In the middle of a brutal Minnesota winter, Ashleigh Hampton returned from a trip to discover something no homeowner ever wants to face—her house was freezing. Literally.
It was February 18th, and the temperature inside her home had plummeted to 26 degrees! Her thermostat was blank, the furnace wasn’t running, and panic quickly set in. With dangerous temperatures outside and no heat inside, time was of the essence.
A Frustrating First Call
Ashleigh’s first call was to a large Twin Cities HVAC provider. You’ve probably seen their billboards around town—from I-94 to I-494 and everywhere in between.
When said technician arrived, he proceeded to give her a laundry list of concerning issues: a supposed gas leak from her recently installed water heater, a broken furnace door switch, and a filthy evaporator coil from previous owners.
According to them, her 18-year-old furnace wasn’t worth saving.
The quote?
💰 Over $5,200 for repairs (with no guarantee it would fix the issue).
💰 Up to $17,000 to replace the system entirely—but only if she committed on the spot.
The pressure was on.
The technician asked repeatedly if she was ready to move forward with the work that same day. Ashleigh, thankfully, trusted her instincts and decided she needed a second opinion.
Enter Binder Heating & Air
That second opinion came through a trusted colleague, who immediately recommended Binder Heating & Air. Ashleigh gave Binder a call, and they quickly dispatched Mike, one of their top technicians, who arrived within an hour.
And that’s where things changed.
Mike’s approach was different from the start. He got to work immediately and within 10 minutes, Ashleigh’s furnace roared back to life.
Honest Answers, No Pressure
Yes, the door switch was faulty—something that could have been addressed earlier, just to get the heat back on. But unlike the previous company, Binder didn’t use scare tactics or pressure sales techniques. Mike explained what was going on, showed Ashleigh how her furnace worked, talked her through filter maintenance, and carefully walked her through the original diagnosis to clarify which parts of it were valid and which were unnecessary at that moment.
Eventually, Binder did quote her for a new system—for significantly less than the original provider—but they made it clear there was no pressure to decide right away.
For Ashleigh, the biggest difference was how she was treated:
“It was evident their goal was just to get me heat so my family could sleep in a safe home. Mike showed up with a level of customer service excellence that is rarely seen.”
Mike didn’t come to sell—he came to help. He came with compassion, transparency, and expertise. And that made all the difference.
You Deserve a Second Opinion Too
At Binder Heating & Air, we believe every homeowner deserves the truth—not high-pressure sales tactics or inflated quotes. Whether you’re facing a no-heat emergency or have been told it’s time to replace your system, it never hurts to get another perspective.
You never know, it could save you thousands of dollars!
Need a second opinion on a recent HVAC quote?
Let’s take a look before you commit. Click here to learn more and see why so many Twin Cities homeowners trust Binder to give it to them straight, with compassion and care.
If we aren’t your first call, we should be your second opinion!
This blog post is based on a real testimonial provided by Ashleigh Hampton. She was not paid or incentivized in any way to share her experience.
