Topline HVAC, Inc.

I recently had Top Line remove and replace my existing furnace and A/​C unit… and they did an amazing job of it. I live in a 3 flat in Chicago, with the A/​C on the roof. My furnace was also in a relatively awkward location (about 8′ above the floor in my wall, with an opening too small to take it out.
I had a few other companies come out to get quotes, and they all freaked out by the work that needed to be done (one company wouldn’t even give me a quote, due to the weird location of my Furnace). When I contacted Top Line, the inspector not only said the area was no problem, but also told me that the final quoted price would not change no matter how much time they needed. That was a relief for me, because to remove the unit and replace it took about three times as long as originally anticipated… through no fault of Top Line, they did an amazingly thorough and professional job of the whole thing.
The workers that came were very professional and nice, and fixed a heating & cooling problem I’ve had since purchasing my place. I would recommend this team to anyone that needs HVAC work done to their home, and I will definitely be calling them again for any work I need completed in the future.
The one issue I did have, however, was with the scheduling. There were a few times I needed to call and confirm a date that was incorrect in their system, but was easily resolved after my call. Just stay on top of the dates you have scheduled, and call a few days before to confirm. The work they did was so great, I can’t justify putting a 4 star for the scheduling hiccups that happened. Thank you very much for the work done!!!

We called Topline to do an inspection of the 2 units we have in our house since we moved in about a year ago. We had some miscommunication problems at first but eventually had a technician named Scott come out to our house. He was super nice, very courteous and professional. After seeing that we had barely any heat coming out of the second unit, he thoroughly inspected a couple of things, ran some tests and knew the problem right away. He was nice enough to fix it that day and the difference in heat was dramatic. We could tell right away that he had fixed what was broken. We were very happy we had someone that could come out on one of the coldest days.

I had a very bad experience with Topline after using them for several years. They came out and said I needed a lot of work done on my furnace and it would take half a day — costing $ 450. Well, it took 30 minutes and they still charged me $ 450. When we called to complain they wouldn’t budge on the price. Plus, they told me my furnace needs to be replaced soon but when I had it inspected by an energy company, they claim it is good for a few more years. I won’t be using them again!

During one of our chilly Chicago spring days, the boiler pipe in my building sprung a leak in two spots. After reaching out to several HVAC companies, Topline came in with the lowest quote. They replaced the 20 foot long boiler pipe in one day and offered FREE pipe insulation. Their technicians are very knowledgeable and care about doing the job right the first time.
These guys not only specialize in HVAC work, but also plumbing and electrical work! On a separate note, our catch basin clogged and as a result our boiler room became flooded with raw sewage. Topline came out at 7:30 pm to take care of the JOB! Not only did they clear out our catch basin, but they also rodded-​out our main lines. Exceptional work at an amazing price!

Summary of my experience with Topline HVAC in Skokie
My home AC hasn’t been able to keep up on warmer days for a couple of summers and I finally decided to get some expert advice. I wanted to find out if it was sized improperly for my house when it was installed 10 years ago or if it just needed a tune up, Freon or other adjustments. It is a Trane unit so I went to Trane’s website for a recommendation.
At the top of their list close to my home was a company called Topline at 4511 Oakton St in Skokie. They had good reviews on Unilocal so I called and made inquiries. Topline was very pleasant on the phone and I went over the specifics of the maintenance checklist from Trane (thorough cleaning, wet bulb/​dry bulb temperatures, etc.) and the Topline’s phone person checked with someone and assured me they were all covered on their $ 75 maintenance visit.
On the day of service the tech was supposed to arrive between 8 and 9 am. He actually arrived at 9:15 which was not a problem except that I had waited an hour and was worried that he would be a no show so I had to call them to find out what was up. A courtesy call to me that he was running late would have been appreciated. When the Topline service person started to look at my compressor/​condenser outside he tried to figure out how to open it up. When he couldn’t quite figure out how to get the sides off, he decided he would just hose it down, something I have done many times and didn’t need to pay to have done. I helped him figure out how to get the top with the fan off the unit which didn’t happen without bending the unit where we missed a screw. The inside of the condenser by the compressor was full of mud and leaves which needed to be cleaned. He didn’t have a wet/​dry vacuum or any other way to clean out the debris and he was too short to reach it. Being taller I reached down and pulled as much of the mud and leaves out as possible, ruining some clothes in the process, but I couldn’t get enough the mud out with just my hands to unplug the drain holes, so I just helped him figure out how to put it back together.
Next the tech put his refrigeration gages on the compressor lines to check the high and low side pressures. He said he wasn’t happy with the numbers he was seeing and didn’t know what was causing the discrepancy, so he called someone for advice and was told not to worry about it, it was probably OK. When I pressed him for more info, he said he thought the system was overcharged with Freon. When I asked him if he adjusted the Freon to the correct level, he said «Nah, just leave it but don’t let anyone put more Freon in it.» When I asked him about the rest of the tests Trane recommended and I had confirmed prior to scheduling the visit, he said he didn’t have the equipment but he knew someone who could come and figure it all out. I asked if he thought the system was sized right for my house considering its square footage, walls of windows, high ceilings, skylights, etc., he said the only thing that mattered was the square footage and the other stuff didn’t matter. He said for the square footage of my house the unit was plenty large enough.
I paid the tech for the service call even though my unit was still dirty and I didn’t have any answers as to why I couldn’t cool my house to a comfortable level. I called Topline after he left and spoke to another technician about my concerns. This tech at least understood thermal flows and how windows, insulation, etc., not just square footage affected sizing of HVAC units, but he was no more helpful in solving my issues. I explained to him that it was unsatisfactory to me that I was only able to cool my house down to 78 – 80 degrees on warmer days even though the AC unit ran ²⁴⁄₇ and I would like to know if it was a mechanical problem or a sizing problem. He just kept repeating that I was doing better than a lot of his customers and I should be happy with what I had. He said the heat wave wouldn’t last forever and I should just be patient. When I kept trying to rephrase the question to get some useful information, he would just tell me that I could go on calls with him to see what real problems people were having and I should be grateful my unit was working as well as it was. When I asked him about why the numbers on the gages didn’t read as expected he said not to worry. I am no refrigeration expert, but I believe the super-​heat and sub-​cooling numbers should let you know accurately if the charge is correct and within the manufacturer’s specs, not a «I think it is overcharged but leave it alone?»
I can’t imagine what kind of HVAC licenses or certifications, if any, my Topline technician had, but he was not able to help me solve my AC problems. Everyone at Topline was very pleasant, but my only option now is call someone else and start over.

My A/​C went out and I could not get in touch with my regular A/​C guy because it was outside business hours. I called Top Line (randomly) and Sam was on my roof within 3 hours (9:30pm). He diagnosed the problem quickly and returned with a new part the next morning. I found him extremely friendly and professional. I have already recommended Top Line to the rest of my building and plan on using them for any future work.

I had great service from these guys. The technician, Sam O, stayed as late as was needed, and was willing to stay through a storm to get my A/​C up and running again. I didn’t let him, but when he came back the next day, the air was running again much quicker than I thought. I called these guys on Wednesday late morning, by Thursday at 5, my system was fixed. I just sent him over to help with a neighbor, who was also having trouble with his.
I don’t know how their prices compare, I didn’t price out options, but I trust they were competitive. If not, I don’t wanna know, cause I already threw down the bucks.

Topline was nothing but helpful, courteous and smart. On ³⁄₂₃ at 1030 pm we experienced a heating problem that would only get worse through the night.
I called Topline and described the problem. The man on the phone actually walked me through some self-​repair attempts, without charge. While that didn’t work, I could tell that the man had hoped he could.
They dispatched a repairman and he arrived before the 1 hour window I was given. The man walked in, put slips on his boots so as to not track in dirt and got straight to work. He was very nice and knowledgeable. He even talked me through what he was doing to diagnose and repair the problem.
In the end, we needed a sensor replaced and he did so quickly and efficiently. The heat has worked great ever since.
After the repairman was done, he informed us that the part he installed was a universal part, which means that he had to adjust the part to fit our furnace. He explained that it would work just fine, but he would feel more comfortable if he returned at a time and date that worked for us to install the exact right part — free of charge.
Topline’s prices are right in line with the rest of HVAC repair companies I’ve found in the city, but they are better and smarter than others I’ve called.
We will be in the market for a new heating and air conditioning system in the coming years and I’ll only call Topline to do the job. My fiancée and I couldn’t be happier or more impressed.

We had two 30 year old boilers, where they decided to stop functioning as needed a few days into December where the temps hit 10 degrees :(. The house was beginning to get cold and we were getting worried. After searching the internet for a reputable furnace repair service, I was able to get in contact with James from Topline HVAC Inc. I remember thinking, I hope they can come out and fix our furnace right away but thought I would need to have to schedule to get it fixed in a few days because of the winter timing. After describing the issue with our furnace and mentioning how urgent we needed it fixed, James was able to stop by in an hour and check out the furnace prob. After running his diagnostics he mentioned the issues and their causes and quickly gave me some options. After weighing the options we decided to take the route of replacing both boilers with new high efficient worry free ones (big difference in furnace technology) and correcting the setup of the check valves rather than fixing one or two parts with no guarantee that boilers were going to go bad later this year or next since they were so old. After deciding to go with the complete project, James quickly acted to get the ball rolling by assembling a team (which included Andrew and Sam) to help orchestrate the work, obtain the new furnaces, and all needed parts in very little time. After working non stop all night to get the old furnaces out and install the new one, we were with heat again! :) we were very pleased with the outcome. Without James, Andrew and Sam’s skilled, experienced knowledge and expertise, I don’t think we would have been able to get the furnaces fixed in such little time. Thank you James, Andrew and Sam for all your hard work, dedication, professionalism in working to get our heat back online. I will always refer you guys!!!