I moved to Lafayette, 5 years ago and settled into an older tri-level home which was basically solid but needed improvements and repairs. Being new to the community included trial and error in choosing contractors to get things done. The old natural gas furnace had limped through last winter with several maintenance calls and the The A/C system had also seen better days and needed to be replaced. After consulting Angie’s List and other reviews on the efficiency of local heating and A/C contractors, and the pros and cons of several brand name units, I talked with and got estimates from two contractors who left me with more questions than answers. Like most people, I was looking for an efficient product, dependable service and a fair price…not vague, I’ll have to check on that? as a reply to basic questions, or a sales pitch for unnecessary add-ons which inflated the total cost beyond my conservative budget. The third appointment was with J.L. Anderson Heating and Cooling…the one that I had first by-passed because they were the largest, best rated, and I wrongly assumed that they would be the most pushy and costly. The receptionist was very friendly, helpful and arranged the appointment for my convenience. Two days later, Joe Kollman, Anderson’s Comfort Consultant appeared at my door, right on time as scheduled. After introducing himself, Joe looked at the furnace and I told him that the Air conditioning was operating well, so far, but was probably as old as the furnace and I wanted to have both units of the same compatible brand – which, in this case is Trane. Joe did something the others had not done – he checked out the A/C, measured and studied the area surrounding it, which included an unfinished pattern of pavers almost the size of the patio on the opposite side of downstairs entry steps. It was my daughter’s project, almost finished, but the very crooked concrete slab under the A/C prevented her from laying pavers around the slab to frame it. Joe said, We can fix that. They would place a large base pad under the new larger unit which would cover the unsightly old slab. He gave me the dimensions for my daughter to work around. If she had time prior to installation to place the last pavers accordingly, the pad would rest on them. If she was unable to find the time, his crew would take care of it. On her first day off, she readied the spot. Joe was an experienced problem solver!
He showed me brochures of Trane units and suggested the appropriate choice for the size and layout of my home. There was no pressure or sales pitch on accessories I wouldn’t need. The few questions I might have had were answered as he explained exactly what his crew do, when they would arrive, how long it would take without unforeseen complications, which he didn’t anticipate, and what it would cost, to the penny. Due to the rainy, muggy weather, Joe said that they would install the air conditioner first so the house would remain comfortable, then remove everything regarding the old furnace, replacing all pipes and parts. Installation of the new natural gas furnace and A/C unit would be completed the following day. In addition, Anderson would take care of all the paperwork, including registering the units for warranties, and would submit the request for my Vectren Energy rebates. I expected him to ask me for at least a portion of the payment in advance, as the others had done and asked what was required. Joe said that AFTER all the work was completed to MY satisfaction and I lived with the new units for several days we could take care of that – but ONLY after everything was checked, approved and any adjustments that might need to be made were completed – then and only then, I could pay him when he brought the prepared paperwork for me to sign for warranties and rebates. On the morning of June 28th, Joe came with his crew, introduced me to Scott and Craig and left. They got started immediately, with Craig dismantling the old furnace and its parts while Scott removed the A/C. Scott measured, leveled and placed the matching base pad and new 3 ton air conditioner meticulously even on the pavers – it looked perfectly framed.They were so quiet. When I looked in a few times, I was impressed with their progress and efficiency. Every scrap was removed neatly. The house had come with a large water softener which didn’t work. I asked if they would mind disconnecting it, which Craig did. They did me the huge favor or carting it away with the old furnace, so I wouldn’t have to find someone to do that chore. Service above and beyond the call of duty! Scott installed the lovely new Trane wi-fi enabled thermostat, and gave me a basic course in programming it. The job was completed by noon of the following day, and the utility room looks 100% better with the new, smaller but 97% efficient, uncluttered Trane heating system. Joe returned to check everything out, and, true to his word, gave me over a week to live with the units before returning to make sure that I was happy with everything, settle the bill and have me sign the prepared paper work for them to submit. He had been swamped with appointments all week, but was unhappy that the thermostat refused to give me access to the weather report app. He worked on phone and computer for at least an hour to remedy the problem, then had to rush to another appointment, but came back an hour later to continue to search for the solution. I believe that the application for the thermostat may not be entirely compatible with my Mac formatted computer – but Joe is determined to have the weather app working and would have worked with it until that small part of the whole was in perfect working order. I thought it was only fair that it could wait until they were less busy. For the first time in 5 years, my air conditioning is being evenly distributed throughout all 3 levels, and I know that even the lower level will be toasty warm this winter! I want to add that with all of the extra time and help that my job was given, the cost was exactly the amount that I was initially quoted. There were no extra charges added. After my experience with J.L. Anderson Heating and Cooling, I feel confident that I have the best in efficient heating and cooling throughout Indiana’s often chaotic seasons, and should there be a problem or need, I can depend on the the Anderson folks to be there for me to fix it. The dedication and pride this company has in their work and service to their customers far exceeded my highest expectations. I highly recommend them without hesitation or reservation. Thanks to all!!
-Deanna Marie Pozesny