Distinct Heating & Cooling

Distinct HVAC’s high ratings caught my eye on HomeStars while reviewing companies to assess and estimate my furnace and AC needs. We added them to our list of five companies whom we would invite into our home. Very quickly it became apparent who would and who would not make the list.

One was erased from the list quickly due to assuming, instead of asking, what we wanted done. Another did not know Calgary code so they were removed from our short list. A third was incredibly slow at getting back to us; when they finally did, they overwhelmed us with alternatives. We struck them from the list too. The fourth company wanted to help us save money by having us source a furnace from one big box store to save a bit while they would source the AC themselves. It seemed a bit awkward but was manageable. There was nothing bad about the company or the salesman. We also had Distinct HVAC in to talk about our needs.

Nate showed up on time; accurately assessed our needs; thoroughly explained all the facets of heating, cooling, filtration, and humidity; carefully took measurements; provided an appropriate number of options; and quoted us for exactly what we needed. No, he wasn’t the lowest bid, but would you trust your home comfort to the lowest bidder? You get what you pay for, as is the case in all of life.

His techs showed up when promised; cleaned up (literally vacuumed the work areas and stairs with their own vacuum) after finishing each day; and installed everything in a very aesthetically pleasing yet mechanically sound fashion. My dad, a gas fitter, and former maintenance supervisor at a gas plant in the foothills west of Calgary was very impressed.

When Nate came to do the post installation walk-through, he carefully showed and explained to me all of the important physical aspects of our new comfort system (AC breaker, furnace filter, humidifier filter and water valve setting; the manuals). I almost forgot— his tech broke the light switch cover during his work. so the first thing Nate did when we entered the mechanical room was to replace it with one he brought. Nice!

He also explained in great detail the use of the Ecobee3 system control unit. He detailed why he made certain settings and why we might want to alter them, based on our personal comfort preferences. He setup reminders for the filters and annual system maintenance as well to ensure a long life for our new system.

He also carefully reviewed the summer and winter checklist for the AC unit so that I understood its importance.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience. I highly recommend Nate, the two installers Landon and Kristian. as well as Lori, the coordinator who kept us in the loop all the way through the process.

Start with Nate. Don’t bring him in last.