Polar Bear

I had great experiences with Polar Bear over the past decade, so when my HVAC failed to ignite after the weather turned colder this Fall, I called them again. I'm so glad that I did. Jackie is the most gracious, professional, and capable customer service rep; she had a technician to me first thing in the morning to accommodate my work schedule. Polar Bear's technician, Alex, arrived exactly on time and was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and entirely informative about the problem (a bad sensor), the cost, and the warranty protection.

It is so nice to have a technician who explains everything and works (really) efficiently to fix the issue for the long term. Alex diagnosed the issue and had my HVAC fixed in no time, and it immediately started working well. My house was warm within minutes. Once again, Polar Bear has my highest recommendation, and I'll hire Polar Bear for any future HVAC work.

I have been a customer of Polar Bear for several years for both my own residence and a rental property. Friendly and reliable service and every effort made to come out when urgent due to very hot or cold weather when there are many other callers seeking service. Services:HVAC system maintenance, Heating system installation, Heating system maintenance

We purchased a home where Polar Bear installed the HVAC. Our first hot DC day we turn on the AC and our top floor never dropped below hell fire. It is so bad, you can feel a distinct temperature change going up the stairs. We called a HVAC friend who said Polar didn't install large enough returns, the output were in the wrong spots and one return in the main bedroom didn't work!

Their recommendation was to install a window unit instead of reopening walls. The hose that connects the fan to the HVAC looks shoddy and has patches! The previous owners spent 5500 and we paid the price for Polars shoddy work.

Angel was superb at figuring out the problem, treating it properly and discussing options for the future. Thank you for your advice! Service:HVAC maintenance

Polar Bear installed a ductless mini-split for us and they were some of the best contractors that I have ever dealt with. We needed to convert a sun room into a home office. A sales rep came out to discuss options and look at the space. He walked through all the details from where the unit would go to the conduit lines. When the unit we ordered couldn't be delivered, they upgraded our unit at their expense. Great company, highly recommended!

Our heater stopped working and it very cold in our house. Polar Bear did come out on a Sunday in a timely manner. The owner seemed friendly. He was wearing a mask but it kept coming down as he was talking so it was pointless. He told me I needed a new furnace costing $5200. My furnace is only 10 years old, we bought a very good model and was told it would last 15 to 20 years.

He told a very inappropriate political joke during our conversation and is very good at selling. He went on and on about why it wasn't worth repairing. I thanked him and decided on a second opinion. The next day another company came in and repaired it for $750.00 and assured me the furnace will be good for another 10 years. The parts they repaired were not even close to what Polar Bear said was wrong with it. Buyer beware and always get a second opinion. I do not recommend Polar Bear!

I hired Polar Bear to replace my entire heat pump system back in December after recommendations from some of my neighbors. I received a total of five estimates and Polar Bear was the least expensive amongst the companies, but not the sole proprietor estimate. Scheduling the estimate and work was quick and efficient. Day of install went very smoothly and the crew finished the installation just before the time they predicted.

The crew was respectful of my home, laying down protection on the floors and being clean. It's been almost four months and the system performed perfectly through this cold winter. I had zero problems post-install and they didn't have to come back for adjustments/fixes of any sort. I'm very satisfied with their value and quality of work and highly recommend them.

Unprofessional and Rude. 1. Offered to respond same-day on the phone but then waited over the weekend to respond. 2. Wanted nearly $300 to do a diagnostic which had already been completed video'd and written up. 3. Was rude on the phone. Not interested in discussing. Hung up on me. Dealt with Sherry. Probably wouldn't hire or recommend Polar bear to do the job if they were half the price of their competitors at this point. Good luck.

Polar Bear Air Conditioning and Heating Inc has been our HVAC service provider since 2013. Very professional and dependable service from the administrative office staff and service technicians. Angel and Alex are the best service technicians! The staff is very responsive to our needs no matter what the issue. We highly recommend them!

We contracted Polar Bear for a complete central A/C install. The entire process was smooth! They communicated exceptionally well, were very friendly, and most importantly - DELIVERED WHAT THEY PROMISED! Polar Bear is exactly the kind of small business that you hope you encounter. Strongly recommend them as they know their trade and do everything to give you what you need at a great value. Cannot say enough positive things about Joe, James, Edwin and the entire group that helped to update our home! Thanks Guys!

With a rental in downtown Washington DC, it is sometimes difficult to get contractors to come down due to lack of parking and traffic. This company was so great. I called in the morning and due to a cancellation, they were able to get a technician to our place within 4 hours. They arrived on time, fixed the problem and then were on their way! Could not have been happier. In fact, I have recommended them for a major project with our property manager. I will definitely use them again.

Very friendly team and easy to schedule. Purchased the 2x annual service contract. The first AC inspection went smoothly, although the technician didnt really clean anything (just made sure everything in working order). Suggested I use a hose to clean the condenser on my own - had hoped they would do this. My unit started leaking a few months later, causing some minor flooding in my basement. Had to call Polar Bear a few times over the weekend before they confirmed that they don't send anyone out on Sat or Sun. Was able to get an appt on Monday afternoon - no real harm done, but would have been nice if they were upfront on timeline (esp for "priority service" per my service contract). Technician very quickly identified the core issue and getting an estimate for a new system one day later. Overall, pretty happy with Polar Bear - customer service very pleasant, technicians on-time and very nice / to the point.

This fall, when my 20 year old gas boiler would not fire up upon first use, I contacted Polar Bear to take a look. Their response was incredibly quick, with a tech dispatched on Monday afternoon based on a Sunday evening email. The tech arrived promptly, worked efficiently, was knowledgeable and willing to answer all my questions on boiler operation. Fortunately, the problem turned out to be minor (pilot light out), but it is re-assuring to know I can confidently turn to Polar Bear when I have HVAC needs.

We had a great experience with Polar Bear. We called them in the middle of a heat wave and they had a technician out to us the next day. The technician was on-time, courteous and quick. He diagnosed the problem in a few minutes, fixed it on the spot, and made recommendations for future maintenance of our system. Also, the employee who answered the phone and scheduled the visit was very courteous and helpful. All in all, we are extremely satisfied and will use them in the future for any heating and AC problems.

It's all about a positive attitude Communicating with the Sherry can be a challenge if you voice a concern or frustration she will let you have it! Horrible customer service rude and so unprofessional Stay away Took my business elsewhere

Joe and his team were fantastic in replacing our old HVAC Units. I really appreciated Joe's willingness to hop on the phone with me whenever I had questions about the estimate or the work being done. He was very patient and never overbearing. The work was done correctly and quickly. The price was competitive compared to other quotes I received.

Probably more indicative of the customer service at Polar Bear, I had to call Joe a year after the work had been done to pick his brain about an attic renovation that might have had some impact on the HVAC system. Even though the question wasn't going to lead to any more business for Polar Bear, Joe took the time to answer my questions about the potential impact of the renovation on the HVAC system. Truly appreciated his high level of customer service! Would definitely use Polar Bear again!

Had Polar Bear out to look at my ac unit that was two years old and stopped working. After less than 5 minutes of looking at the unit they stated there was a leak and I would need to spend an additional $1700 to find the leak and they could not give me an estimate of what it would take to repair. They also could not do the test for two more weeks. I called another company who completely solved the issue for a fraction of the cost within the week.

I am thrilled with the superb job that Edwin & Carlos did replacing the furnace at my home in Arlington. They are good guys, as well as excellent Technicians. The new furnace is cranking, the installation looks magnificent. They didn't leave one speck of dirt or dust behind, despite relocating my thermostat onto another piece of wall. Their communication was impressive.

They called me when they were arriving, and they were right on time as promised. They kept me apprised as the day went on. They are total professionals. I have referred your company to many other people & entities, residential & commercial, and I will continue to recommend Polar Bear HVAC with great enthusiasm. It is difficult to find honest, ethical, reasonably-priced firms that perform excellent work.

Your locally owned company is truly one of those firms that has a standard of excellence that is far beyond every HVAC company that I've ever dealt with in the past 30 years here in northern Virginia. Many thanks!

Polar Bear replaced my air conditioning system in an historic DC row house. The old system leaked and was unreliable, especially on very hot days where it just wasn't cutting it. New system is great and much more efficient. There were some access issues, but they were able to get permission from the neighboring owner. The whole swap out took 5 - 6 hours so were up and running by the end of the day and had normal cooling by that evening. Joe the owner is a nice guy easy to work with.

Joe and his team did a great job installing a new boiler and central AC in my large DC rowhouse. They were easy to reach and stayed on schedule with the project. I would highly recommend their services for a local and knowledgeable HVAC company.

I highly recommend Polar Bear Air Conditioning and Heating for AC installation. I own a 1913 row house in Washington DC and after eight long hot summers, I finally decided to have central AC installed. After getting estimates from multiple companies in the area, I decided on Polar Bear. Joe Kelly, the owner, provided exceptional ideas for installing central air in my older home.

The duct work went through the attic and walls, so no exterior ducts with drywall were needed. Mr. Kelly offered the best, most competitive price. Communication with Mr. Kelly and his crew was easy. I didn't have any concerns about the crew working in my house and they were respectful of my space and pets. The project was completed ahead of schedule. I'm very pleased with this investment of AC from Polar Bear and look forward to enjoying a cool, comfortable house next summer.

The technician was very nice, but was unprepared to service my HVAC unit. Simply sprayed a chemical cleaning agent on the units coils and hosed down the outside unit. Did not actually clean / service the unit as requested and when I brought this up to him, claimed that the dispatches didnt leave him enough time to actually do the job and that I would have to make another appointment. Needless to say since the only reason I called was for them to come clean the unit am very disappointed. Recommend using someone else.

Polar Bear just installed a new air conditioning system at our Capitol Hill row house. I was absolutely thrilled by the customer service, responsiveness, and quality of installation. When we first noticed issues with our ~25 year-old AC system, we called in Polar Bear for a repair/replacement estimate. The service technician and estimator were incredibly knowledgeable about the system we had installed, but unfortunately for us, we needed a complete replacement.

I called around to several other cooling and heating companies for additional estimates. It was an expensive replacement involving a rooftop condenser (requiring a crane, which not every heating/cooling company will do). Not only was Polar Bear the most responsive (the estimator James immediately responded to calls and questions at about any hour of the day), they also offered a very competitive rate.

On the day of the install, the service team showed up on time, completed all of the work in a very tight utility closet without any damage to the surrounding walls, and finished ahead of schedule. They moved our thermostat and upgraded us to a programmable wifi version (which we absolutely love), and took plenty of time to walk me through all of the preventive maintenance and operation instructions for the system.

There are a lot of companies in the residential HVAC market in the DC area, and Polar Bear seemed to have a great blend of the expertise you'd expect in a large company, and the friendly service and responsiveness you'd expect from a local business. I give them a high recommendation for anyone looking for similar services.

Polar came out to fix a broken A/C unit. They are prompt and got the job done. My only feedback/concern is they are expensive, specifically with parts mark-up. The part they replaced can be purchased for $20-30 and they billed me $180 for it, seems excessive. I called and complained and they applied a $25 coupon, which was nice but still an expensive mark-up.

They will also added a $59 "travel charge" which she said is standard in the business but I have not seen this fee before when working with service techs. All in, we paid $275 to replace a $30 part and 45 minutes work.

Polar Bear deserves EVERY STAR possible for the level of customer service, quality of work, and honesty that they provide to their clients. Joe Kelly, the owner, is genuinely one of the most knowledgable and helpful people we've ever worked with. You can tell that he truly cares about his clients and his team and that's what makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE because they all go above and beyond to actually meet your needs rather than just trying to sell you on some high-end unit.

We feel very lucky and thankful that we came across Joe and his team two years ago when one of our furnaces died during the middle of a horrible snowstorm. We had several companies try to overcharge us and up-sell us on more expensive units than we needed. Thankfully, Joe came out and provided us with an honest assessment of our needs and options and gave us an incredibly fair quote.

His team installed the new furnace the next day! Since then, we've gone back to Polar Bear to replace our second furnace and both of our AC units (all were 15+ years old). Each and every time, Joe gave us an honest assessment, a fair quote, and his team always came in and got the job done without leaving a trace (even in the middle of a snow storm and the pouring rain, they even brought their own shoe covers!).

They are always considerate and stand by their work! A huge shout out to Edwin, Rodolfo, John, Angel, and the rest of the team for such amazing work. Our only wish is that Polar Bear provided other home services because it's difficult to find such trustworthy companies/contractors in DC. We will always use Polar Bear for our HVAC needs and would highly recommend them for yours, too!

Scathing customer service & accountability. Call Priority Mechanical Engineers if you want an honest job well done! Contacted Polar Bear to service a furnace that was not working. They take a credit card upon booking an appointment, and will charge you! The day service was scheduled, I was contacted and informed the tech could not find the service address address. Then, I was told the tech would return. Nothing.

The tech then showed up unscheduled two days later, and told my resident that the furnace was leaking carbon monoxide and must be replaced immediately. This company a scam, from what I have seen in other reviews, I am glad they will not be installing my HVAC. I am a property manager, who manages several apartment buildings throughout DC and VA. Priority Mechanical Engineers is my go-to.

Priority came and serviced the same unit, and performed tests to confirm it was not leaking carbon monoxide. Ridiculous that these people would lie & scare someone into a job. And charged me $119 for the service I did NOT receive. Stay away from these scam artists!

Thanks for your prompt installation of all 3 new heat pump systems in my Bed and Breakfast. Your men did a great job installing all three zones in one day! I couldn't believe how neatly and efficiently they worked

Wow! Couldn't be more pleased with this service. 1) Arrived in the early part of the two-hour arrival window. 1) Diagnosed the problem (semi-major water leaking from compressor unit) in no time and explained how there were really three steps involved (bad filter led to dirt accumulation which led to clog in drain trap which led to water backflow onto my floor). 3) Cleared out the drainage trap in no time (even though it was a custom PVC pipe job when installed). 4) Then, explained that my electric filter doesn't work and took the time to look up the non-electric replacement filter I need ON AMAZON and SHOW IT TO ME ON HIS SMART PHONE. Seriously?

Who gives this kind of service these days? 5) Not cheap but totally worth the money to have a definitive diagnosis and a no-nonsense implement-immediately solution. Really pleased. Thanks, Alex!

Joe Kelly and his techs did a great job. They worked on a challenging space, and completed the install and cleaned up according to schedule.

Polar Bear Air is very responsive and friendly, until they get your money. I am beyond angry and frustrated at my experience with Polar Bear. They installed a brand new a/c, furnace, and hot water heater in my home a few weeks ago on a Friday. By Saturday morning, the a/c was leaking water onto our floor and throughout the HVAC closet. And because of this error in installation, by Sunday the BRAND NEW hot water heater was damaged and we were without hot water.

My husband called their answering service 3 times over the weekend and did not even get a call back. He explained to the dispatcher that our a/c was actively leaking onto our basement floor and they could not even bother to respond. Once the hot water heater broke (due entirely to the poor installation job of Polar Bear), we called again, telling them that we needed hot water and had had them install a brand new hot water heater 24 hour earlier. Still, this was apparently not a big enough deal to warrant a call back.

I was hosting a party on Sunday afternoon and could not shower, do dishes, or do laundry. I have two small children who I could not bathe for four days. We eventually had to reserve a hotel room just to be clean enough to go to work on Monday and so our kids could bathe. Again, this is all after we just paid Polar Bear more than $8,000 to install a BRAND NEW system.

I am completely regretting ever doing business with Polar Bear. The fact that the system they installed did not even last 24 hours is unimaginable, but the total and utter lack of customer service is completely reprehensible. All we have gotten from Polar Bear is a few meaningless apologies. We are brand new customers. I would think they would want to start off by impressing us, not by doing shoddy work, then failing to fix their mistakes in an appropriate and timely manner, and by ignoring our repeated calls for assistance.

I was waiting to post this, expecting someone from the company to call and apologize for this horrible performance, but no one has bothered to check in or issue an apology. I highly suggest you STAY AWAY from Polar Bear Air!

Polar Bear has been by far the most capable, efficient, and customer service-oriented HVAC company that I've hired since I bought my house in 2003. Polar Bear most recently completed an entire HVAC installation (June 2015), along with removing my old units.

Came same day when our ac broke last week. $130 seemed a fair price. Their fix didn't work but they came back the next day and fixed it (again) for free. A good firm. Polite and helpful people on the phone. Would use them again and recommend.

Friendly service, the crew showed up on time, installed the entire Rheem system and hot water tank and finished in just a few hours and left no mess. Great job, Thanks!

Just received my latest electric bill. and it is SO MUCH LESS than it has ever been. This has held true for several months. We love our new heat pump!