NcSark in East York

The house we moved into just over 2 years ago had an old central AC unit that broke this year (it was over 20 years old). We called six different Heating and Air companies and CoreTemp pretty much blew everyone out of the water. They were the only company that didn't have to call me back or transfer me to a sales department. Richard and Janice were friendly, professional and didn't treat me like an ignorant housewife. They gave us an initial quote over the phone and when I called them back to find out how to proceed, they set up a time to come by and give me a more specific price. I was still under no obligation to go with them; their coming by was still a free estimate. Richard and his apprentice Eric came by at the scheduled time and had a look in the basement and outside and Richard thoroughly explained the work they would be doing and answered any questions I had. At no time did I feel pressured. Richard did recommend a new condensate pump (which our home inspector had also mentioned back when we bought the house) and so Richard also gave me a price for that, again with no pressure or obligation. When I mentioned that we also needed a new thermostat, he advised he would do that for free (as well as provide the thermostat). The initial quote I was given over the phone remained the same, with the exception of the additional work and parts for a condensate pump, which was great. They weren't the cheapest but their price was certainly comparable and it was very clear early on that Richard knew his stuff and I knew that I could trust him and Eric in our home. They install Ruud equipment which I wasn't familiar with but researched them and Ruud has been in business for over 100 years (they are just more common in the U.S) and their products are high quality. Once we decided to go with CoreTemp, Janice sent me an estimate in writing via email and a time was scheduled to do the installation. Richard and Eric arrived when they said they would and also finished at the time they estimated. A testament to Richard's integrity: while removing the old lines from the AC that ran side by side with the outside water line from the basement (which is unfinished so everything is open), Richard accidentally hit the water line. The pipe is still the old galvanized steel and due to erosion and just that little hit, water started to leak. Richard shut off the main water supply and informed me immediately. I called a plumber and when the plumber arrived and did the work, Richard paid for half of the plumbing repair work by taking said amount off of our AC installation price. He didn't have to do that as we know the pipes are old and need to be replaced and he certainly wasn't using any excessive force but the fact that he did that, speaks to the integrity and honesty of Richard. The new AC is running beautifully and all the lines and new disconnect box are tidy and clean looking. We ultimately went with a 13 SEER unit, 1.5 ton for our home. The labour and parts are also guaranteed for 10 years. Richard and Eric were thorough, got right to work and kept me informed at each stage. I would not hesitate to recommend Richard and his crew at CoreTemp and I can't imagine using anyone else for heating and cooling after this very positive experience.

We called Empire Electrical initially after a fuse blew in our kitchen and it wasn't attached to a breaker so we couldn't get the lights back on. John came to our home to investigate and solved the problem for us immediately. While he was here, I had some additional questions in regards to some electrical work around the house and asked for some quotes. They returned the quotes to me in two business days and even separated them by more immediate work and some that could wait. John also called Toronto Hydro to come by our home and assess our electrical service pipe which turned out wasn't to code (our electrical panel was made for 100 amps but the service pipe going into the house was only for 60 amps). He called me right away to advise of the situation. He never pushed us to do the upgrade but rather gave us his expertise and advise on what would be the more important work to do first, this being one of them. He empathized that it was more than we had planned to spend for the other, less urgent work and at no time did he pressure us to make a decision. Once we did decide to do the upgrade, an appointment was set and John and Marc-Anthony showed up on time on the day they said they would. They were efficient, professional and respectful of our home and time. When an unexpected issue came up, they informed me right away, gave me an estimate of the cost and again, never pressured me to make a decision. They simply gave me the facts and told me what my options were. When the work was finished, they cleaned up, walked me through the work they had done and advised I could call them if I had any questions about the work. I had never used Empire Electrical before but I would not hesitate to call them again. They were reliable, trustworthy and their work was excellent. Highly recommended.