J.A. Bertsch Heating and Cooling

19 days without heat: A breakdown in service and communication I have been a loyal customer of J.A. Bertsch for years, and they originally installed my HVAC unit. Until recently, I was very satisfied, but a recent service experience during a North Idaho winter was deeply disappointing. My heater failed on 12/22, and a technician arrived on 12/24. Because I was out of town for the next two days, I assumed the repair was being handled. I returned on 12/26 to find my condo in the 40s. It was only then—after I initiated the call—that I was informed a different part was required and would take 7–10 days to arrive. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this information was placed on the invoice that was emailed. I my opinion, not being able to fix a broken furnace warrants a call or text at minimum to make a homeowner aware of a lack of heat in the middle of winter. Over the following three weeks, I experienced several significant issues: Communication: I had to initiate almost every follow-up call. On 1/9, I called twice for an update and received no return call at all. Lack of Solutions: By 1/7, after two weeks without heat, I asked about alternative parts or replacing the unit entirely. No solutions or explanations were offered; I was simply told to continue waiting. Manufacturer Guidance: I eventually called the manufacturer myself. They informed me that after 7 days of "undue burden," the installer should have requested a replacement unit. I attempted to relay this to J.A. Bertsch, but my calls went unreturned. Pricing Discrepancies: On 1/11 (19 days after the initial discovery), the part arrived. Despite a written estimate from 12/24 stating the part was under warranty ($0 cost), I was told I must pay $400 for the repair to proceed. Having lived in a freezing home for nearly three weeks, I felt I had no choice but to pay this unexplained fee. While the company offered a $50 discount after I escalated the issue, it did little to offset the stress and the cost of running space heaters for 19 days. I have always valued this company’s service in the past, but the lack of urgency and the communication failures during this event were unacceptable. Update 2/2/2026 Since posting this review, new management has reached out, and taken ownership of the communication failures described above. While the original situation was extremely difficult and should not have occurred, I do want to acknowledge that the current leadership made a genuine effort to address the issue. They communicated directly, listened to concerns, and provided financial restitution in an effort to make things right. I appreciate the professionalism shown during the resolution process. The experience itself was unfortunately very challenging, but I believe it’s important to recognize when a company takes meaningful steps toward accountability and improvement.

These guys did an excellent job. Very thorough to explain things, friendly and very efficient with time of install. We had our hot water tank, AC and furnace all done in one day. They were so kind to give us the option of an earlier appointment when someone else changed theirs. it is wonderful that they have an annual check up a year later to make sure everything‘s running right. Highly recommend this company for anything heat related.