Laird & Son Heating & Air Conditioning

We have been happy customers of Laird and Sons for many years, so when we recently renovated our basement, we called to have them quote a new system. They recommended a top of the line, new unit that has saved us space, and after a few tweaks, works like a charm. Special thank you to Ryan and team, who did the installation and worked hard at solving an unforeseen issue, and to Mac for ensuring all was running properly. These guys really care that the job is done right!

After many years of good service with Laird & Son, I am planning to try a new HVAC company. This is with some regret because I have found the work of some technicians at this company really good. However, others have a more negative attitude and do not seem to genuinely care about my house and my HVAC system. What has sealed my decision to leave, however, isn't whether I had one or two bad experiences with maintenance. It is what I perceive to be the entitlement of company managers. All you have to do, to notice this shift is read their reaction to negative reviews. The tone is defensive, and in some cases even aggressive. A manager even suggested one review could be "fake". They don't seem to get it -- they don't respond to phone calls then blame the customer. They don't meet customer expectations, and blame the customer. They overcharge, then aggressively defend their "great" service. Customers have other options. I will buy a new furnace with a different company.

Having dealt with LAird and Son for the installation of our air conditioner , we naturally referred back to Laird and Son when our boiler was sadly on its last leg. Mack made the experience so much less painful as we could at least look forward to a professional installation and a more efficient boiler. When presented with the various brands and costs, we couldn’t quite make a decision. Rather than being quick or short, Mack patiently explained the pros and cons of each in detailed emails (outside of business hours) so we could ultimately make our decision with confidence. Knowing that it was the busiest time of year (mid-December), we thought the installation would be delayed, but again, you made it happen. Thank you Mack, Ron and the installation team. It’s always a pleasure to deal with an honest, reliable, professional team such as yours. Best Regards, Susan and Mike

We intended to put up this post some time ago, but kept putting it off. It's a good news story and we owe it to Laird & Son - they earned it! So here it is:

Last year we needed to replace our (rental) water heater, but it turned out that there was not enough space between the furnace and the wall to get the old water heater out.

Laird & Son had installed the furnace in 2003. When we contacted them to complain that the placement of the furnace had caused this problem, they were surprised. However, after looking at some of our photos, they came and assessed the situation and determined that indeed the furnace was in the wrong place. So they moved it! They moved it (back about 4") within a week AND AT NO COST TO US. That was some 14 years AFTER they'd installed the furnace - excellent service under any circumstance! The furnace, by the way, is a Lennox and it has been absolutely worry-free. We are very happy with it.

Thank you Laird & Son for standing by your work and fixing this problem so quickly, neatly and at your own cost. We appreciate your integrity, as well as the quality of the product we purchased from you 14 years ago. We plan to use Laird & Son again when we need to replace this furnace.

Our boiler decided to stop working on one of the coldest days so far this year (-16 with the wind chill -20+). We called Laird and Sons at 5:30 p.m on Friday evening and their after hours technician was at our home within an hour and our problem was solved on the spot. We have called upon Laird and Sons in the past and they have consistently provided excellent service. A big shout out to Noah who got our (very old) boiler working in no time. Thanks so much Noah!

I am beyond disappointed with my experience with Laird and Sons on December 22nd.

I had been using Laird and Son for my oil delivery and maintenance for many years. In March of this year I switched to gas. Laird was more expensive for the actual furnace, so I went with another company, but because I had such a great experience with Laird over the years, I decided I would give them my annual service / maintenance business going forward.

I called a few weeks ago to make the appointment. I explained my situation (new furnace, not installed by Laird) and I asked if I would void my warranty by using Laird. She said no.

When the technician came out, I explained the situation to him. He laughed at me! I asked “am I wrong to use Laird”? He said no. I asked if I was voiding my warranty. He said no. I left him in the basement.

A short time later the technician came up to explain to me that if my furnace breaks down, the parts are covered by warranty, but the labour is not. I checked my paperwork and I saw that I have a 12 years parts and service warranty. I went down to the basement to explain that and he said I MUST use the same company that I purchased the furnace from otherwise it will void the labour portion of my warranty.

This did not seem right to me… if I buy a car, I don’t void my warranty going to a licensed mechanic, instead of the dealership, but I did not argue further. He was the expert. Or so I thought.

That said, I took his advice and told him to stop working and to charge me for his work to date. He charged me $159 + tax – full service price even though he did not complete the service.

I came into work and emailed the company I purchased the furnace from. They confirmed (as I knew) that I can use any licensed technician.

The technician was NOT educated, gave me incorrect information, wasted my morning AND charged me $159 + tax for NOTHING. My furnace has not been serviced.

I have emailed Laird and Sons and received no response to date.

This has left a horrible taste in my mouth. Laird and Sons has gone from being a company I wanted to give my business to for many years, to me finding an alternative because of this one employee.

Just home from surgery I realized my furnace wasn't working. Called laird & sons and Mack W was at my door within half an hour! He even brought plug in heaters so I wouldnt freeze while my furnace was being fixed. Replaced 1 part and cleaned another and the furnace was working within an hour of my call! Very happy with my service today!

Our furnace stopped working on a cold night December. I called Laird & Sons late into the evening. Max called me back and arrived at 2:00 am to fix the furnace and I have not had any issues with the heat since. Thanks Max and the Laird and Sons team!

Re: the furnace- I was told technician that we had a “cheap” furnace and why did I not do research before installing a new one 4 years ago. He said his testing showed the carbon monoxide output was over the normal limit and that the “heat exchanger” needed to be replaced. He said the office will back to me. We were left worried for a week and no return call from the office. I called them and another technician was sent who came and went so quickly, handed me a piece of paper with a new reading on it and said everything was fine. No explanation for the previous reading from him or the office. Are they telling the truth?!

Re- the tankless water heater flush- the technician poured the corrosive flushing solution down my laundry sink without rinsing . Next morning I found my sink with dark brown stains and the sink has permanent corrosive marks. Has to be replaced and they have refused to compensate me.

I had been a customer of theirs for 20 years!!

My experience with Laird and Son went from bad to worse. I contacted them twice to make a service visit and each time I asked them to check into why my furnace was making an annoying rattling sound. I was told twice that it was because it was older and there was nothing they could do. So twice I paid for a service visit and they did not fix the problem. Finally I tried again and they told me it was the fan cage, which would cost me several hundred dollars to replace. My boyfriend (who has no experience fixing furnaces) decided to see if he could replace it himself and when he took a look he immediately saw that there was a loose metal piece. He solved the rattling problem in a few minutes, saving me a lot of money. No relacement part was needed. On another occasion, they replaced an incorrect part. I wasn't home when the repair was done but when I got home and asked my son if they'd come to do the work, I found out they'd replaced a part outside on the AC unit instead of inside on the furnace! These two things happened about two years ago. To Laird and Sons credit, they credited me for the visits and gave me a free maintenance plan for two years (which includes cleaning and inspection). But each time I called for any kind of maintenance, they had no record of the free plan and I had to re-send the original confirmation email. But I felt I should be loyal to them because I had bought my furnace, AC and water heater from them, I had been using them for 15 years and they had tried to set things right. So last year I spent almost $600 on a repair. Make no mistake, they were still making money off me. The last straw was I called them a few days ago to make an appointment for cleaning and inspection. I asked if the free maintenance plan was still in effect. The woman on the phone said, "Yes, you can get one more cleaning and inspection on your plan." I was actually pleasantly surprised because, first, she acknowledged the plan right away and, second, I thought the plan must have been close to expiring, so I was happy that we could make another complimentary appointment. Note that I would have been fine with paying for the maintenance if the plan had expired. Also, let me make it clear that the conversation was at all times very cordial. A few minutes later, the same woman called me back and told me they would not be able to offer me service. I asked what she meant and it turned out they were terminating me as a client. I was shocked. She said she could provide no reason for the blacklisting. I asked to speak to the manager. To date, I have left two (very polite, by the way) messages with the manager asking for a call back and have heard nothing. I explained that I would simply like to know why I was being blocked as a client. I can't get over the ridiculously terrible service.