The Hvac Doctor

Sherma T.

Started my experience with Richard P Waltz in June of this year. Had someone come out to my house to estimate a small bathroom remodel. By the beginning of August we had accepted the overpriced quote paid the deposit and were waiting patiently to schedule the job. Come the end of August they were unable to book the job because they had no carpenter (the guy that estimated the job is a carpenter that doesn't like to get his hands dirty) to do the repairs. Then after back and forth over email with the same someone that estimated and quoted it, it was determined that all that was owed was a $25 restocking fee for 1 panel of siding. Thus our deposit should have been returned to us less ONLY the $25 restocking fee per what was discussed and what the contract verbiage contains. Yesterday after not speaking with the office manager as I was told would be happening I received a check in the mail for our deposit, less $176 with no explanation. I call the office and the office manager is out of the office so I asked to speak with Ray, as he was the estimator, did up the quote, was my main contact, and the letter with the check said to call him with any questions. Once on the phone with Ray he says oh you will have to speak with the office manager once she is back because I have no idea what the $176 is for, ""Could be for the time it takes to inspect the parts once they are received"". Well no inspection of parts was discussed or in the contract. Now I have to wait until Monday to get in touch with the office manager. All in all if they didn't want to or couldn't do this job they should never have quoted it or took our money. It shouldn't take over 3 months to get a job like this at least scheduled. Really unprofessional if you ask me. WILL NOT RECOMMEND THIS HEADACHE TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!

Taylor L.

Let me preface this by saying I have worked in mechanical contracting in Portland, ME and know the ins and outs of this business. I called up Waltz looking for help with a project I was working on. I needed to connect 4 large (1-1/4"") Pex water lines to copper pipe which requires a specialized tool. I knew exactly what the tool was and I had all of the fittings necessary already. All I needed was one of their technicians to come to my house and use the tool 4 times in order to make my connections. I knew full well I was going to be charged the labor rate of $95/hr and travel time to and from their shop. That was fine with me. I clarified the use of the specific tool during multiple phone calls and was aware that any materials used would be charged (I knew there would not be). The technicians come to do the work, did a nice job. Then I get the bill. Labor and $125 for the tool rental. Tool rental. If I get a contractor to build me a deck, he doesn't itemize me a bill for his saw! It's Time & Materials we had already decided on, and your tools are part of your overhead. I argued with the Operations Manager for 15 minutes while his employees sat there idle. He ""cut me a deal"" by chopping that charge in half... I will never work with Waltz again and will make sure my network knows that. Be careful of the bait and switch with these scam artists! I have a high tolerance for bad service and never written a bad review in my life. Congratulations, you're the first. I hope $62.50 was worth it.

Kaylee D.

To save you the long reading, Richard P Waltz is expensive, has the worst customer service I've ever dealt with, and has no accountability for the mistakes it's staff makes. I genuinely feel bad for anyone who has to deal with them or chooses to use them in the future.

Richard P Waltz charges you from the time they leave the office, which is fine, but apparently that includes when they get lost. I verified with the driver where I was prior to him leaving the office and he said he ABSOLUTELY knew where my development was. He eventually called me and said he was lost. It took him an hour to get to Westbrook from Portland (it takes 15-20 on a heavy traffic day but I was charged for that) and another two hours to install my gas dryer. I was disappointed to get a bill for $293 dollars when I was quoted $75-100 online but I didn't argue and paid it because I know gas installation is a tougher service and I was just relieved to be able to do laundry.

Three weeks later, I smelled gas and had the gas company come out and verified it was a gas leak. Unitil red tagged the appliance and said the gas pipe was hooked up improperly. Luckily, the gas leak did not cause harm to my family. I called Richard P Waltz plumbing back and said it needed to be fixed, especially after being charged $300 to have it installed. I said I'd prefer to have someone new come out and fix it because the original plumber, Lee, hooked it improperly. They said it had to be him to come back and fix it because it was done under his license. Fine. They also stated they were going to verify that it was their mistake otherwise it'd be another chargeable call. I said it was your mistake, as verified by the gas company but they continued to say they'd verify that their selves and would be out tomorrow morning. Well, they never called or showed so Lee the plumber called the following morning saying he'd come that day but he knew it was the venting. He then explained he didn't know why my house had a vent on the wall, when it should be in the floor, and he'd come back with new materials and if it still wasn't solved, I'd have to get my floor dug up. (meanwhile my vent is not on my wall but in my floor and what does a vent have to do with a pipe leaking gas??). So the next morning, no one called or showed up again.

Eventually, the operations manager call me to say Lee was on the way (6 hours late) but it'd be a chargeable call. I reminded the manager, the tag specifically said it was hooked up improperly, who then told me it was because their company does not like using the equipment the dryer comes with. I wish they had told me that PRIOR to finishing the job in the first place. Anyway, I continued to say it's the pipe not the vent but the operations manager, Dana, continued to talk over me and continue to use the term ""vent"" like I didn't know what I was talking about. I said, no I am not being charged another $300 to have you fix your mistake when I know it's the pipe that was installed improperly. He said fine and hung up. 20 minutes later he calls again and says they will not charge me for service but for the new parts for the vent which will be $80 dollars. I said fine but once again, what does this have to do with the pipe leaking gas? Ignored once more.

Lee shows up and says he'll need to collect $80 for me and he will fix the vent. I write a check and he continues to fix the vent. I point to the red tag on the dryer and say, ""if it was the vent, why did unitil check off ""piping"" not ""venting"". Lee responds and say ""they just put the tag wherever is convenient for them"". He continues to re-do my entire vent with his materials. I feel uneasy about this because I know he will leave and I will be left with the same problem, gas leaking from the pipe attached to the back of my dryer so I call Richard P. Waltz dispatch and simply as, ""is there a difference between the vent and the pipe?"" They verify there is and say they will call Lee to follow up. Lee then storms down the stairs and snaps, ""so what is your problem now? If you have a problem, you come upstairs...not call the office"". I go into the laundry and point to the pipe to the back of the dryer and say the leak is coming from the connection at the dryer from the PIPE."" Lee snaps, ""why didn't you tell me this in the first place?"". Seeing as how I've mentioned this to him and Dana and the rest of the company multiple times and it's written CLEARLY on the red tag, I'm surprised a plumber (who said he's done this for 20 years ) didn't know a gas leak comes from the pipe). Needless to say, he found the leak and left without saying a word to me or collecting any money.

Andy S.

Overcharged - $455 for a simple beginning of the season air conditioner checkup that historically has been $150!