First Choice Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning

Debbie A.

A little pricey!!! Needed to replace water heater which was covered under insurance plan up to 1000.00, which should have covered whole cost of course they needed 250.00 on top of ins. After calling around approx 800. For new heater & install. The 2 guys who came out to install Ray & Sam were very nice. They did a great job, they were very personable, quick and clean they knew what they were doing !!!!!

Coolcyn O.

We had First Choice come out because we noticed there was no airflow from the vents.
After a thorough diagnostic workup, our technician, Sam, not only explained and showed me everything, he also took the time to re-explain the situation to my husband. It wasn't very good news...our old ass A/C and furnace were pieces of dookie and would need to be replaced.
First of all, Sam was quite a cool and kind dude. He took the time to try and match one of our other bids however, unfortunately, after much consideration, we went through Costco for our new system because of the rebates and perks. This decision wasn't taken lightly and I would HIGHLY recommend First Choice. The customer service from making the initial appointment to the very last call Sam made to us has been excellent and kind. Kindness goes a long way in our home. Thank you.

Connie N.

Needed my water heater repaired. Speedy service, and he also fixed two other things I needed fixing. Jason was the tecnician who came to my house. Very friendly. I will call them for any future plumbing needs. I totally recommend them.

Christina U.

My experience with them have always been outstanding service!! They are not ripoffs like the rest of the plumbing company's in riverside! I've been with them for 4 years never had a issue. Thanks a lot guys for all your hard work - C

Joanne N.

I chose First Choice to do AC maintenance on my 5 year old system and to determine why my airflow and thermostat were acting up. The technician seemed competant and knowlegeable because he gave me a mini lecture on my AC. He even had me touch the outside of the unit which to me felt ice cold but the technician thought it was normal and doing it's job .

When i told him about the abnormal thermostat readings, he was baffled and just changed the battery and did his socalled maintenance. Within two weeks, I had First Choice come back out because my evaporator coil had been completely frozen with ice the entire time. This time, another more experienced technician discovered the unit was frozen. Good thing I was watching him because I noticed something behind him he had pulled out. It was a very dirty and clogged filter that was never cleaned by the first technician. I asked him why the filter wasn't cleaned and his response was ""good question.""

Within a half hour and after talking to his boss, he gave me two options: He said that due to poor installation, the only thing that will fix the problem are either a new evaporator coil for nearly $3000 or a new valve for $900. He told me the evaporator coil is in stock and can be installed tomorrow or you can wait 7-10 days for a new valve. I nearly choked in disbelief and felt like a victim of dishonesty.

An evaporator coil does not cost nearly 3 grand for a 5 ton system...no way. And a valve for $900 is outrageous. Since he couldn't do anything with a frozen coil, he said he had to return in the morning to fix it. I told him I had to think about it.

The next day, I had another business check the AC out and the technician determined the coils were fine and very clean, pressures were normal, valve fine. The likely cause was the difference in outdoor temperature and thermostat setting during the night which is common during the hot summer months.

I paid $90.00 and the AC is running just fine.

Molly C.

I stumbled upon First Choice when my old plumber went out of business. I have had nothing but positive interactions with them. They have fixed problems quickly and efficiently and I highly recommend them to others.

Todd T.

I have used First Choice for many years and have always been satisfied with their work and their pricing. Steve himself has come out sometimes, and other times it's been his employees, but they are always knowledgeable and friendly. We have replaced a complete AC unit, done some service calls on another unit that is pretty old and still running well, some tuneup stuff, etc. When that AC unit went out he laid out our different options and prices and when we opted for the new one it was installed within a few hours, during a heat wave, after hours.

He also removed my crummy builder-grade low-flow toilets and put in some real nice toilets that actually do their job, and for a very good price. I definitely recommend First Choice.

Tracie S.

DO NOT USE these rip off artists. Charged me $282 to replace a run capacitor that costs $11.06 purchased on-line. Called this sham of a business out to look at our air conditioner that wasn't working. Told me it would cost $59 just to look at it, but that would be waived if the repairs were competed by them. No problem. Owner Steve Ballard himself showed up with his repair guy. Started taking unit apart and instantly said ""It's the run capacitor"". I ask how much is the part... He said ""oh let me think"". Part'll run you about $278 and both units will have to be done. Since only one was not working - agreed to fixing the one only. Glad I only had one fixed or I would be even more sick today.! Invoice was $282 and not itemized. So the part is $11, where is the rest of the $271 coming from. Labor?? for a 20 minute part change?? Nothing else was looked at and the diagnostic fee was to be waived. i called a couple other businesses and inquired what they would charge. By the feedback i recieved I was overcharged by $100-$150.

Before I realized I was being scammed, asked for estimate for 2 new units - stupid me!!! This company and Mr Ballard will never see that close to $10,000 job... based on more legitmate estimates. Mr Ballard's estimate almost $3,000 more than 2 other company's. Fool me once.. DON'T BE FOOLED!!!

Steven T.

I had used First Choice back when they were Ballard Heating and Air. At some point the family split and so did the companies.

A couple months ago I was having an issue with our furnace, the blower wasn't working properly and cold air was coming out.

The technician arrived and after about 15 minutes told me I needed a circuit board. He had one on the truck; the part and labor would be about $850. I asked him how long it would take, he told me 45 minutes.

I searched for the part on the internet and found it new for $300-$350. I than called Steve Ballard and asked him why I was being charged $500 for less than an hour labor. He told me they are in business to make profit on the parts and he would do the job for $650.

As I had done business when them for years, ever purchasing 2 installed units I didn't appreciate the fact they had tried to take advantage of me. Besides that I still thought the price was too high.

I made a couple calls and got someone else out that same day. He did a full diagnostic and determined the board was probably fine and replaced a switching unit. The total price for the part, labor including the diagnostic was $149. It's been fine ever since.

So these guys tried to over charge me for something I didn't even need.

Jon L.

Horrible company do not use . Just bought a home in the area 1 1/2 months ago , within the first two weeks my hot water heater pilot went out . I called first choice plumbing . When he came out they told me about a pipe that broke and slowly leaked into the water heater causing rust and corrosion . After speaking with the plumber found out the water heater could not be fixed and had to be replaced . I was given a price of $1750 , then I contacted my home owners insurance company because I have accidental breakage coverage . While I'm on the phone with the insurance company the owner / manager of first choice heater and plumbing called and left a voicemail asking if I was wasting his plumbers time demanding my credit card info , which I immediately did call back and give . The insurance company did say they would cover the costs minus the detectable , just needed to do a follow up phone call with the plumber who did the work , which took 10 days to call back the insurance agent ! And when I tried to contact them myself they were VERY rude and sounded inconvenienced . So when he finally made the phone call he made no mention of the broken pipe above the heater and instead told them that my 3 year old water heater in my 3 year old house was over 10 years old and this was regular wear and tear . Due to this phone call my insurance company called me and told me they could not cover the costs because it was 10 years old and regular wear and tear. I find them to be extremely unprofessional that they would demand my payment 10 min after agreed upon price and 10 days later feel inconvenienced to talk to my insurance company and give false report because of his mood or lack of memory . Customer service should always come first . I have many friends and family who recently bought in this area and will never recommend them to anyone !