service Engineer for many many years. I recognize shoddy work and have seen lots of things go wrong due to bonehead technicians.  I also notice for the most part, that the ARS employees are all hard working individuals with good attitudes, but as nice as they might be, I would not hire them again for any major job, maybe I would for a trouble call. Seems like with ARS, if something could go wrong, it went wrong. I can tell you though, that these things don't just happen.  One good thing about them, they do stand by their work and made a great effort to make things right.

By the way, I'm eating the cost of the humidifier part and replacing the solenoid valve myself because I can. I don't want them working on anything if I can help it, even if it's free and under warranty. Does this tell you anything?

Bought a brand new HVAC unit from these folks and installed around January 2022. Around June, unit was not cooling the house adequately, with temperatures reaching around 80 degrees F inside. Had a technician out, said he couldn't find anything wrong and with the unprecedented heat, the unit couldn't keep up. After a day or two of more 80+ temp in our house, I called them out again, only for the technician to not show up this time at all.

Called a third time and this new technician found an issue with the txv, which was replaced in a couple days. System worked somewhat well for about three days until now it's completely off, in the middle of a heat wave. Thermostat off, no air being pumped, with no explanation. They're getting someone out as soon as possible, but for all I know it'll be another no show. I've completely lost faith in this company. Have had issues on a literal fresh out the box unit within 6 months, and have had technicians out 6 times in two weeks, half of which say nothing is wrong when clearing something's not working. It's disappointing that after installing the unit recommended by their salesmen (that broke our attic scuttle by the way), it's preforming worse than the furnace in our house that was 26 years old and unit outside that was 15 years old. As a new homeowner, this has been one of the worst customer experiences I've ever had.

Very disappointed in their service.  They repaired my AC but charged me for parts that I cannot find listed for my unit.  I have called and asked for the part numbers, but have received no reply.

We bought a system in 2014. Every year since whenever it gets warm and we turn on the AC the system doesn't work. We've had people out several times and they fix it temporarily but the next year it's not working again. This year we were told a coil is broken. They say the part isfree because our system is still under warranty but it will cost over $1500 for labor! Seriously?! How many people do you need out to fix this!? I will NEVER use ARS again! Total waste of money!

I made the mistake of setting up an apt for the spring HVAC tune up special through Home Depot, performed by ARS.  Simple,  $100 bucks cause I have 2 units.  

But,  I was informed by the tech that my Hair system (only 3 years old and installed by ARS) ALREADY has a bad coil and it's leaking freon.  Okay.  That sucks,  how much to recharge? $300. Okay.  More than I wanted to spend,  money is tight,  but I can swing it.

What then happened was the price of freon changed THREE times over the course of the next hour.  That $300 exploded to $900. And when I yelled (literally) STOP! I can't afford that,  thre dude literally hiked the price on the freon he had already put in one last time.

Think the worst used car salesmen with all of the shadiness and aggressive sales tactics and you'll come close to what I experienced.

Ultimately,  ~$500 bill on a $300 authorization.  I called and complained,  and,  to their credit,  they did refund the cost of the freon. But they also took the opportunity to talk down to me cause you clearly don't understand how freon pricing works... let me explain it to you in great detail. Sadly. I do know how authorizations work-- perhaps I should explain that to them in great detail.

I say this because 2 days later,  they called to tell me my coil was in.  The coil covered by my warranty,  that I had NOT authorized them to order.  In fact,  I was quite emphatic in my No.

They've returned the part.  They say it won't affect my warranty when I go to another provider for the repair.  I guess time will tell.

I do NOT recommend.  Yelp is first, BBB and Home Depot will hear my complaints next.

ARS technician came out and said I had a Leak in the evaporator coil.  He quoted $4,046 to replace coil but suggested I replace unit and quoted $10846.00.  After speaking with his boss about quote for new system being so high, he dropped quote for new unit to $7,500.  I called another company, L D Swain & Son for a second quote.  They sent a technician out to verify diagnose was correct.  It turns out the coil was not leaking and the system was full of Freon.  The drain was clogged causing the system to shut down.  The technician cleared the drain and system is working great.

Actually no stars for ARS of Durham!!!!! I would like to caution all potential customers that the plumbing service can be awful.  I had a blockage somewhere in the pipes draining my house.  When the repair person came to diagnose the problem the only thing he did was to look around in the crawl space and then tell me that my pipes were original to the house, old, made of a material that gets coated with residue inside them over time and that he recommended that I replace ALL the pipes both under the house and in the yard since they probably had lots of areas of total and partial blockage.  The total cost would be around $10,000 - $12,000.  He NEVER offered to put a camera down in the pipes to look for the site of the blockage.  I assume he thought I wasn't aware that the usual way to diagnose a blockage is to use a camera. I insisted that I would not make a decision to replace all the pipes until I had evidence that the location of the blockage required such a replacement.  Once the camera was used it showed that the pipes were all in great shape except one small blocked area. I was appalled at the utter lack of professionalism of this repair person. It was as close to a scam as I've experienced from what is considered to be a reputable company.
As a follow up I got estimates from both ARS and Roto Rooter for replacing the few feet of pipe that was needed to solve the blockage. Turns out Roto Rooter's estimate was many hundreds of  dollars less than the ARS estimate.
I've lost all faith in ARS and will never hire them again.

Upsell, Upsell, Upsell.  ARS appears to be a very sales driven organization, that is attempting to pull money out of my pocket.  

I went with the AC and heating system maintenance contract.  The AC was done in the spring and the heating in the fall.  Both technicians told me that I need several things done...but I don't feel comfortable with the recommendations and therefore service.  You can tell they are trained to sell you products.  

One of my neighbors recommended a small company out of Durham, as they are honest and have been in business for 20 or so years and provided good service.  Another neighbor made this comment, both ARS and Service Experts, who ALWAYS tried to get us to put in new ducts, dual thermostats, etc....you name it.  Will never go back to either of them.  This is my experience.  I'm going with CWJ next time.  

The heating guy just recommended replacing a component.  I checked youtube and we are not experiencing the related symptom and if we were, the first thing to do is clean it.  Did he clean it?  No idea.  But he wanted to replace it but did not have it on hand.

2 Stars for these people.  High prices for repairs.  The employees do know what they are doing, the guy that came out to my place was nice and apologized for being late (3 & 1/2 hours after I called for service).  Was able to fix the problem then explained I needed to fork out money for a new part that was going to cost me $200.00.  I told him no for the new part and he said this quote is good for the next 30 days.  I'm not satisfied with they company and I'm not sure I will call them again in the future.

Promptness  F
Courtesy      B
Problem fixed:  Yes & No
BBB ACCREDITED BUSINESS SINCE 09/01/1999
BBB Grade A+
This business is fully licensed

They did great work but they were late and had to reschedule three times. They worked fast and did a same day diagnosis appointment.

Kyle was very professional and quite personable.  Once he diagnosed the problem he explained in a way I could understand what repair was needed.   The only complaint, and this is not Kyle's fault, is the cost of the repair.  I think this is due to ARS flat rate pricing.  The cost will be much higher than the Mom and Pop repair service.  But would they be as professional as Kyle?  So basically I call ARS for service for their dependability and their staff, knowing I will pay more.

I didn't have a great experience. They said btwn. 8 and 12, I called at 10 and was told I was next. He came at 3!!! Felt like I wasted the whole day. He had to come back the next day with the part and said he would call at 9 but ended up calling at 4:15.  Not planning on using them in the future

John worked to understand the problem to make smart recommendations.  He attended to the PM and kept me updated during his work.  When he returns this summer, he will be greeted by a happy customer.  Using yelp to rate/reward the service provider is a good way to socially promote the company.

First I would like to say I have been with ARS for many years with no problems. My experience in the last week has totally change my thinking. I have a 9 year old AC unit that was originally purchased from ARS. We pay yearly for their service contract. On sunday our AC unit went out and we called ARS at 9am. A service tech did finally come out at 6pm and mumbled that our coil was leaking and it would cost $100 a pond for coolant and about $3000 to replace. He seemed surprised when I explained that this unit was covered for parts and labor for another year. He then added some coolant said they would order part and call us is a few days. The part came in on Tuesday and a service call was set up to put in coil at 3pm wed. My husband and I both have jobs where it is extremely difficult to take time off but i did manage to rearrange my schedule to be home by that time. Wed morning we were called by ARS to say that the temp would be too hot for them to fix our AC and that they couldnt come til Friday between 8-10. I tried to explain that we have a walk in attic with the AC unit being just inside the door. Service manager wouldnt relent and told me if I wasnt happy I could get service somewhere else. I asked if they could come later in the evening and was told no. He did tell me that we would be the first call of the morning.At that point my husband rearranged his schedule once again to have this morning off. Well today comes and by 9:30 we have not seen them. My husband calls ARS and they say we are on schedule for between 1-6pm today. It was too hot wednesday but now it seems fine to come between 1-6? We have been almost a week with no AC and we have had nothing but the run around from ARS. We will be severing our relationship.

We had a leaky shower in the master bath so we called ARS.  We were told it was probably a valve that needed replacing.  A tech came out and quoted us around $350 to change out the valve.  He started the job and then told me that he couldn't get the valve off.  If he tried too hard it would break.  So he said the only solution was to replace the inner workings of the shower and do get to that they would have to go through our closet wall.  He told me we would have to disassemble our shelves, because they don't do that.  We would also have to get someone to repair the big hole in the drywall that they would have to make in order to get to the inside of the shower.  He went out in his truck and wrote up an estimate for the job.  He simply wrote our name and address and the total for the work.  Somewhere around $1900.00.  Didn't specify on the work order exactly what they would be doing.  When I asked him how he came to that number, he didn't really have an answer.  Fast forward to today, Cary Plumbing came out this morning and fixed the leaky shower for $125.  The tech said it was difficult getting the valve off but he did it.  The cartridge needed replacing.  We will NEVER use ARS again.  The tech was not very polite and I feel he spoke to me in a condescending tone (probably because I'm a woman).  I would have given them 0 starts but apparently you can't submit a review that way.

Louis was great! He and his partner (whom he was training) were so personable, as well as being extremely thorough and professional. We were impressed! We've been with ARS for many years, and continue to be happy with their service!

ARS has twice promised service in the morning and failed to arrive before 12 Noon. They have no regard for the work schedules of their customers--at least not this customer. Moreover, the system they installed has broken within a year (so no A/C on 95 degree days last week) and they're making it hard to get it serviced. Finally, I did not post this at the time because I gave them the benefit of the doubt and hoped it was an anomaly in service, but they destroyed plants that didn't need destroying in the installation and left garbage throughout our home.  I wish we had never purchased from them. Their service is horrible. Do not recommend.

I have use ARS in the past with excellent service. This last time started out great with Matt setting me up with a new water heater. The work on the unit was spot on and no problem occurred until the payment was due. In the past I have used their financing partner, Enerbank, so I thought I could use them as well this time. When I asked for that option the installer, Jerry, for the financing option he called the office and they said NO because it wasn't set up before hand. I told them Matt never gave me that option. All I got after that was too bad. So now I had to take out a non-secured loan at a high loan percentage. Not sure why the financing couldn't have been done after the installation.

On 08/21/2019 I had ARS install a heating and Air Conditioning unit in my home. I discovered a couple of months later that the vent from the unit to the ceiling was blocking the door to my storage room. I called ARS Once discovered and they sent a service rep out that same day. He took photos and called a supervisor and explained the vent was preventing the door to the storage room from opening. He advised the unit needed to be raised an inch to an inch and a half and that someone would call that evening or the next day to schedule a time for the repair. I never got a return call. I called on 3 more occasions. I was told my file would be hand delivered to a supervisor and she would call me back that day. I did not receive a return call and on 11/21/2019 I called again and was assured someone would call me asap. I still have not received a return call. I am very disappointed in the service I was promised and did not receive.

BEWARE OF ANY THING ARS TELLS YOU! Home Depot asked these people to give me a free consultation. I'm guessing Home Depot gets a referral fee. But before I knew I was to get a free consultation, William told me the first thing I needed to know was there would be $900+ fee for ARS to come out. Then he told me I could avoid the $900+ fee if I bought a $240 service contract. I'm 81 years old and have never bought an extended warranty or a service contract. But paying $240 to avoid a $900+ fee was something I couldn't pass up. Then I discovered the consultation was free, that there was no $900+ fee to avoid! So I asked for my money back. ARS has not refunded the money they got through their deception and ARS has ignored every email I've sent them over the last month. And none of my calls have been returned. Additionally, they lied to Capital One when I told Capital One about ARS's lie to me. So, as indicated earlier: BEWARE OF ANY THING ARS TELLS YOU!

ARS Rescue Rooter has the most unprofessional services that I have had to deal with!  Firstly, the technician advised that he would call me between Monday or Tuesday with the price of the repair, due to finding out if my unit was under warranty; However, I never received a callback!  I had to callback customer service to find out the details, once I was transfer a couple times to different departments, I was then advised, after finally being connected to the parts department, the part was already ordered, not knowing if I could pay for the cost of the repair.  However, my unit was still under warranty.  The parts technician states we can be out there the following day, I advised I needed to schedule for Friday, parts representative advised, we can do Friday with no problem and was unable to provide a time and I would be contacted with a time.  I was never contacted with that information.  I had to make another call on Thursday afternoon to find out when someone would arrive, I was advised between 9a and 11a.  I received one phone call at 9:45 am on Friday, stating the technician would be on the way and would call when en-route. Now, the time is 11:06a, still received no call!  I had to call customer service again, phone representative advised, Im sorry you're having to experience this and technician is coming....okay, ETA, rep states Ill need to contact dispatch, as if it was an imposition to him!  Phone rep stated tech is leaving Trinity NC and left at 10:05 am and should be pulling up momentarily.  As I am typing this, it is 11:27a, still no phone call or technician here.  Please be warned, ARS does not follow through with there promises, very unprofessional and does not deserve future business from anyone.  I have other obligations to attend to, that's why it is crucial for business to have a business standard of practice!  I will not ever use ARS, Durham, NC again, nor would I recommend them to anyone, RUN!!!!

Some of the repair people may know what they're doing, but they are first of all there to get you to buy something else.  Every service receipt will include notation that you've been told you need X or Y or Z.

You'll experience heavy sales pressure to add on new service on top of regular maintenance or even minor repair.  Had regular AC check and the guy said we needed new ductwork because the old ducts were sweating and insufficiently insulated -- and we needed a whole-house dehumidifier. Guess what: All but one duct was essentially NEW -- installed by ARS 3 yrs. ago!!!  He clearly was going to get a bounty for having someone come out and sell us a $3000-4000 dehumidifier, but we'd been assured when the new HVAC system was installed that the new larger AC unit would take care of the humidity.

If you get a system serviced or installed by them, you are going to get huge pressure to buy new add-ons; and even if you have the regular service arrangement such that seasonal regular check-up/service is free, you'll never get away without a sales pitch for something like a UV light in the duct work, duct cleaning, duct wrapping (which should have been done to begin with), added power, etc. etc.

WARNING!  The AC unit is finally working because we replaced it in January this year.  But every time ARS has shown up - even for a free maintenance trip, we wind up spending hundreds of dollars.  They just came to provide our 2 times a year inspection and of course left with another $600.00.  We moved here 2 years ago and are now $25,000 in the hole.  Definitely look to use a different company.  We will be!

Called about mildew in my heat pump. The technician showed up and checked my system and said my system was working well. I told him about the mildew smell and he didn't know what I was talking about. I'll never call them again.

After our annual service, the service person found some things and suggested that we set up an appointment with another of their people, which we did. The guy was genial, professional but did not arrive within the timeframe that we were given, which took up our whole day. In addition, what we expected to be a visit for an estimate turned out to be a kind of sales assault in which the representative walked around a bit and then presented us with prices and monthly payment plans and wouldn't leave until ended up negotiating the price for an installation with his guy on the phone who kept talking about overstock and other malarkey. Here's a news flash: I don't like the high-pressure sales approach. I don't like it when it comes to buying cars. I don't like it when it's brought into my home. This is an approach that especially victimizes low-information customers (which all have been at one time or another for some purchase) and women who live alone. Here's a suggestion: When someone says he or she needs time to think about their decision, pack up your stuff and get your ARS the hell out and let the person have the time needed to think about the decision. Chances are, they'll come back to you. If not, then keep it moving.

The service that the company provided was excellent. John, was informative in regards to letting me know what was going on with my furnace. He came in with confidence it getting our heat back up and running again. I was really impressed with his confidence and knowledge. The service department of ARS was great as well. Both the service department and John called ahead of time letting me know that he was on his way. Best service I've received in a long time. I will be using them again.

Josh B was at our house 4/2/15 to carry out a spring maintenance check of our HVAC units.  Josh has always been on time, pleasant and professional.  He carries out his work and spends time reviewing actions and needs.  Josh B is one of the reasons I continue a long term relationship with ARS.  They are simply the best at what they do.

Called for a possible sewer leak. Found out it was not the sewer but then sent out another truck for a video review 340.00 later problem not solved was never the sewer but a broken water main break under our driveway
Never again will use them
CROOKS

If I could give a 0 star rating then I would. Completely unprofessional company. Asked for a quote for repairs and scheduling a time for someone to come out, but we got better answers from others locally and we went with someone else. Told them to cancel the appt and we have another company. YET for over a month I have been getting calls every other day and sometimes every single day during the week. No matter how many times I call and ask to have my number removed and on a DO NOT CALL LIST, they DO NOT DO IT. Even though they say that they have sent it to corporate and the call center and god knows where else. BUT the only part of their company calling me OVER and OVER and OVER is the Raleigh/Durham store. From even more than 1 phone number now. Sometimes when I answer it is not even a real person, but it is a hold tone with their wait music.....or they leave a VM with that same hold tone. Or they LEAVE THE SAME VM OVER AND OVER WHEN I HAVE ASKED THEM TO STOP. It is beyond unprofessional and they cannot even take you off their call list. I can't imagine how terrible they are to their customers who pay for any services from them. I will forever and ALWAYS refer people AWAY from this business. Horrible

Set up a service appointment for AC. They pulled up to the house and then drove away. Used the excuse that we didn't answer the phone; we didn't get a call. They could have easily came to the door. The individual working this night just wanted to go home early. At any rate, consider this company quite unreliable.

I will have to join some of the reviewers! I called them back in July 2022 for the upper air conditioning unit that has stopped working, ARS came over, charged me over $110 for the diagnostics mc gave me a quote of over $4500 for a unit that was installed by them a few years prior. Unit piece that broke down was supposed to be registered by the installer for a 10 year warranty but failed to do so, of course I am no longer covered as the original warranty is 5 years and it broken down just a little after 5. I have called MANY TIMES for them to come and do the job! The staff at the office was rude and unhelpful! We ended up with no air conditioning in the bedrooms! They kept saying the part is on backorder, it is April and was debating to give them another go to get this fixed but reading people's other reviews I will give it a miss! Thank you people! Reviews do help!!

I recently had my seasonal service of my heating and air systems by a technician who could not have been more professional and through in his service. He was very courteous and spent a great deal of time inspecting both of my units to ensure they were working properly and made sure to point out any issues that needed to be addressed. I would highly recommend the company and especially recommend the expertise of Xavier

After a routine periodic service check which we requested since we'd been in our house 3 yrs and never had our 13 year old equipment inspected, the ARS tech reported that we needed to totally replace BOTH our upstairs and downstairs HVAC (Heating-Ventilating-Air-Conditioning) systems due to carbon monoxide leaks in both systems.
Since we had never experienced any previous negative symptoms or malfunctions, we asked to see a leak monitor to verify these findings, but tech said the devices are too expensive.  
An hour later a salesman comes in with a high pressure quote on a totally new system which he says we must have for--hang on to your seat-- $18,927!!  To top it off, there was a lot of intense high pressure to decide on the spot (to save a few hundred dollars they'd throw in if we let them know then and there, and to get the new $19,000 system installed the next day.)  
Tech also turned off our upper floor unit which he correctly said he must do by law, though he left on our lower floor unit.  He did show us how to turn the upstairs unit  back on if we chose, and we did choose, since that night temps were in the twenties. However, the upper floor system would not heat after the tech left, and we spent a chilling night in the low 60s.  So our routine service/inspection/cleaning call netted us a broken system, a $19,000 quote and finally, NO HEAT!
The next morning, the tech returned and got the heat back on, though there was attitude because we'd said we were getting a second opinion.
The outrageous upshot of this all is that when our second tech, an independent professional WITH a leak monitor came and inspected both systems, neither system had any leak, and neither system needed replacement for any reason.  And for the record, although both the ARS tech and the ARS salesman made a point of saying they weren't getting a commission, our independent told us he's seen ARS forms which techs &/or salesmen turn in for pay bonuses linked to their sales jobs.  So, no commissions, just bonuses.  Even though our heat is back up and running (no thanks to ARS), we still shiver to think how close we just came to being bilked out of almost $20,000 for HVAC equipment we did not need and were being coerced into purchasing on false pretenses.

Worst HVAC system installers that are out there.  BUYER BEWARE. I bought a new HVAC system 6 months ago and it has broken down 5 times - not heating or cooling.  I will never use them again.

I had a service call on August 8 and then service done on August 10th. (I will not get into the overpriced charge for installing a replacement motor for my air handler which took about 40 minutes. The motor cost was covered under my Carrier warranty.) I called on August 10th, 15th, 19th, and 23rd. 4 times I called and each time was told a message would be sent the accounting department. They have my email address and phone number but I did not receive any contact from the company nor did I receive my senior citizen discount. Their customer service is terrible!!! They have no respect for senior citizens if this is the way they treat them.

Technician seemed knowledgeable and professional. The only issue was the pretty ridiculous upcharge on parts. If you go with ARS, definitely supply the parts if you can. They charged me $260 for a $100 part.

Just got a call from ARS. Not sure why since I didn't call them and will never call them.  Called them in March 2020 about no heat in a less than 2year old system. Tech came out and said it was a stuck pressure switch. Not sure how this was diagnosed since he took NO equipment up with him. WOULD NOT fix until I paid for a $219.00 service plan.  Fast forward to May 9, 2020 same thing happened. No heat. Called John's Plumbing since I had used them at my dad's house. Turns out It was the combustion motor that was weak and couldn't open the pressure switch. Replaced under warrantee. Just save yourself the trouble and call someone else.

We had ARS install a new HVAC unit in our house in 2017. They immediately tried to upsell us on accessories and accidentally charged us a higher price than quoted and cashed the check before we could correct the error. They warrantied the unit for one year ... one year and one month later, the unit began to make noise and stop and restart intermittently. When called about coming out to service the unit, they said they'd be happy to, but there was a $119 service fee just to come out. When I told them I was unprepared to pay such a service fee, the fee was suddenly dropped to $79.

ARS has been shady with us since the first day we dealt with them. We recommend you not use them for your HVAC needs.

Quick to take $10k but the service is shocking.

Installers were fantastic, but I am sitting here waiting for the 3rd time to have our free tune up!

First 2 tries nearly had me fired by my boss as I couldn't go out of town!

This time around I was promised a slot between 8 and 11, got a phone call at 9.30 asking us to reschedule, I can't do it.

So it's 3.30 pm still no tech, I am fed up with calling the call center!

I run a service center! This is absolutely terrible. I would not be happy if I was the manager at ars!

I have never had worse service from ANY service provider. Unfortunately, we're forced to deal with this company as we built a new home and ARS / Rescue Rooter was contracted with by our builder. In several months of service, we have never received a single returned phone call. After a technician came out to inspect our A/C unit, he determined that a piece of equipment needed to be replaced. He told us the office would call to schedule the repair. They never called. When we called to schedule the repair ourselves, we were told that the repair wasn't approved and another service technician would have to come out to inspect the A/C unit. After ultimately determining that yes, a replacement was needed, we were told that we would receive a call to schedule. We never received a call. After calling ourselves, we were told that they would look into it and call us back. We never received a call. Do you see a theme here? Terrible service and in all our time dealing with ARS, we've never received a single apology. If you're considering ARS / Rescue Rooter, I strongly advise that you go elsewhere. Our experience has been absolutely awful.

The HVAC warranty for my home is unfortunately covered by ARS (Durham, NC). I have had to contact the company twice for warranty service and both interactions were horrible. My appointment in May 2019 resulted in the technician being several hours late without notification or communication. I had to initiate the calls to get an update on the arrival time which resulted in the tech is running late and will be there soon response every time. Soon ended up being several hours later. My second interaction occurred July 2019. I had an appointment window from 11am-2pm. I called the company at 2:25pm to get an update on my appointment and was told the technician was running a little behind and would be there shortly. I followed up with a call at 3:25pm and the warranty representative wasn't helpful. The end result was a technician arriving several hours later at 5:45pm. My unit makes a very loud rattling sound when it comes on and turns off. The issue wasn't resolved and I was told it was a result of the unit being a builder's grade unit. In addition, several expensive units were suggested.

As a Quality Assurance Manager, I am appalled at the disregard for the customer's time and the consistent poor communication. The warranty coverage is a joke and I ensured the builder was aware. If you have an option to select a different HVAC service provider, I HIGHLY recommend you do so.

Home Depot recommended them for a tune up.  I was told I would get a cleaning of outdoor condenser, check and clean the condensate drainage system, check the air filters, etc.  NONE OF THAT was done and I am out of money and still a musty smelly house.  I even asked for a receipt to which I have not gotten yet.  DO NOT GO TO THEM!

Since my house AC unit hadn't been serviced for 9 years, I decided to take advantage of their $59 special. I ended up with a quote of $7000 for unneeded work. As soon as the technician opened the air handler unit, he said I had a biofilm and needed a $2300 air scrubber. Then he said the evaporator coil was leaking and needed to be replaced at a cost of $4100. Plus the fan capacitor was going bad and the system was down 2 pounds of freon. So I called the company who had originally installed the system. I did not have a biofilm (even I could see that), the evaporator coil was not leaking, the capacitor was fine and I was only down 1 pound of freon which was replaced at a price $100 less than ARS wanted. They also had to re-clean the outside unit because ARS had done such a poor job. They told me that if the unit had really been down 2 pounds my system would not have been working. So my total bill was $325, much better than the $7000 that ARS wanted. I believe that the ARS technicians receive a commission on any work they can get the customer to purchase.

3 year old Rheem units installed by ARS. Downstairs one was giving me poor cooling. ARS told me the evaporator coil was bad and quoted 2k to replace with the part under warranty. Changed price of the freon THREE times in under an hour. I told them to leave as a result.
Turns out, ARS performed a bad install and the freon leak was occurring at the weld at the handler. Nothing to do with the coil.
Long story, short, I saved 50%, fixed their bad install, and have a new repair service--One Man Service.
Can you imagine if I had paid that 2k only to continue having the problem?

Lol, y'all.  Try calling that Customer Service specialist phone number below. It's a dead line. Immediately hangs up on you. Lora does not exist.

BEWARE!!

Previously Tillman and now ARS Rescue Rooter.  I had them come out twice back when the weather started getting cool and I noticed my emergency heat was cutting on alot (heat pump system) and the outside unit was icing up in relatively moderate temps (50's).  Doing some research online pointed to a low R-22 charge.  I had them come out TWICE.  The first time I tell the guy, I believe the unit is low on R-22 and request he check the pressures.  He tells me he can tell by the sound of unit, that it's not low.  After checking several things and charging me 100 bucks, he tells me my unit is perfectly fine.  Fast forward a month and I get my electric bill and it's over 30% more compared to the previous 2yrs, I call them to come out again.  Same guy comes out.  This time I tell him to check the system again, as something is obviously wrong and to make sure and check the pressures, I was working, so i wasn't able to watch him this time.  He tells me he checked everything and my unit's return is undersized and that's causing the problem.  He couldn't explain how it had previously been working fine since 2005, when it was installed.  So I have their contractor guy come out who wants to charge me 450 bucks to add a return...I decide to pass for now...  Fast forward to April (all this time I've been paying roughly 30% more on my electric bills) and the outside temp spikes into the 90's and my unit can't keep my house any cooler than about 80 degrees.  I call Accu-air this time (see my review),  They come out ASAP and diagnose my system as...guess what... 3lbs low on R-22...  By this time I've already spent over $800 dollars just in electric costs due to my system operating with a low charge.  My only regret is ever calling these bozos and not calling Accu-Air sooner...

In April 2014, they replaced our downstairs unit: heating, air conditioning, and ductwork.
In October 2017, they had to replace the X-13 blower motor in the unit.
In August 2020, they had to replace the X-13 blower motor in the unit.

They were always a little expensive, but that was a fair trade for reasonably prompt service.  But they are clearly installing junk.   The fan should have outlasted the other equipment.

I am a senior citizen that purchased a small 760sqft home in Graham NC in August 2022 due to health reasons. When I moved in I learned the HVAC system was not working well so I contacted ARS. They said I needed a new HVAC system and it would be Ten Thousand Dollars. I went ahead with the new ARS HVAC system, but was still Not working well cooling or heating. It was very light air circulating and my electric bill was very high. I had them out 3 times and they looked at the new thermostat, switched it out, came back and added an exterior sensor, came back a 3rd time to measure outside unit function, each time saying everything was fine. I just spent another $5k adding attic insulation & crawlspace capsulation trying to keep my home warm. Come to find out that work crew said all the old ductwork in the crawlspace was failing and falling apart. Needless to say I was very upset that none of the ARS techs, supervisors, sales staff, quality control staff, etc. checked the ductwork. I requested they come back to inspect ductwork and the tech and supervisor that inspected the ductwork agreed it was in shambles and should have been caught initially and replaced. The sales office is saying that I should have requested new ductwork. They said they will install new ductwork for $6k in order for the NEW HVAC System to function as it should! This is absurd. I have spoken to other experts in the industry and they all agree that a homeowner would never know what to inspect/request for a proper New HVAC install.

Josh did a great job! Very friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. We've been using ARS for years and I would definitely use them again.

I have used ARS in the past, but today's experience will guarantee that I will NEVER use them again.  I called the Durham NC office to have a technician visit due to Heat not working;  my initial call was helpful b/c they referred me to Honeywell to have them check the thermostat first via phone call...after it was determined that a tech visit was needed, I scheduled a visit for today.  tech came out and first told me thermostat needed replacement, and it would be $600 for a NEST.  shocked at the price, I asked about the cost for a Honeywell thermostat.... also said $600 without missing a beat.  Curious, since a simple look at Google/Lowe's/Amazon shows vastly different price points...even accounting for the requisite markup to make their money.

Tech then assessed system and said blower motor was failed due to clogged filter, and the cost is $889.  Asked for a written estimate, and he aid he'll get one done.  Went out to his truck and left ...no estimate.

After 5+ calls to the Durham office, conversations runaround from several folks, I was transferred to Ms Holly to complain about my visit/abrupt departure from tech.  instead - I was sent to Voicemail.   Called back twice, then got someone to email me an estimate... the estimate has no details, only part #s and prices.  Frustrated beyond belief at the disregard for simple, straightforward communication and baseline customer service.

Reading other reviews, and it's clear that a pattern exists with this company...or at least the Durham location/franchise/branch/whatever you call it.  Some research on Nextdoor showed additional poor reviews...wish I had paid attention to them before calling!

I TAKE my previous ARS post BACK!!!! I WAS WRONG! I missed hearing the tech state the wiring had issues as well a thermostat needed to be replaced so the cost would have been worth the charge. I am happy to say they came back out today and the unit is FIXED and COLD AIR is blowing again. Josh who went out was amazing and helpful. Call them if you need any help with HVAC (but do better than I did with listening to the  issues).

The AC upstairs in our home stopped working. ARS came and diagnosed the problem (zone system and bearings were shot), and then gave me options. I chose the middle option, and they came and replaced the furnace. As a result, things are worse! I still have a hot upstairs, but now the downstairs is freezing and I cannot even turn the system off. ARS insists they did the work they contracted for, and did not even offer to fix the problem. Management was not responsive at all. In fact, one of their representatives (the one who presented me the options) hung up on me. I will NOT use ARS in the future - they are poor communicators and not good at customer service. They did work that they knew wouldn't solve the problem and blamed it on me.

we scheduled a routine visit to have a summer pre-check on our home air conditioning. scheduling was accomplished quickly and professionally by debbie j.  jose d. called in advance to advise when he would arrive.  he was on time, polite, and professional.  he identified a small issue with two a.c. units, explained the problem in an understandable way using photos on his phone, and fixed the problem upon approval.  we are long time customers of ars and once again their personnel and service was great.

I was SO frustrated with my experience with ARS Durham; I'll NEVER use them again! I have to say that the phone personal were great at handling their end of the deal but the actual service was a joke! I was given a SIX hour window of time ( between 12 & 6) that the tech was to come out. I was told that they would call when he was 1/2 hour out. 5:30 pm; no show, no call. I call them. They have no answers but, 1/2 hour later dispatch calls me back to say the tech is running behind; he'll be out within the hour. 1 & 1/2 hours later STILL no show, no call. This time I call to be told he's 45 minutes out! 8:30 pm he finally shows up with an attitude, barely speaks two sentences. No apology, no explanation; checks the system & says there's a leak, it's out of refrigerant BUT he can't fix it because it's dark! Well DUH!! IF he had shown up in the daylight hours he was supposed to... perhaps he could have completed the task! Wanted to come back the next day to repair the leak & refill refrigerant to the tune of a $750.00 charge!!! I DON'T THINK SO!!!
Had a local Mebane service come out a few days later. Guess what?  They said they'd be at my house at 10:30 am; they we're there at 10:15! Found & fixed the leak, refilled the refrigerant and charged me $250.00 to do it! That's quite a difference in service and price! I'd NEVER recommend ARS Durham!

We used ARS for our annual heating/air unit service. We had a great customer experience working with Erik J. from ARS! Erik is extremely professional, courteous, and detail oriented. He arrived on time and was very thorough in his review. I look forward to working with ARS & Erik again.

Thank you!

I called them because my upstairs air conditioner was out.  The technician arrived on Saturday and said I needed a new motor which would run me around $1800.  My whole house is only 4.5 years old so I asked about a warranty and he said he would check when he could talk to the parts guy on Monday.  When Monday rolls around he calls and says only $1600 and no warranty.  I said no thank you and called a friend who had been out of town on Saturday and has done HVAC stuff for decades and he replaced the motor (which cost less than $600 without the 100% markup) and also was able to get it done under warranty so I only had to pay for his time.

ARS Technicians have always done a great job on our Trane HVAC.

My AC just went out, and the home warranty people could not send someone until Monday. ARS sent a tech out the same day. The tech's name was Alfredo, and he was very professional and helpful! The actual repair was going to be very expensive and would be covered under our home warranty so I told him I needed to wait until Monday to fix it. He helped make a small repair to get my ac running (hopefully through the weekend) while I wait for the warranty people. He SAVED my weekend!!! I so appreciate it, and he earned ARS a return customer. When I have to replace the HVAC in a few years, I will be calling ARS first. Thank you, Alfredo!

ARS gave a $1700 estimate to fix my Mom's heat pump - and recommended she spend $7000 to replace the unit.  We got a second look from another company - and the only thing wrong was the AC drain line was clogged.

ARS  customer service personal called me at home. that was a surprise to me.  She agreed  to refund $150 to me. I have got the check in mail today. I really appreciate that. hope ARS  price their service more reasonable in the future.

4 years after installing a ARS-recommended HVAC unit and having the unit serviced twice a year, the unit stops working. For less than 1 hr worth of labor ARS charges $1,100. Once I pull out the extended warranty contract with ARS for that same unit the same labor is now $387 but to be billed to the HVAC manufacturer. So, ARS would charge the customer $1,100 for labor on a standard repair that lasts less than 1 hour but claim $387- worth of labor to the manufacturer. The manufacturer would laugh if ARS were billing them $1,100 for that job. The consumer who trusts ARS is stuck with a $1,100/hr bill four years after installing the same ARS-recommended HVAC unit.
To top it off when I call the local ARS office to complain I'm met with attitude and a threat of consequences if I ever complain about this on social media. Great business model!

Pleasant and on-time technician for annual HVAC maintenance.  Maintenance leaves us with sticker shock.  Replacing filter and UV bulbs cost totals $773 (includes a $161 annual maintenance agreement that covers two visits) thus our costs for filter and bulb replacement is $640 for this visit--even though we had the maintenance agreement in effect.  $362 for Activetek bulb replacement (retail cost of the bulb seems to be in the $30-$50 range).  Work time total less than 1 hour.  I asked to look at the price book--this is an ARS charge book, not a cost book. No offer of returning the old bulb--when I was a car mechanic we would show or give the customer the used/worn art.  There must be a less expensive way.

Just got hung on by extremely rude person in plumbing department. Found out technician who was supposed to be going to my house was moved to a different job since I didn't answer my phone. This was after I told another person who called for an earlier appointment that my wife would be home. I have a service contract that will be canceled.

Do NOT use these guys.  They sent a guy Mike to check out our AC; he wanted to charge me $300 a pound for Freon and $5000 for a new coil. had another HVAC company come by the house the next day. They got my ac back running by adding refrigerant for $90 a pound, and ordered a new coil for $2000. ARS is a rip off - stay away

Thermostat went out in home built 7 years ago. I scheduled an appointment for ARS to come take a look, since they were the ones that installed it. Tech came on time and was super nice, told me he couldn't get the unit running and gave a list of things that were wrong. He told me that it would cost 2k just to get the system up and running and then there could be more problems. He explained to me that a builder grade unit was installed and that a 7 year system is not worth repairing. The quickly sent someone over to give a quote on an entire new system. This gentleman was also nice but quoted me a price of $6500-$7000 to replace the entire unit for my home which is 1500sq ft. I told them I would think about it, and get more quotes. When they checked on me days later he had asked me what I decided I explained to him that I was trying to wrap my head around the price. He then told me he could take off $500 (I guess business is own due to COVID). I told him I needed to get as close to $5000 as I could. Then he response was if all you are looking for is a cheap price, you can find someone to sell you cheap equipment and do cheap work. In heating and air, you get what you pay for. We have lowed our price for you, but we can't give away what we do. This definitely wasn't the type of customer service I needed and I did not want to feel pressured to buy, especially after he asked me what would help. I reached out to Comfort Monsters to have a diagnostic and quote completed. They were able to fix my unit on the spot and for less than 1k as well as supply me with a maintenance plan. My HVAC unit has been working great ever since. When it does come time to replace my HVAC unit I will not be calling ARS.

The Good: Most of the technicians who have come to my house have genuinely been sympathetic to the issues we've had. Particularly the young Hispanic men who perform thorough work.

The Bad: Warranty replacement of a faulty unit required over 15 site visits. I missed a lot of work to be home for the technicians. Moreover, they conducted repairs that were not needed: 1) Installation of two new air returns, 2) replacement of the entire line set & altering the exterior of my home, 3) the new warranty unit was actually not brand new & is faulty.  The cost of these home-modifying repairs were ~$1400. The amount of work Ive missed ~$1200.

The Ugly: I was promised a warranty extension back in 2015, and again in 2016. Not joking here: I have sent repeated emails over the last 3 years asking for the paperwork documenting this and my emails have gone unresponded, even by facility managers.  A couple of installers (non-Hispanic) would smoke cigarettes minutes before entering my home- gross and unacceptable.

video of faulty unit:
vimeo.com/283286992?utm_…

I cannot recommend this company because they have not taken the necessary actions to give me what I've paid for- a brand new AC unit that works. Instead, I've wasted more money and been lied to.

Unfortunately, we had to call ARS out to our house for some plumbing issues, always expecting the worst, I wasn't looking forward to the visit. Jose was beyond patient and kind, he answered all of my hundreds of questions, was extremely respectful, and went above and beyond the call of duty! You, as a company, should be thankful to have such a rockstar employee! I hope I don't need your services again anytime soon, but if I do I'll be requesting him personally, and be comforted in knowing the job will be well done!

I have never had any issues with ARS until today. My appointment for routine HVAC maintenance was scheduled from 9am to 11am. No one showed up so I called ARS at 11:30 am to see if they were still planning on coming out today. The customer service representative said the tech was probably running behind but that they would call 30-40 min prior to arrival. It's now 2pm and they're still not here and I wouldn't be surprised if they don't show up. It would really help to stick within the scheduled time and if that's not possible, at least have the courtesy to call and let the customer know you're running late so they can plan the rest of their day.

Update: 10 minutes after I posted the review, the tech shows up (and didn't call beforehand)...

Overpriced and dishonest would be a good start of a review for this company. I'm not sure how they are with regard to their plumbing department, but HVAC service is awful, and I do feel as though they tried to rip me off. They stated I needed to replace the ignitor module board and spark ignitor in my gas pack, which was going to cost over $1,000, plus they'd have to order the parts. They also suggested I consider replacing the entire unit. The unit is only 7 years old, and what they were telling me made me a bit suspicious. I ended up researching the parts for that particular unit myself, and found both parts to total less than $200, which immediately through up another red flag! I felt I was indeed being ripped off. I ended up calling another company for a second opinion, and I'm so glad I did. The issue was in fact a bad ignitor module board, so I'll give ARS that, however the spark ignitor was fine and did not need replaced. The new company didn't have to order any parts and had the repairs completed by the next morning for less than $300. That is quite a difference from the $1,000+ ARS quoted. A big difference!

Alfredo is extremely knowledgable about AC and Heating.  We have been working with ARS for  over 12 years.  We could not be more pleased with the way they handle issues with heating and cooling.  Jacqueline Love is organized and very easy to talk with about details and overall concepts.  She goes out of her way to make sure the customer is satisfied.
My husband and I have high standards and this company meets them each time.  Thank you to ARS.

I would give no stars if possible.  I took advantage of a low cost tune-up through Home Depot and the tech that came out said I needed $3175 worth of repairs.  One of the parts that he quoted me a price on was replaced 10 months earlier and the price he quoted me was more than double what I paid Durham Mechanical to replace the part in October. I called another tech out from another company and was told that I did not need to repair or replace any of the four parts that were quoted by ARS.  He also did a thorough cleaning of the system and cleaned the coil which was not done by ARS.  Do not be scammed by Home Depot and ARS.  Just say no to their offer of a cheap tune up.  They were very eager to set me up with an appointment the following day to discuss repairing versus replacing the system.  It is a dual fuel Trane system that is only 9 years old and should easily last me another 9.

The previous home owners had ARS maintain the HVAC system, and installed a new heat-pump and condesor September 2015. We decided to continue using ARS and have been very happy with their service to date. This past week one of their service technicians, Alfredo came and inspected the system as part of the maintenance program we signed with ARS.  Alfredo pointed out a number of issues with our system, one being mold in our duct-work in the crawl space. When I mentioned that I am a transplant patient he quickly handed me brochures for a UV  light and scrubbers in our crawl space unit.  He explained what these items do, their cost and that they can be transferred from our older unit to a new one should we decide to replace the crawl space unit. Alfredo is very professional, knowledgeable with the equipment and pleasant to talk to, highly recommended.

never showed up, called an hour after the appointment time saying they couldn't make it. Home Depot you should be ashamed at allowing these guys to have space in your store. I would say very unreliable.

Love this company...professional and honest... Mr. Herbin was an outstanding individual and salesman.

Very timely to get the appointment- an emergency weekend appt was $169 + tax.

Two issues we had- one of the issues was completely misdiagnosed by the tech and the quote for the second issue was nearly bout $350 more than any other quote. We chose not to have them perform the work but a word of warning that their prices seem very arbitrary.

Quick response but extremely pricy. About twice the fair market prices. I received quotes to replace a blower fan. The fan itself is $360 and labor is not more than 30 minutes max. They quoted me $1200. For entire heater replacement they quoted $3400 whereas fair value is $1500-$1800. This seems to be company policy - quote twice or even higher the market goof rates. Not sure if they overcharge as bad for hvac work too. I will be shopping around.  Shipping cost on items from Mexico ridiculous - homedepot ships free  - what parts place are they calling that they need to get shipped from Mexico.