Distinct Heating & Cooling

We decided to go with Distinct Heating & Cooling for a new AC unit because we were very impressed with the amount of detail Nate went into and the time he spent explaining our options when he came out to do the estimate.

Nate and his team did a great job on the installation of our AC unit. They were quick and very clean. We are very happy with how everything turned out.

Great service and workmanship. They did a comprehensive quote, including optional additions to make our system work better. Felt absolutely no pressure to go with them for the work or include any of the extra items. They explained why our furnace was encountering so many problems, showing where airflow was restricted and why the humidifier wasn't working. They booked us in quickly so that we would have the new furnace in before the cold weather hit, and completed the job as scheduled. They left the work space clean and were very polite to deal with. The new furnace is quieter, more efficient, and much smaller than our old one. Nate took the time to explain different models and options to figure out what worked best for our family and our budget. They were also able to custom fabricate new duct work which looks and functions far better than the old setup did. Outstanding company to work with.

Finally I have some time to write the review (sorry, folks) and doing it with great pleasure.
Let me begin by saying that recently I had a very unpleasant experience with a local business (unfortunately!) and was very cautious about making the decision hiring someone to install central air conditioner.
Nate is great! I would like to believe that in all the years working with different technologies I've developed a decent sense for either dishonesty or embellishment when it comes down to sales speeches. There was none of that here! I would definitely call Distinct Heating and Cooling a top quality very affordable company.
I also decided to replace my existing humidifier control and the old thermostat with Honeywell Total Control product with remote control and external sensor - money well spent! That added a good chunk to the cost. Without it the cost would be quite lower. The job that Nate and the crew did is very clean and professional. Nate showed some examples of poor job and it looked awful. I saw similar pictures on different forums when I was doing research and too true - a lot of angry folks out there because of that).
At first I was waiting to get through some decent heat wave to write the review, so I could really test the system (then got super busy with work.. not making excuses!;)).
So the answer is - YES, it works great as advertised. Here is what I find kind of interesting - it doesn't matter how hot it is inside, air conditioner drops 0.5 degree in 5 minutes. Often I would come home and it's about 27 degrees inside. Also depending on if it's a sunny day or partly cloudy (it does make a huge difference - on sunny days walls radiate noticeable heat), it would drop down to 24 degrees in about 20-25-30 minutes. But (here is the good part), while maintaining the house cool, it doesn't turn often even on sunny days.
During the last heatwave we had, my outside sensor showed 38-39 degrees (it's behind something but on the sunny afternoon side) and it was super comfortable inside and the unit would turn on, run for a couple of minutes, not much longer, and then it sits quite for a while.

Thanks again to Nate and the Company.

P.S.
We'll see how it turns back on after winter, but I have faith!:)

Great service from start to finish and installation was very professional. Very knowledgeable and completed job on time and on budget, no surprises. Would highly recommend them to anyone considering looking to have any HVAC work done.

I took a while to write this review just so that I could make sure everything was OK, we have had our AC unit now for approx 3 months now.

We called Nate for a quote based on the HomeStars reviews that Distinct had received. Nate was professional and courteous throughout the process, he was very upfront that they might be a little more expensive but explained why as well. (You can see the struggle in Nate trying to sell his services, while trying not to sound arrogant and he never put another company down for their practices. He is simply confident in his guys doing the job correctly and the practices they follow.) After we had received all our quotes we ended up choosing Distinct as their quote was not far off as they recommended a smaller unit then everyone else had (3 ton vs 3.5, that even during the 30+ degree weather we were having did not tax the AC unit in the least, it was still shutting off so the unit certainly was not undersized). Distinct was the only company that took window measurements and coverings into consideration as they use some software to size the units.

The installers came by and they were both fantastic, they were polite, made sure that everything was clean and tidy and all was working well. They had even taken the time to clean up the previous humidifier install so that everything was run cleanly, they do not just look at the job they are doing, but how to make sure they leave everything better.

A few days later Nate came by for the walk through/check and he made time to add in the internet controller for the thermostat (that I decided on last minute) and got it set up and running. He did a great job of explaining the thermostat and how it worked with the other sensors and answered all the questions I had.

We had one small issue of a loose screw on the unit that was making noise, when I talked to Nate he wanted to look at it right away and not leave it, I was not too concerned as I had removed the screw and noise stopped. (This was a manufacturing issue, not an install issue) The installer that came back to fix it was great as well, he replaced the screw but could not match it so he ran to Home Depot to get screws for the rest of the holes so that they would match, as the ones he could get were chrome, he painted them to look as close to stock as possible. I honestly would have been fine with them mismatched but this just showed me that these guys really do treat your equipment as their own, they want it done right, the way they would want it done themselves (techs words).

As every transaction is not perfect, the only negative we had was that we waited a week or so before getting back to them as we were getting other quotes and they filled up quickly with all the 30 degree weather bumping our install out a couple more weeks, our fault not theirs for being busy :)

I am in a new development and having dealt with some of the poor quality, low service contractors, this experience was a nice change of pace. These guys go out of their way to make you happy and from what I see, do excellent work. They leave things better than they were, not just in and out to finish their job as fast as possible. (This is a compliment to Nate for hiring guys that care as much as he does) Maybe Distinct is a little more pricey? I don't think by much if at all, the quality places were all about the same price. The discount places were cheaper, but when they tell me they install in 4hrs or less and the quality places say it is a full day install, I question the discount guys quality. With the level of service they provide, I will certainly use their services in the future to keep my furnace and AC in top shape. Nice to see contractors still caring about service in Calgary and surrounding area, we are in Okotoks.

From the free consultation to the end of installation, Nate Burlando and his team were courteous, friendly, professional and did an amazing job. Our home is now comfortable to live in, even on the hottest day of the year! All my questions were answered and the workers tidied up afterwards. My place was left tidier than when they first came to install the A/C unit!

We contacted Nate on a recommendation to get a tune up on our furnace and to look into our air conditioning, which wasn't effectively cooling our house. Nate identified a number of deficiencies with our system (ie humidifier was not connected) and made done recommendations. We ended up getting our furnace replaced in advance of needing an emergency repair/replacement. Nate abs his crew were punctual, professional and extremely helpful. We would recommend them to anyone and would hire them again in the future.

Talked to Nate in June and had our installation booked for July 2. They planned to take 3 days to complete everything and they were accurate. The installation went great and the installers were very, very good. They did everything to spec. All in all we are very satisfied with the service and the products. The day after the install Nate came back and inspected the work, but more importantly showed us how everything worked. Great Job!!

Nate clearly explained the choice of A/C units and the importance of the high quality installation process that Distinct Heating and Cooling provides. Two, and for part of the time, three technicians worked 2 full days to install our 2 units, rather than the 1/2 day another company quoted. The workmanship is exceptional. My father, an engineer looked at the duct work and piping they did in the furnace room and was blown away by the high quality workmanship and materials. There were no corners cut here! The technicians are exceptionally courteous, respectful and professional! They left the furnace room cleaner than they found it. After the installation, Nate came over with a printed sheet of maintenance and operation instructions. He explained in simple detail how to use our A/C units to prevent any damage to them. We are so glad that we chose Distinct!

I originally heard about Distinct Heating & Cooling when I was searching on Homestars to find a good company to install my air conditioning. Distinct Heating and cooling stuck out as they were ranked 10 out of 10 (I was a skeptic I though this couldn't be right). After the first meeting with Nate I knew we would be we'd be taken care of. He took the time to go through everything and also helped us with a badly placed humidifier on our furnace (it was leaking into our furnace and rusting it). The guys did a great job with the installation, it's the little things that make a big difference. The job looks like it was always there and not like an after the fact bolt on (it actually looks better in the workmanship and attention to detail than the original work does to be perfectly honest). The draining pipe they used is an actual pipe instead of a flimsy hose and perfectly tied in to the existing furnace. The air conditioner is on an actual mounting bracket to the house instead of a pad. I could go on but you probably get the drift. If you want it done right Nate and his guys will take good care of you. On the couple of hot days we've had since the install I've been a very happy (and cool) satisfied customer. Thanks again to Nate and the crew!