Winters Heating and A/C SUCKS!!!! Don't Trust them

[somdsilverado]

Well with the temps rising and its only going to get worse, we thought we could use a A/C recharge. We live in a new construction home thats now 4 years old. It has the old 10 seer unit and just isn't cooling the home well. The house is 1800sq feet and does cool but there's way to much difference between up stairs and down. So we got on the phone to get a recharge/service call from good o'l Winters. The guy came out and did his thing, recharge and cleaned the unit. Thats what he did for $200. No info on whats good and whats bad, what should be done or what could be done to fix our issues, as we were told on the phone they will do for ya. So after he leave were thinking were set, untill we we try and use the A/C again. Its freaking worse than it was before. We let a few weeks pass and still no getting better. So we call Winters again and they say sorry it will be another $100 to have someone just come out there! So I see what kind of busness they run, send someone out there, break something and then have them return for more money!!!! I'll never do business with Winters Heating and Cooling again. Anyone one have this problem with them or their A/C?
Is there any other trustworthy home HVAC techs out there?

 

[mAlice]

Call your builder. Set a fan at the bottom of the stairs blowing the cooler air upstairs.

 

[somdsilverado]

Yes there is million of ways to improvise, but thats not the way it's supposed to work! I like to fix things the right way.

 

[toppick08]

Well with the temps rising and its only going to get worse, we thought we could use a A/C recharge. We live in a new construction home thats now 4 years old. It has the old 10 seer unit and just isn't cooling the home well. The house is 1800sq feet and does cool but there's way to much difference between up stairs and down. So we got on the phone to get a recharge/service call from good o'l Winters. The guy came out and did his thing, recharge and cleaned the unit. Thats what he did for $200. No info on whats good and whats bad, what should be done or what could be done to fix our issues, as we were told on the phone they will do for ya. So after he leave were thinking were set, untill we we try and use the A/C again. Its freaking worse than it was before. We let a few weeks pass and still no getting better. So we call Winters again and they say sorry it will be another $100 to have someone just come out there! So I see what kind of busness they run, send someone out there, break something and then have them return for more money!!!! I'll never do business with Winters Heating and Cooling again. Anyone one have this problem with them or their A/C?
Is there any other trustworthy home HVAC techs out there?

Great Mills Heating and Cooling.....

 

[mAlice]

Yes there is million of ways to improvise, but thats not the way it's supposed to work! I like to fix things the right way.

Like I said, call your builder. Shouldn't that still be under warranty?

 

[toppick08]

Great Mills Heating and Cooling.....

bump

 

[HeadCase]

Tri-County Aire

I've heard allot of terrible unethical and bad about Winters too...sorry you got caught up in their web.

On a good side...Tri-County Aire out of Mechanicsville is great and honest....

Stay away from Potter HVAC too, I had a friend that had MANY problems with them and her builder so Tri-County ended up fixing their (Potters') problems.

 

[missperky]

I've heard allot of terrible unethical and bad about Winters too...sorry you got caught up in their web.

On a good side...Tri-County Aire out of Mechanicsville is great and honest....

Stay away from Potter HVAC too, I had a friend that had MANY problems with them and her builder so Tri-County ended up fixing their (Potters') problems.

Potter out of Waldorf?

 

[pixiegirl]

Not that I'd ever be contrary or anything.... BUT.... Why didn't you ask them why they were out opposed to just letting them leave and calling them back?

 

[hotmomma]

Our upstairs stays hot too but we have been using a fan to circulate the air and it really makes a difference

 

[peanutman]

Well with the temps rising and its only going to get worse, we thought we could use a A/C recharge. We live in a new construction home thats now 4 years old. It has the old 10 seer unit and just isn't cooling the home well. The house is 1800sq feet and does cool but there's way to much difference between up stairs and down. So we got on the phone to get a recharge/service call from good o'l Winters. The guy came out and did his thing, recharge and cleaned the unit. Thats what he did for $200. No info on whats good and whats bad, what should be done or what could be done to fix our issues, as we were told on the phone they will do for ya. So after he leave were thinking were set, untill we we try and use the A/C again. Its freaking worse than it was before. We let a few weeks pass and still no getting better. So we call Winters again and they say sorry it will be another $100 to have someone just come out there! So I see what kind of busness they run, send someone out there, break something and then have them return for more money!!!! I'll never do business with Winters Heating and Cooling again. Anyone one have this problem with them or their A/C?
Is there any other trustworthy home HVAC techs out there?

What made you think the system needed to be recharged? I heard you should never need your system recharged unless you have a leak.

Also, maybe your 10 Sheer system is to small for your home.

Sorry, I don't know any trustworthy HVAC techs but I would call the builder first. If it's only been 4 years, you should still be under warranty.

 

[somdsilverado]

Well 4 years ago 10 SEER was the minimun and now its 13. The only difference is that a 10 will cost more to run, meaning a 13 is more efficient. Your probabyle right about a recharge never needing done. The service tech said it was low and put more refrigerant in.

I hope its under warranty, but dealing with warranty companys is like dealing with the Taliban

 

[Koolman]

If the main problem is that the upstairs is a lot warmer than the down stairs
it means your air handling system needs to be Balanced and adjusted.

If the air coming out of all the registers is warm at all the registers it is a Condenser or evaporator problem.

If you don't have adequate amount of air could be dirty filter or dirty evaporator coils or fan problem.

 

[hotmomma]

If the main problem is that the upstairs is a lot warmer than the down stairs
it means your air handling system needs to be Balanced and adjusted.

If the air coming out of all the registers is warm at all the registers it is a Condenser or evaporator problem.

If you don't have adequate amount of air could be dirty filter or dirty evaporator coils or fan problem.

Do you work for Winters?

 

[Koolman]

Do you work for Winters?

Nope............

Don't care much for the quality of work they do for the prices they charge!!

 

[smilin]

Builders have a 2-10 (year) warranty. Anything that moves (AC, Fridge etc) is covered for two years - unless you have a supplemental warranty.
The house structurally is covered for ten years.
Builders usually aren't a lot of help.
I've used Burchoil for installation five years ago, service ever since, and have had no problems. Their technicians always talk to me and tell me what's going on.

 

[BeenSpur'd]

Great Mills Heating and Cooling.....

Yes, they are defiantly the best contractors I've ever used. Coombs Aud and his sons are wonderful. I have a 5200 square foot farmhouse and they made the heat and AC work great when I was thinking it was going to be hard to make the whole house comfortable. They did have to install a heat pump for the upstairs and the down stair and basement use a furnace and AC unit. Our electric bill is reasonable for what we have. I've almost forgotten about living in a trailer for so many years sweating my butt off with the AC running 24/7. I had to put a stove out on the deck to use during the summer just so I wouldn't add any more heat to the trailer.
Just a little hint, when you hire a contractor, don't tell them what you think it is wrong, let them find out for themselves. Just tell them the facts. If it is something simple like a wire loose they may charge you for what you thought it was, not what it actually was so they can make more money.
If you call Great Mills Heating and Cooling, tell Coombs I said Hi..........

 

[somdsilverado]

If the main problem is that the upstairs is a lot warmer than the down stairs
it means your air handling system needs to be Balanced and adjusted.

If the air coming out of all the registers is warm at all the registers it is a Condenser or evaporator problem.

If you don't have adequate amount of air could be dirty filter or dirty evaporator coils or fan problem.

YEP, thats my main problem. I understand that warm air raises......but its hotter that a few degrees which the Winters tech said isn't normal. He used some hand held meter to find out what the temp was coming out of the vents. He said there was definitely something wrong? All he did was clean some parts and and recharge.

Now that i'm more alittle more educated I can get out house to being comfortable befor the HOT months come. Now what can i do? It my problem let to the pros or can i do the work. Im handy and can make a stab at fixing it.

 

[Koolman]

The first thing I would try would be to

Make sure all the vents upstairs were open all the way.
Then go down stairs and close all the vents half way.
That should force more air upstairs to help with the higher heat load.
Then if it helps but not quite enough, try closing the downstairs registers
two thirds of the way.

Basically you are trying to divert more cool air to overcome the additional heat load upstairs.

Don't expect to check it 5 minutes later and notice a difference.

Wait a day then see how it is.

If that doesn't help , You may consider having an additional return vent installed upstairs in the hall ceiling.

 

[Beaterson]

try t/n bowes out of mechanicsville... ive seen nothing but good work out of them. used to work along side them as and electrician.