Russell’s Heating Cooling Plumbing & Electric

I was charged over $450 for a simple pressure gauge on my well pump.  When I called the office to ask if this was accurate, I was told an estimate was sent, which it wasn't and also they charge a flat rate for jobs.  In addition,  I just got my spring checkup which was originally scheduled for early May, one week ago.  I will not use this company again and I encourage others to stay away.

Russell Heating came out to service my Oil heater, but the next morning i woke up to 63 degrees in the house. Not happy, so I called and spoke to someone who was going to pass the information along. But after 3 hours I called back again, and they couldn't tell me when or how long for the technician to arrive. I've used Russell heating for the last 4 years to service both the heating and air conditioning systems, but after this, I'll be looking elsewhere for new service company. I really didn't feel like a valued customer until I spoke with the dispatcher who made me feel valued.

I've had to put in, now the 13th service call to them since they installed my brand new unit January 2018. 2 weeks ago I paid 451 for labor to install a part that took a total of 45 minutes to put in, and figures the same problem is happening again....

ZERO stars. Call another company. Don't waste your time and money with this one. We've wasted thousands of dollars and missed multiple days of work over the last two months so Russell's could fix a problem with our HVAC. Yet the problem has never been fixed, in fact, it's only gotten worse.  (Not to mention their last minute cancellation of appointments, failure to follow up when they say they will, failure to deliver portable units during the hottest days of the year, failure to provide receipts for service, etc.). Don't let their pleasant answering service or their Best of the Beach awards fool you ... this is a terrible company.

Our service technician was Elliot.  He was very professional and courteous.  Cleaned up completely after the install.  We had a new furnace and AC unit installed.  He explained the differences between our old units and the new ones.  He also explained how to work the new thermostat and provided manuals for the new units.  Highly recommend Elliot.

I called Russell's Heating & Cooling in the winter of 2015 because of problems with my HVAC. They said I needed a new unit. They sold me a unit, no duct work replaced or included for $7600.00. First of all the tech set the thermostat for gas and the unit is totally electric, so they had to come correct that. Then a part went bad which caused the compressor to not kick in,  so I consequently used auxiliary heat for 2 days until they came out. Mind you this is still the winter of 2015 and a new unit. This past winter 2016, same problem, same part. The unit ran on auxiliary heat barely heating my house for about 4 days waiting for the part, using space heaters and oven to heat my house. My Dominion Virginia Power bill was outrageous. No call from the owner to apologize nor any compensation toward the power bill, mind you I'm still making payments on a $7600,00 unit. Ok, this winter the winter of 2017, guess what? I'm sitting here at my brother's house with 6 inches of snow on the ground and 20 degrees outside because the same thing has happened to the unit again. I called on Wednesday, today is Friday and I'm  supposedly on the emergency list. Have the owner called? No. The lady answering the phone is nice but I need some answers from a tech, better yet the manager or owner. There is a such thing as the Lemon law I think I need legal advice if my unit is not replaced. Recommend? I'd say shop around.
Signed, Very frustrated and dissapointed.

We were driving down 64 west on 14th of May 2019 at 3:05 pm when a Russell's truck driver license plate TM6515 cut across 2 lanes of traffic without even looking and almost hit us. We had to swerve and break to avoid a collision we honked at him to get his attention so he wouldn't hit us and he starts pointing and yelling at us. I'm pretty sure if he wants to change lanes he's the one who has to check if it's safe first. This driver is a terrible representation of your company.

They need a quality control group.  The people are friendly but all too often they come out and you have to call them to come back because of a lack of attention to detail.

Had Russells installed new $8000 heat pump system today, Thursday . They have been gone over 3 hours and it is still blowing hot air. After they left I noticed our other unit was no longer running. I went out to look at it and found that the control wires had been cut! Not only did they not install the new unit properly, the install team disabled our other unit.
Tried calling Brad, the original guy that gave us the estimate but no answer. Both my wife and I have tried calling and leaving voice mail messages but no response.
I called the service desk and was told the soonest someone could come out was next Sunday. They want us to wait 3 days to correct a brand new install!

I called them to come out and give me an estimate to install a mini Dash split unit in my finished room over the garage. I know from doing the research that the unit cost about $1500. They wanted to charge me $5000-$5500, depending on the quality of the unit. I know it only takes a day or a day and a half to install that unit, so I can't imagine what they're getting paid per hour.

Avoid this firm. Contracted with them to install a full house back up generator system. Took 4 months. The firm mis wired the house which caused stove to not work. Refused to go out to check stove until I threatened legal action. They admitted their electrician caused stove damage. The firm then cut gas switch on furnace off. Once it got cold the house had no heat. Was told delay in getting generator installed due to a big nursing home contract they had. Then there was a part on order for 4 months. Told them maybe they should try amazon. All in all this firm is not anybody I'd chose to do any residential work.

This is a fantastic quality company. We had the honor of having Brandon Davis's technical abilities on our household project. Excellent service and quality work ethic. Very straightforward individual who taught me a lot about our system. I highly recommend this company for any HVAC work.

Thank you Mr. Davis!

I give them a one star because they're very friendly.  But...where do I begin to tell about All the problems I've hade since I hired them. I let then install a brand new furnace and Ac unit. Almost a year later, I've encountered several systems failures.  Their team has been back and forth to my house eleven times. I'v regretted hiring them from the start!

We paid over $9000 for a new heat pump. After about 2-3 weeks there was a system notification on the thermostat indicating the filter needed replaced . We thought this couldn't be true since we had just installed it. The technician came out and said well you don't have to go by that that he would set it for a reminder at every six months.  He added that the thermostat may not be properly communicating with the rest of the system. Isn't this a bit unusual since we just bought the whole set up brand new? Then a few weeks later we started getting hit almost daily with system error messages saying heat pump unit failure. The outdoor unit was not functioning and actually kicked the circuit breaker off. I turned it back on and it has stayed on so far. I called the office and talked to Tasha and asked if a technician could call me, she was very nice and told me she would have someone's call me soon. No one ever called. Then it kept doing it, and now there's maybe 8-10 system failure incidents logged. So then my wife called and talked to Tasha and again the same thing. Real nice on the phone but no one called or came out. She actually called twice with absolutely no results. So I gave it one more chance and went to their website and a chat box popped up , it was Tasha again . I explained the whole thing to her ....AGAIN, and this time she assured me someone would be in touch but AGAIN no response . So I paid $9000 plus for this system which almost daily shows something is not running correctly. For that much money we should not be seeing ANYTHING going wrong especially after just a few months. So I called once-no response, my wife calls twice- no response , I go to website and chat with Tasha , and for the 4th time no response. I don't think that this kind of service represents the mission statement of Russell's Heating and Air nor the wishes of the owner. We are still waiting but the next call will be one to an attorney. You can't install an expensive HVAC, charge the money for it and walk away from any follow ups. Not good for customer or Business.

Picture this:  I'm in the middle of a military move, and my hot water heater malfunctioned leaking water in my downstairs bathroom. Russell's Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric was at my house within hours. They had issues finding my main water valve in my condo development, issues draining my tanking but they didn't fret. They spent 3 hours on my job starting at 4:30 pm. I appreciate Alex and Grant for the elbow grease and true service with a smile attitude!  Thanks for all you do!

Disclosure: I have used Russell's for over 12 years and spent more than $40K in HVAC units in two different homes. Previously, I have been satisfied.

Over the last year it seems that the company has completely fallen apart. They recently installed a new air handler in my upstairs. They never paid for the city permit, the inspector showed up at my house and told me the work was faulty. Russell's apologized and had a technician come out to fix it. They had to do this four times because no technician did it correctly! the inspector showed up every time and immediately failed them. He even wrote out exactly what needed to be done....but no Tech bothered to read his notes. I then had a manager come out unannounced to inspect everything. he said it looked great....only to have the inspector fail it again.

They offered to refund my maintenance agreement ($351), which I am cancelling anyways. I had to call them 5 times to get them to refund it. This place was once a great company.....it is now a total dumpster fire.

I have a service contract with Russell's.  They replaced my hot water heater.  It's in the FROG.  The technician left spots of rust colored dirt on my brand new carpet. He ignored me when I first pointed it out. When I mentioned it a second time, he said he had something that should take out the dirt. Sprayed the spot with Simple Green. At the time it was hard to tell if it worked.  The technician repeatedly said not to worry, Russell's would get a carpet cleaner out to clean the carpet, if necessary.  It appeared from his attitude that I should be fine with that.  He was totally unconcerned that he made a mess and he wasn't going to say anything about it until I pointed it out. I contacted Russell's that day of service and the next 2 days.  All 3 times I was assured a carpet cleaning company would contact me to set up a time to clean the carpet. I have yet to receive that call. The thing is, this whole thing didn't need to happen. I had an area of the carpet covered with doggie pee pads. The technician didn't bother to place items where the area was protected or to adjust the doggie pee pads to prevent a problem. I don't feel Ike the technician had any respect for my property. Very disappointed.

We have been with Russell's for 4 years.  We purchased and installed a generator through them and an oil to gas conversion for our boiler.  The boiler has gone out every winter, this is not their fault, it's faulty manufacturing.  The one star comes from the horrendous service we received this year.

1. Our heat went out on New Year's Day.  We called for a technician at 8:55pm, it was a standby call.  We were told we'd get a call from the technician within 30 minutes, we did not.  We called back, and another message was sent to standby technician.  Another 30 minutes passed.  We called back, only this time it happened right after 10pm and we were told there are no standby calls after 10pm.  The standby technician blew us off.

2. We decided we need to replace our boiler, since the conversion is not reliable.  A salesman comes to our house to assess the entire situation.  Offers three new systems that will work for our home.  We pick one and schedule it.  The installers come and tell us there is not enough space for the unit and they cannot install it.  We have not had heat for weeks, obviously this was devastating news, and incredibly frustrating as we trusted the salesman knew what he was talking about.  We were about to spend another $10,000 with Russell's and they don't even care to make sure the unit will work for our home!

3. My husband tries to talk to the service manager and it takes forever to get him to call him back.  AND THEN WE FIND OUT, even if the unit was able to be installed we wouldn't have heat for another week because the gas lines would need to be inspected.  AGAIN, something the salesman should have mentioned.

4. My husband calls to cancel our service plan that we have been paying monthly on for years.  They tell him he cannot cancel over the phone, it has to be through email.  Their website doesn't even list the email address.  I call and get their email address and I email them, telling them exactly all the issues as to why are cancelling and all the representative has to say in regards to all this.  GOT IT-BRANDY.

All I can say is WOW, we certainly are not a valued customer.  Still without heat in the middle of January!

I don't recommend them at all. There service tech that claimed he's been one for 10 years felt for $1,300, he could get a 1984 unit working cold again. Explaining the only problem were the leaks outside. The upstairs clogged up after he left 3 days later and within 3 weeks the u it completely died in 90+ degree weather. Not to mention we have respiratory problems here that are serious with the heat. Basically after the unit died they were done. No warranty and ended up refunding 349.00 out of courtesy. Thats it! Wasting time and money for a better unit. I felt he worked on it for the commission and not for the customer. After this experience, I can tell you this company is not honest.

Stay away from this company. They are dishonest and want only to sell new units, not repair ones that still have years of life. My top floor air conditioning system, a high-end Trane stopped cooling in 2015. I expected it to work for years yet, so I chose to repair it rather than replace for $7000-8000. Russells told me the only solution was replacement, but agreed repair. After charging me $3000 in parts and labor, they declared the system dead. No option but to replace. Instead I had window units installed for $1000.
Fast forward to 2019. For the first time, the downstairs Trane system stopped cooling. This unit is identical in age and model to the one Russells declared dead four years before. A tech from 7 Cities Air fixed a minor electrical problem with the first floor unit. Then he said he had inspected the other system on the roof-- the Trane that Russells had declared dead. It was getting power and running, just not blowing cold air, and he knew he could fix it. He found a leak in a compressor line, repaired it, and added refrigerant. After sitting idle for four years, the Trane unit been cooling steadily for a month. Russells said it was a goner just so i would buy a new one.
Dishonesty seems a common in HVAC business. Ihad two other companies look at that tp floor Trane system that's now purring away. Simmons and Stokeley Electric both declared it past help. Stokeley said the unit had been taken apart and the parts were all rusted (not so) and Simmons wanted me to replace both of my Trane units--the one that was working, too-- so I would only have o rent a crane once. What's $15,000 when it isn't your money. Shame on the lot of them.

This company is shady!! I cannot stress this enough, get a second quote for comparison!!  Their synopsis of the situation was correct.  Their price to repair was outrageous.  They have a lot of confusion as to the difference is between an 'estimate' and a fixed price quote.  They do fixed price and will not break out what is parts and what is labor. The sales guy (because that is what he was) insisted he was 'just trying to help me' and that was the BEST price I'd get.  He was wrong on both counts.  I got the same work done for $600 cheaper and no one at that company was helpful.  AVOID.

We are very pleased with this company. I must say, the reason why we chose Russells was because I've seen their advertisements and they are a family owned local company.  They came and looked at both our A/C units and discovered the reason why we were not getting cool air was because they both were very low on refrigerant. We paid for about 3 lbs worth and at a very reasonable price! We will definitely be calling Russells next time we need it serviced!
We like to keep it local.

Called in yesterday because I was having issues with my thermostat. The woman who answered the phone was very helpful. The took down my information down and told me their technician Rob would be giving me a call. Here we are, 24 hours later and still no word from Rob. I can only assume that they figured my problem wasn't profitable enough to warrant so much as a call back.

Our tech from Russell's Heating and Cooling was Roberto Autrey.  He called and arrived an hour prior to the estimated arrival time given earlier the same morning by his dispatcher. On site, he propmtly identified and isolated our problem. He fixed our A/C units on the day we were bracing for Hurricane Florence.  NOTE!  Russell's was the only company that had techs that were available to get the work done same day. Super!   Roberto was courteous and efficient.  He got my air handler up and running in under an hour.  He checked our lines for condensation inside and out. Then he checked both of our outdoor units.  We are cooler and much happier as we pray for the storm to pass us by. Thanks Russel's

If I could give this company 0 I would. They have serviced my system for its entire lifetime by a different owner. When I bought my home they are who came to repair it because the owner had them do the quote and diagnose what was wrong with the first floor. After having a 4hr window(2-6) the first time, they called at 5:45 and said they had the wrong part. So they rescheduled for the next day at 9am. The next day they showed up at 10:30 put the part in to repair the first floor system..and broke the second floor damper. Ever since my second floor does not turn on. It's currently 59 degrees in my home. They came out to repair it and said oh the damper was shut and left. And the damper has yet to ever open/turn on. I called today to have them come relook at the system but magically they deleted all the history for the system and have no record of being in contact with me. I am beyond upset!

Jeremy and his assistants install a complete heating and air system at my house today they arrived on time we're very professional cleaned up any mess they made and ensure the unit was operating properly before they left. Excellent service very professional answered any questions I had would recommend them highly to anybody looking for a new system

If I could give Russell's a ZERO rating, I would. This company should be put out of business. They are unashamedly dishonest and incompetent, but mainly dishonest. They prey on helpless customers who are at their mercy to accurately inspect and diagnose their HVAC issues, and provide them with reasonable and trustworthy repair quotes. Russell's does none of these things. Their main objective is to convince customers that they need to replace their entire HVAC system at a ridiculously overinflated price.

A dear single female friend of ours told us the her outdoor unit was making strange sounds and the fan wasn't working. We recommended she be safe and call a professional to assess the problem. Unfortunately, she called Russell's. The tech told her multiple components had failed, including two capacitors and the defroster, and that there were undetectable leaks in the coolant system, the coolant was low, and there was unrepairable corrosion in the air handling unit. They told her the entire system would need to be replaced at an astronomical price of $11,500!!!

My son, who is an HVAC tech, encouraged her to call another more reputable company, as did her daughter, son-in-law, and other friends. She called Galactic Air who sent out a tech the next day.

The Galactic Air tech correctly diagnosed the root cause as a simple wiring issue. He quickly and easily fixed the wiring issue for a mere $89! THANK YOU GALACTIC AIR!

Stay clear of Russell's and instead, call a reputable and trustworthy company like GALACTIC AIR!

Read this first.

This is the first bad review I've ever written, but after 9 months of the worst customer service imaginable, it's time to share in hopes that others won't go through the same experience and headache that I did (and still am!).

In 2014, Russell's replaced our builders grade air conditioner with a new Lennox unit.
In 2015, they replaced our other full HVAC system with a new costly Lennox system (we have dual hvac). Also installed new upgraded thermostat.
In 2019, Russell's installed a new tankless water heater just as they were venturing into plumbing.

Even though we knew we could find better pricing, we kept using Russell's because of the work ethic and how great their technicians were, particularly Mike Hale. We did the maintenance plans, checkups, etc. Overall spending more than $20k with this company. Their technicians are the only reason they deserve 1 star.

We're a military family and received PCS orders in 2019. Knowing we'd be back in 3 years, we decided to try renting out our house. With the newer features, we didn't think there would be any problems. Boy, were we wrong.

Last summer, both the newer thermostat and the evaporator coil in our newer hvac unit went out. Needless to say, our tenants were not happy. You would think something as important as an evaporator coil would be kept in stock, but no. Not only was it not in stock, but we were told (blaming supply because of COVID) that it would take up to 6 weeks to get one, but they would push for it and it could be sooner. Not only did we not have it within that time frame (ended up being 2 months!), but I only received updates by reaching out to them frequently. There was also no offer of temporary solutions while we waited. I ended up needing to call in a second HVAC company to provide temporary A/C and fill freon. Needless to say, the tenants were not happy. Not only was I dealing with an unacceptable part timeline and unresponsive customer service, I was also dealing with tenants who were now threatening legal action. I was forced to spend hundreds of extra money on this issue all because they didn't keep parts in stock? Unacceptable.

Thankfully, the evap coil part was under warranty (makes you wonder if that was also a cause of the delay...), but they now wanted over $500 for a new thermostat.

After 2 months and finally getting the coil installed, I received an invoice for labor for almost $1000 for a warranty part installation. Seriously?! Guess they make their warranty money through ridiculous labor charges.

I have reached out to Russell's well over a dozen times via text, email, and phone since receiving that first invoice in September to discuss inovice adjustments due to the excessive wait time, unresponsive customer service, incredible ordeal this entire situation caused, and frankly because we have been loyal customers who have already spent a small fortune with them. Surely something could be done? Each call I would be told that Billing or a Supervisor would contact me no later than tomorrow. As of yet, still no one has been bothered to return my call. Perhaps now they will after I've been forced to write this unfortunate review of their service. You bet they have no problem sending me automated invoices monthly and tacking on finance charges though.

Just 2 months ago, we also had a gas leak from the watertank installation and line that Russell's did less than 3 years ago. You better believe I did NOT call Russell's for that.

The company we chose to rent out our house, Renters Warehouse, refuses to use Russell's as a vendor because they have had their own horrible experiences with them. That should tell you something.

Save yourself the headache and extra expense, don't choose Russell's.

Russell's started as a reliable service provider.. I have been a loyal costumer and used them for years... Then this past year, they went straight down hill. Service was horrible, customer service was even worse. I requested countless times for upper management to give a call to step in to do what they were suppose to originally do and not a single call returned. Promised money returns and never saw those as well. Completely a shame from what they started as. I would recommend them to NO ONE!!!! They'll take your money and not follow through on their services or stand by there technicians work. Sadly I'm not only one with these issues this past year to year and half, as the reviews keep piling up of poor service and treatment of loyal basis. Definitely one way to ruin a business. Again DO NOT USE THEM or if you do, do at your own risk.

Cory the comfort specialist was great
Explaining all the options and prices and checking on me after the install
No high pressure sales I liked that
The install technicians, Tadd & Yeti were fantastic They were professional Knowledgeable and friendly I would definitely work with the Russell Team professionals again

Technicians were timely and upfront about cost and the requirements to fix our upstairs air conditioning unit that wasn't cooling. They were professional and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend; we will continue to do business with them in the future.

Updating because it has been several months since we had our HVAC system replaced by Russell's and we are still VERY pleased... we had our system updated and replaced last March, and now we are full-blown into Summer and are surprised and happy to find out that our electric bill has reduced by $100 per month from last June/July, which means that this system will easily pay for itself in the next couple of years. Our house is an incredibly comfortable 74 degrees during the day and 71 degrees overnight (we are hot sleepers) and we are saving money every month. Now THAT feels good!

I can't speak of personal experience with their service as I will NEVER use these people after experiencing almost being run of the road and flipped off by a driver with license plate WTK 8093. He apparently had no regard for road safety.

I wish I had read the reviews of this company before I contracted with them for a new install.  They have been to our house 9 times since our unit was put in.  First, we had a terrible vibration that was so loud in the house it would wake you up at night.  After four visits, my husband diagnosed the problem and the 5th visit from Russells finally fixed this issue.  Then the day before Thanksgiving we started receiving faults on the system and the heat went out that night.  We had no heat Thanksgiving day (our first in our new home).  Russells did send someone out that we found out later did not do the right thing.  He said the pressure was too high and released some of the Freon from the system.  Later that day we did not have heat so we sat at the table and had our Thanksgiving dinner in coats.   Russells came back that afternoon and said that the blower was not working and it would have to be ordered.  For some reason this could not be overnighted.  We went almost a whole week with no heat.  The part arrives and we are called at home...they know we both work so it was not installed until the next day.  Well guess what..my husband noticed that there was a thick layer of ice around the bottom of the outside unit....again we called Russells.  Finally we seem to get someone that knows what he is doing.  He told us that too much Freon was taken out causing the ice to develop.  He also told us that there was a problem on the thermostat that he needed to change or that would have required another call.  He told my husband that he has told the other technicians not to do that????  This tech was there two hours.  It has become a running joke on my street when my neighbors see that Russells is back in our driveway.  We have had nothing but problems and spent over $10k on this unit.  Inexperienced techs and faulty equipment.  We placed a call to our salesman at one point and no return call.  I called the company the other day because after all the trouble we have had, I would have thought that the President of the company would have called to apologize but nope...he didn't care enough to call me back.  I will never do business with this company again and I will not recommend them.  They are not fit to heat and cool a dog house.  I wish I could give them zero stars.

Well!, here we go again!  Yet another issue with the same AC system!  Now they say we need an $1800 thermostat plus installation to make our system work properly!
If you ever do anything to try and protect yourself from being robbed!, stay away from this company!
After spending 20k for this system- every single year something goes wrong!  
How can anyone who works for the company sleep at night?  
I understand Buddy doesn't own it anymore...gosh!, I wonder why?

I turned on the a/c on my 16 year old heat pump the first hot day this year (2016). It was not cooling at all. I signed up for a cooling system checkup and possible replacement at costco. Eric came out to check my system. He was knowledgeable and immediately determined the condenser on my outdoor unit was shot. He was also nice enough to run some nitrogen through the indoor drain line so we could locate where it came out of the concrete slab in the back yard. (I was concerned the drain had been cemented over when we built a sun room). We determined I needed a new unit since the coolant used in my old unit was outdated.

Scheduling the install was very easy and the office staff called me several times to verify and remind me of the time and date.

Elliot Scott, the installation mechanic knocked on my door exactly at 8:00 AM as scheduled. He was friendly and professional and did a great job installing my new unit. He found a leak in the coolant tubing where it entered the ceiling and repaired it. He made sure the air returns were sealed properly with metal screws, silver tape and mastic (which climatemakers failed to do 16 years ago, causing a hot upstairs in summer and cold upstairs in winter). To my surprise, he even installed a sensor that shuts off the system if the outdoor drain gets plugged, thereby avoiding water overflowing onto the floor (which happened with the climatemakers  installation, ruining my carpet). Shaun was Elliotts helper. He was also friendly and professional. Both remembered and used my name throughout the installation process. The cleaned up after their work and left the place clean.

I feel confident and secure with the installation and quality of their work. Good job from a good company! I highly recommend Russell's Heating and Cooling.

Sales tech came look at my heat pump after they made a $3000 repair a couple months before and was still not working correctly.  Tech told me I would need a whole new system,  which would cost around $13000 all in.  I set up to have the work done, but also called a smaller, local company to take a look.  The new company found that the fan motor was in the low setting instead of the correct position.  Now the system works fine and saved me from using this company again.  I feel the tech was being dishonest to try and sell me a new heat pump.  It makes me wonder how many people they have done this to.

Waited over a month for this appointment and they don't even call me to tell me they're rescheduling. People take time off of work for these things and they can't communicate very well. I ask for simple compensation in the form of a discount for their screw up in not notifying me in a timely manner and the girl this morning tells me they are unable to do this. Horrible!!!

Do not recommend this company at all.  I had a brand new RUUD system installed by them in Oct. of 2018 and I started having problems in the winter of 2020.  My heat pump was making a loud buzzing sound while running and the heat was not working properly.  I called and they sent out a technician to troubleshoot my issue.  He informed me that my ductwork was not adequate and it needed to be replaced to the tune of 6,000 and change.  This did not sound right to me because it was a 2 ton to 2 ton replacement.  The old unit did not have any issues with my ductwork so why should this one.  After asking to speak with someone in charge several times, I never got a call back.  I wound up calling another company and their diagnosis was the system was not pressurized correctly, when installed.  This caused the seals in my compressor to fail and the sound I was hearing was metal on metal.  They also determined that there was nothing wrong with my ductwork and in their opinion, still looked brand new.  I am now going with this new company and having them replace my compressor.  I am highly upset and hope no one has to deal with this type of ignorance.  It is exhausting and I wish Russell's would have done the right thing to make it right.

This company does not really care if they get it right when they install your unit.
I have had problems from the start. I am waiting on a tech right now. Do not use them. If I could I would give them no stars
I will call Monday to complain. Doubt I will get any satisfaction.

we bought a new gas package unit less than three years ago during the pandemic.   Chris( who no longer works with the company) was great.  ordered a 3 ton unit and they showed up with a 3.5 ton unit because they couldn't get a 3 ton.   I was assured that there was no problem installing a larger unit.  they had a tech come out to do a routine cleaning and check and he found mold growing inside the unit.  I had complained about the unit not being level and draining through the unit and not the drain line last year.   now they want 900$ to clean the mold and $600 to install a up light to prevent it from happening again.   seems to me that the unit should be leveled and draining properly and they should take care or the issue.   the last unit was 17 years old and never had any mold in it.

Can you give zero stars? Russell's came out and supposedly repaired our unit which has been serviced by them for 9 years. After two additional visits within the next 10 days, and billing us over $2000, they determined that we needed a new HVAC and offered to install one; for almost twice what we wound up paying to another company. We have tried for a week to speak to someone and no one will return our calls.

Finally I found an HVAV company that addressed what was truly wrong and needed to be made right. We knew the system was due for a complete renovation. We got the right system for this house. Tear out and install went so smooth. We had loaner indoor AC units for the 4 days. It was 2men who worked together so well. We could not be happier!

This has been one of the worst experiences I have ever had with a reputable company. I could write a small book about how incompetent this company is, how many hours of work I wasted to be home for multiple installation attempts and how much I had to intervene to get this job done. I'll save all of you the drama I experienced.
I purchased a new gas heating system through COSTCO, Russells was the contractor who got the job. I figured a reputable company would do a great job. They did a great job of selling me a system, a lousy job of actually installing a functioning (and safe) system. It took 6 visits, never the same installer to get this job done. It took two inspections by the city to pass, the first attempt was frightening, gas came spewing out when the inspector opened the gas line.
For all of my trouble I was offered a CO2 detector worth about $20. No apology, no response to feedback I gave them, no followup from the saleman or installation manager.
As soon as I can figure out how to complain to COSTCO about this job I will be filing a complaint.
My neighbor used a different company (Domestic Fuels), same installation (switching from oil to gas). Hers was done in 1 day.

i had russels come out to check my a.c. unit it was going in and out like it was low on freon or the compacitor was bad, i was told i was low on freon and i had a old unit but he could put the new freon in to bolster it up, also was told the valve on the outside unit was leaking. they were 2 hours late for the appt. and it was getting late so when he informed me the freon was 235$ a # and i needed 2-3 and that the freon may all leak out again. i approved due to not being able to double check him. within 2 days my unit was doing the same thing so i made a few calls, the small company run by the guy down the street came over and in 15 minutes said i had no leak and that my compacitor was bad 50$ and been running like a champ. seems like russel's was trying to get me into a new unit with the new freon and didnt want to go the easy way, also i feel this was done because they waved the service charge after i coplained i had sat there waiting and no call, they said they called the wrong number. just wish i had gone with mt my gut feeling and waited. i will sweat it out for a few days before i ever call russels again.

Purchased an annual service contract with Russel's H&C shortly after I bought my home.  When my smart thermostat told me my Aux heat was running too long I contacted them to diagnose the problem.  The tech promptly arrived at my home, but was quickly befuddled by my smart thermostat.  He spent the entire time trying to figure out if I had it wired and set up correctly and neglected to do any checks on the rest of the system.  The tech left without diagnosing the problem and told me he would do some research on the smart thermostat and contact me for another service call.  After he left I did some basic troubleshooting and identified that the heat strip had failed.  I contacted the tech to see if he could get the part I needed and he never responded.  He never followed up at all.  I replaced the faulty part myself with no help from Russel's H&C.  I will not be renewing my contract with them.

If you are shopping for a new AC Unit, Please DO NOT USE RUSSELL's. Two years ago Russell's Heating and Cooling sold me a $9,000 brand new AC unit. They told me this was the Best of the Good Better Best options. The unit ended up being quite large, so large in fact they needed an extra piece of concrete padding to stand on in my back yard. This unit proceeded to break 6 times over the next 2 years for one reason or another, usually when it was 90+ degrees outside usually taking multiple days to have a tech come out to fix the issues. However, the biggest problem came a few weeks ago. Russell's didn't check to  make sure the existing duct work I had would support a new unit this large due to size and a lack of insulation in the duct. Because of this, my duct work began to sweat, heavily, causing severe water damage to my downstairs ceiling and nearly $1,000 in damages. Russell's now refuses to take responsibility for this damage because they couldn't tell me if it would work with my duct or not. So my understanding is that I paid nearly $10,000 to an HVAC company who has expertise in this area...and they didn't know the duct wouldn't work with this unit? So who was supposed to know? Me? Someone who is not a residential HVAC expert? Or the company I paid a small fortune to to fix my AC? I will never use this company again and I implore anyone considering using them to look elsewhere as they apparently are not HVAC experts at all! And will just install the most expensive system they can sell you without regard to how it will work!

In spring of 2018, I called Russel's to have our hvac system checked because its getting old (13+ years, its a Trane). Its not showing any signs of issues but because we have big family coming over from overseas, decided it might be best to replace.
Tech came to test and of course the readings he got were marginal and suggested a total replacement. York was the product suggested, and reluctantly agreed even though we/I have no information on York's reliability and performance.
Short of 2 years, July 2020 came home to a hot house. HVAC is dead. Immediately called Russel's for service but no tech is available immediately.  Took 3 days before a tech came and diagnose the problem to be a burned out compressor. Found out because its a Saturday that they do not stock replacement parts and have to wait Monday to get compressor form dealer. What a nightmare ???
3 days after the compressor got replaced, system shutdown again. Its the fan  motor in the condenser unit. Same scenario, parts are not readily available.

The year pass but without any major issue but in summer of 2022, compressor burned out again. This time they rplaced compressor and fan motor at same time. Russel's was charging us $4,00 plus cost of R410 refrigerant. We argued with them because parts were warranty and should have lasted at the very least 4-5years but because they most likely did a bad install in the beginning our hvac is NOT performing as it should be. We called York and gave details of the issue, York in turn got in touch with area dealer (in Richmond). My wife persistent paid off when the dealer person she talked to called Russel's because dealer told her they would make sure problem would be taken care of and we won't have to pay the $4k repair we were presented with. I asked for outdoor unit to be replaced, hoping that there's Lemon law pertaining to major home apliances like HVAC but Russel's called and said they will fix at no charge, they did.
Its now July 2023, a few days ago, hvac is DEAD again.  It is the same HPS Lockout error I got the 2nd time compressor died, but now tech says its only the fan motor that's causing shutdown (HPS Lockout shuts the compressor to prevent damage due to overheat).
Estimate is $459 labor only, I discovered that is Russel's hourly rate.
Keeping fingers crossed that its is the only part thats bad ???

My advice for people reading my post, be wary of dealing with Russel's. Do your homework and see what other companies integrity is.
In short, NOT recommended. And do NOT buy YORK air conditioners.

I prepaid for the yearly maintenance plan only to find out that no maintenance is performed. I paid for 2 trips and on the second trip I realized the pictures of the outside unit looked identical to last service call. Then the guy glances at my upstairs unit and says it's needs to be replaced right away. No measurements and no Freon check. He just instantly knew I needed to spend 16 grand. I am still looking for an honest company so if you found one please let me know. This company is a hard pass.

came earlier than anticipated. Refrigerant was down and now leak has to be investigated. Scheduled for Tuesday.

Jacob K was professional, timely and quickly identified the issue with our unit that another local company failed to pinpoint.  I felt like my appointment was the most important one of the day due to how Jacob treated me.   I work in a supervisory position in the service department for a billion dollar worldwide company and I can tell you that exemplary employees like Jacob are few and far between.  He knows how to not only provide a service, but an experience - something that I coach my subordinates to do with every customer contact every day, but sadly also many companies today lack.  Jacob is a gem for your company and I highly advise that you should do everything needed to hold on tight to him!  Thanks for the great experience, Jacob!

Very professional and knowledgeable on their products. Today I had them come out for a full maintenance to make sure everything was working fine before winter started. My technician, Chance, was on-time and very helpful. He was patient with all my questions and explained everything in depth and what were my best options for the problem he found. He also waited around while I researched the product he suggested to ensure I wasn't getting ripped off by his company. This is the first time I have ever used this company but after customer service like today, it is now my go-to should I have any issues in the future. Thank You

I am giving one star based on the fact that the technicians that come out are friendly, everything else about this company is awful. I had a complete heat pump system installed in the spring of 2015. New outside unit, new compressor, new thermostat, everything was replaced. I have lost count on how many times my A/C has gone out or I have come home to a cold house because the heat is not working. One time the drain pan filled up and water was literally pouring out of the air intake area and the attic access, which soaked my carpet and ruined the drywall and paint in the upstairs hallway. It took them a week to come out and replace the pan, during which time mildew started to creep out from around the thermostat due to the water leaking down the inside of the wall. But the last straw happened today. They were supposed to come out and do the winter check-up on the unit. This was a rescheduled appointment from a previously cancelled appointment that they cancelled because they didn't have a technician available. My window was from 10-2. I received a call from the scheduler at 10ish. I didn't answer the call because I work in an operating room and I can't talk on the phone when I'm working. I called them back at 1130 to check the status of the call, and they said since I didn't answer the technician would be out closer to 2pm. I said ok and that my adult son was there waiting for them and they didn't need to call because he would be there and I wouldn't be able to answer my phone. The office person told me she would let the technician know to just go ahead to my house. I received 2 missed calls at 1:53 and 1:58 from the office but no message was left. I returned the call at 2:26 and asked about the status of my appointment. The girl told me I would have to reschedule because I didn't answer when they called!!! OMG are you kidding me? I explained the whole situation to her at least twice and her only response was to offer to reschedule. I will never, ever recommend these people to anyone. EVER.

Contacted Russels on Friday afternoon because I have used them for service and paid for their maintenance program.
My combo-boiler/water heater was not working and they promise same day service. I was told no service was available until Saturday evening. Temps were beginning to drop to very low. I trickled water in bathrooms and kitchen to avert pipes freezing.
Russels called and had a tech at my house Sat morning.
My boiler/water heater is in the basement. My house was at 40deg by this point. Basement was cold. Tech looked at the error code and said pipes were frozen. (Mind you it stopped working prior to the temps dropping and water still runs through it just fine, just doesn't get hot) error code displayed indicates low intake air. Tech turned off gas unplugged boiler and said he was turning off the water at the street.
I took temp in basement it was at 34. Unlikely that pipes were frozen.
I spent 4 hours attempting to reach them with no success. Every time you reach next caller in the line you get put in a loop and no human ever answers. Automated call system hung up on me at least twice. Temps are dropping again. And tech didn't actually turn off my water supply so I'll need to run water again soon in the hopes of not losing any pipes. (Bright side I can flush)
I am very disappointed in this service call.

The management of Russell's Heating & Cooling is absolutely horrible!!  

I do have to say the mechanic's and the office folks are absolutely awesome though.   It took over two weeks to have a water heater installed in my home and my wife had to miss two days of work, but that's not the problem.  Clearly there can be some process improvements!  But when I called to ask what was happening, I spoke to Will Degroot (I'm not sure I spelled his last name correctly), this is the most un-empathetic and rude individual I have ever spoken to.  And I work in insurance claims!  He was more worried about who gave me his phone number and told me my wife rescheduled our appointment for the following Monday.  Sure she did, after no one called to say they were not going to be able to make it on the assigned times for the second time.  I guess two eight hour windows wasn't enough, we needed a third.  Then I said ok, I'll speak to the president Buddy Smith and see what we can do.  So on Monday 12/09/2013, I left him a message to call me back and still have not heard from him.  What I wanted to do was thank him for his technician's work, as they had renewed my faith in the company, but then I'm let down again with no phone call from the president of the company.

I have been living in the 757 area for a little over a year and Russell's has been my go to for HVAC, plumbing and electrical. Every service call is handled in a timely manner and every single technician that comes to my house is amazing. They are courteous and very knowledgeable. I recommend getting the yearly contracts as they are the best bang for your bucks. I HIGHLY recommend this company.

I'm very disappointed with the service Russell has given with my HVAC install.  It has taken 5 visits to complete the install and fix all of the things I had concerns with.  And now that the install has failed inspection by the city, I have to take more time to schedule a 6th.

I found a lot of issues, but the worst one was communication.  Be prepared to go over every detail again and again every time you talk with someone because the information will be completely forgotten.  It's inexcusable. No one even followed up or was aware that work still needed to be done after the city failed my install.

I also felt that the install was really lazy.  Pipes were put in front of the service panel, things that I had requested were ignored/forgotten and had to be redone, and even after their in-house inspector looked over the job after my concerns, it still failed the inspection.

If you do use them, be prepared to babysit everyone that comes over and be on the phone with them constantly.

UNRELIABLE and UNPROFESSIONAL! Specific example includes company rescheduling by text after after a scheduled service time lapsed. I made myself available for the two hour window during a work day as requested. After the two hour window passed, I received a text message from Russels rescheduling the appointment to the next day with a two hour block in which they did not ask if I would be available. The company does not have supervisors available to talk to. The company does not offer a way to contact their scheduling team. The company has very little to offer in regards to communication and the staff is poorly trained in regard to customer service.

The last thing that you want to happen when it is 90 degrees outside and you have company from out of town is your air conditioning unit dying. Thankfully, we called Russell's Heating and Cooling! The technician came out to my house promptly and diagnosed the problem. He assured me that he could fix it and he did in a timely manner! Our house is cool and comfortable once again! I cannot day enough great things about this company and their staff!!!!

Great Service from this company!!!! The Russell's HVAC Service Tech called ahead and arrived on  time. The technician - Jacob M. was very knowledgeable, and respectful. He arrived with mask and respectfully placed booties on his shoes before entering our home. Jacob then diagnosed and gave us a complete analysis and breakdown of exactly what was needed - without trying to dishonestly pressure us into buying a complete new system as another company tried to do previously. (An HVAC tech from Lowe's previously came last month with no mask  or shoe covers and tracked mud thru out our home - the tech then briefly looked at our furnace and then said ...You need a whole new furnace system!!!) ugh   We then Called Russell's....  Their tech Jacob was able to get our 14 yo furnace up an running in less than  1hr and the price was fair and reasonable. WOW!!!!  As a result we signed up for the Annual Maintenance Agreement with Russell's!!!  We are retired seniors living in Williamsburg and were ultimately impressed with the Quality of Service, Respect and Fair Pricing which Jacob, Russell Heating and scheduler Mike provided us.  If Jacob is an example of the HVAC team at Russel's,  I am sure that you will be Happy with them for your Heating Cooling or Plumbing needs.
Len n Maxine
Wmsburg, VA

My HVAC Units have been under a service contract with Russell's for 16 years. During that time frame both of my cooling units have been replaced. My home is heated by a gas furnace. The contract is required in order to keep the equipment under manufacturer warranty. This years contract cost $488.00. In 16 years I have experienced Russsell's in my home on at least twice a year for routine maintenance and some years more often if repair or replacement was required. The service technicians are by and large very professional, and work hard to solve problems efficiently. On one occasion, a technician who had never worked on a gas furnace before and was completely out of his league was assigned to my service call. Management should have never placed him as the technician on my service call, matching proper skills with the equipment in a home requires professional management. I made management aware of the problem and shared my significant frustration. From my point of view, Russell's has a very real communication problem in the scheduling department and probably has some real management problems.  Today the technician named Jacob Killmon was very through and professional. He was patient, friendly and conscientious. I expect a call later today from Drew, the service manager. My service call was scheduled for between 8 am and noon. Due to over booking, the technician did not arrive until 1:20 pm. Scheduling did not call me to make me aware of the delay and I find this failure to communicate very disappointing.

I made an appointment for a quote on a new hvac system on Monday and by Wednesday night I am enjoying the hvac system!!
The price was reasonable and added service plan was a great deal!

Tech was early which was awesome. Very informative and thorough. Showed me all the specs and gave me good advice. I'm so glad we just signed a contract for preventative maintenance. Thanks Alex!

I'm sure there are companies with worse customer focus than this one...I just can't think of one right now.  I called and started a maintenance contract about a year ago now, and I will not be renewing it when the time comes.  I paid for two regular maintenance visits for the year; one for the heating season and one for the cooling season.  I should have had a scheduled visit in the Spring for the cooling season...they cancelled that visit in May and rescheduled it for July; then cancelled that July visit and rescheduled it for August, which was nearly at the end of the cooling season.  Finally did come in August, but the tech did not do a thorough job.  I should have complained then, but didn't.  Of course, who would I complain to?...they don't return your calls anyway!  I've called for the service manager twice since I've been under contract, and have never received a return call.  She gets an F-minus in customer focus and satisfaction.  At any rate, last week I noticed the ductless unit in our sunroom had been dripping water out of the vent on the inside of the house.  I placed a service call and when the tech arrived he informed me that the blower unit is totally blocked up inside the unit...mold and mildew up inside of it.  Told him that I don't think that built up in the 2 months since the last maintenance visit--he agreed.  I placed a call to the service manager while he was here.  I followed up 2 more times, and now 5 days later still have not received a call.  Like I said above, she never responds.  So, because of the previous tech's incompetence, the water dripped inside my house and down onto a piece of antique furniture which is now ruined.  I was charged $655 to clean that unit and another ductless unit I have (since that was dirty as well).  Maybe this is not a part of normal maintenance, but maybe it should be for $740 a year.  Even so, at a minimum, it should have been pointed out to me by the previous tech.  Even if I'd still have had to pay the additional $655 to have them cleaned, at least my antique furniture would not have been ruined.

I've had nothing but great interactions with Russell's for plumbing, AC repair, and ducting. Russell's duct team of Markece and Michael are phenomenal  - they identified that my house's ancient ducting system was incorrectly installed and, even worse, never configured to push the correct amount of air to begin with. They worked diligently to install a new 3-ton duct system and kept me informed throughout the process.

The exterior AC unit, which used to run extremely hot, now runs much cooler after the full duct replacement. Additionally, the system runs quieter and the air flow is even throughout the house. Russell's doesn't cut corners - their technicians and customer service personnel are outstanding.

If I could give zero stars I would. Set up  a appointment  on friday for a estimate to have my hot water heater replaced was given a appointment for monday between 4 and 7pm to me that is a large window for a appointment but I accepted. So Monday rolls around and I wait around the house for three hours and they are a complete no show. No phone call nothing they just never showed up. Very unprofessional I have never had a company just no show a appointment I have made.

Russell's Heating & Cooling's customer service is beyond phenomenal. I've been a customer for about five years. Every interaction I have with them is very professional. Each time I've had an issue, they have responded within 24 hours, if not the same day. This is a company who takes pride in their products, their customers, and their name.

I am a real customer. I own a rental property that Russels services. I rarely go out of the way to make reviews, but I am extremely happy with this company.

Can't say enough good about these guys. The first time I used them for some repair I had a very minor error. I called and ended up talking to the owner who ensured it was corrected immediately. Since then I've had them install 2 new systems and I've had 3 or 4 minor repairs that were flawless.

Use them! You will be happy.

Two weekends ago, I cleaned my outside AC unit. To make cleaning it easier, I was going to completely remove the fan. I removed the purple wire, but decided it wasn't going to be easy to remove it, so I put the purple wire back.

After cleaning, I turned on the AC. It hissed and the fan wouldn't start. We scheduled Russell's to come 2 days later to look at it.

They came by and after looking at the unit said I put the wiring back wrong. The diagnosis was $72, which I'm ok with. But, to put the wiring back correctly and continue the rest of the diagnosis would be an additional $118.75

I couldn't believe it. I only took 1 wire off, and so there was only 1 wire that needed to be moved. You wanted to charge me $118.75 for a 5 second fix? I felt taken advantage of. I declined.

When the technician left, I moved the wire, started up the AC, and it worked!

Russell's, I am not recommending you because you wanted to charge me $118 for 5 seconds of work. I paid the $72 for the diagnosis, which is fair, but an additional $118 for 5 seconds to move a wire is not fair. Seriously, I moved one wire and put it back in the wrong spot (silly me).

I created a video showing just how easy the repair was - youtube.com/watch?v=y6zE… - they wanted to charge $118 to move this wire!

I am so impressed right now... We recently agreed to a complete install of a new HVAC system for our home we purchased a year ago.  The previous owners were RIYs - Ruin It Yourselfers.  Upon installation there was a part that didn't pass inspection from the city.  With all the issues we've had since we bought the house, my husband and I were not very happy.  However, I just got off the phone with Russells Heating and Cooling.  They explained how the mistake was made and are immediately fixing the issue and in the best way they could to make my husband and I happy.  No cutting corners or trying to make excuses.  Just an honest mistake that they are fixing without a complaint.  How amazing is that?!  I wish all companies had customer service like this!

We just had a Lennox AC unit installed by Russell's H&C.  Their techs did an awesome job and cleaned up after job was completed.  The main technician made sure to show us everything to include: monthly maintenance that we can do for regular upkeep, how to use the thermostat, how to use the mechanical dampers if needed.

The only con was the salesman who seemed to be new.  I had done my research and knew what I should be paying.  After getting 2nd quotes, Russell's called back (on their own) with corrected quotes.  Since they were able to install sooner than alternate company, we went ahead with their business.  

FYI...our water heater is from Russell's also (x3 months ago).  As for any HVAC company, it's smart to do your homework before getting any quotes.  There are plenty of sites out there that can help out with knowledge.

Wish I could give 0 star! When they replaced duct work (which we paid over $700 for) only to realize the duct to my daughters room was bad. They came today and had the nerve to try to charge us again to do the work. We told them where to go! Last time they tried to reach out to come to a resolution I never heard back from them. NEVER DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!

I had a service contract with this company for a couple decades, we moved to VB from Chesapeake and ever since, have had terrible service.  We pay an annual fee to get good service and be assured annual service but over the past few years have been very disappointed.  Our annual checkup was canceled with very little notice, they couldn't reschedule it for months.  That meant our AC wasn't serviced until September.  I tried to get an appointment when we were having problems and they were too busy to put us on the schedule even though we have an annual service membership.  Not sure what has happened to this company?  It seems to have gone downhill.