About Reliance Holmes Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing
Help customers and shoppers in Ottawa find your business. For more information on our listings, advertising, coupons, and mailers, please contact us today! Let’s get you started and add your business!
Update - Complaint filed with BBB Reliance Holmes - Questionable Practices Cost me NEW Furnace March 12, 2025- During a Furnace Failure Service call, by Reliance Homes. The Service Technician claimed I had a "secondary" Heat Exchanger, that was deemed to be " In Bad Shape". The tech got our furnace running again, after cleaning a "Flame Sensor". I returned to the furnace room where he had already taken pictures and taped up the duct. I was shown photos of Large Cracks in the Primary Heat Exchanger. I was with them for 15 minutes while a CO2 test was running. NO DANGEROUS LEVEL DETECTED. I was told they required another 15 minutes to complete the test. I left and came back. The Reliance Homes Tech then told me the reading jumped to 8ppm, they had already shutdown my furnace and A- Red Tagged my Furnace with Enbridge. I asked why I was NOT told to come and see this claimed, "dangerous reading", and if they could run the test with me present. I was told it was "too dangerous a safety issue". They also informed me SALES was notified for a replacement. They left, and we were without heat, or any space heaters. A Reliance Holmes Sales rep came that evening and discussed pricing. He did not offer any "Space Heaters". When the OLD furnace was removed, I asked the technicians if they would confirm the Issue with the "BOTH Primary & Secondary" Heat Exchangers. They told me that there was NO VISIBLE DAMAGE to either Primary or Secondary Heat Exchangers. Interestingly, when I showed them where the Reliance Holmes Technician drilled the hole for the camera & photos, it was where the Primary Heat exchanger is located. The Service order claimed the damage was of the "secondary", which is at the bottom of the furnace. Next, I then had a licensed gas technician come to my home, to examine the "secondary" Heat Exchanger, and upon inspection, found no "visible"signs of rust, corrosion,cracks, or holes, that were in the photos, shown to me, by the Reliance Holmes Technician. I have tried for over a month, to have someone from RELIANCE HOLMES send me the "Photos", or come to my home to show me theses "Photos" of the "VISIBLE" damage. Reliance Customer Service told me they cannot send the photos due to "Privacy Policy". March 31, 2025 - a Reliance Holmes Service Manager scheduled a meeting at my home to show me the photos. They NEVER showed up. April 2, 2025 A second meeting was scheduled but was cancelled, last minute. I was then told that their manager wanted to discuss the situation prior to any visit. Never heard back from the Service Manager. Would not respond to phone or text. I finally received a note from a Reliance "Customer Resolution Specialist that said..."After reaching out to the service manager and conducting a further review, Reliance stands by the assessment that our technician performed their job correctly." If I would have known I could have my gas turned back on by Enbridge, for a "second opinion", it would have saved me replacing my furnace. Also knowing that the Reliance Holmes technicians receive a "Referral Bonus" for Sales of equipment, raises concerns about their practices and legality. As stated by another similar review, I do feel terrible that this type of situation could impact people with low incomes or the elderly. After receiving legal Advice, I will be pursuing this in court. ****UPDATE**** Since the offer from Karen Bisson to assist, I sent photos of my Heat Exchangers, and Reliance sent me photos that were NOT what the tech showed me. I offered to bring my furnace to the Reliance Homes Service location. Here is the response from Karen Gibson of Reliance…. Hi Chris, Thank you for your patience. Our service manager has reviewed the pictures you sent. We stand by our technician's findings; he acted in the best interest of your family's safety. Thank you, karen bisson | OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT RELIANCEHOMECOMFORT.COM 2 Lansing Square, 11th Floor Toronto, Ontario, M2J 4P8
I was not home when service persons arrived at shortly after 11:00 am. The appointment was scheduled for between 1-6 pm. I specifically made the appointment for when I’d be home because my wife isn’t familiar with anything connected to plumbing. As a result the shortcuts taken did not solve the problem of the faulty flush valve. The toilet is very difficult to flush and requires great pressure to do so. The faulty valve should have been replaced. Not happy with the completed work at all. Image one is how it should be, image two is how they left (repaired) it.
Beware of unscrupulous practices by certain Reliance technicians who may attempt to scam you by shutting off your gas furnace, leaving you in cold without providing space heaters, issuing a red tag, and claiming your heat exchanger is cracked, rusted, or has holes. They may show saved pictures on their camera tool as "proof," insisting that your furnace is unsafe due to a carbon monoxide leak. This manipulative tactic is often used to pressure homeowners into purchasing a new furnace, even though most heat exchangers come with a 20-year manufacturer warranty. Here’s what I experienced: I had a heating and cooling maintenance plan with Reliance and scheduled an annual furnace maintenance. The technician (MAX) claimed my heat exchanger had cracks, showing me saved images as evidence and due to Carbon Monoxide leak is unsafe to run. He failed to mention the heat exchanger's 20-year warranty or measured flue CO level and instead quoted $2,000 for the part and $2,000 for labor to replace it. The following day, their salesperson came to my home trying hard to sell me a $6000 new furnace. Skeptical of their claims, I sought a second opinion. A licensed gas technician removed the heat exchanger, and upon inspection, we found no signs of rust, cracks, or holes, contradicting what the Reliance technician (MAX) had claimed. However, to clear the red tag and restore our furnace, we were forced to replace the heat exchanger—even though it was in perfect condition and submit the cleared red tag to Enbridge Goodman, the furnace manufacturer, generously honored the warranty, covering the part. However, I still had to pay $500 for labor and endured three days without heat. This experience exposed the deceptive tactics some companies use, abusing their authority to disconnect furnaces unnecessarily. Stay vigilant and don’t fall into their trap. Always get a second opinion before agreeing to costly repairs or replacements. I completed a survay sent automatically next day, received a phone call from their service manager and he was suppose to call me back never did. It seems the company using this tactic to push their tech to do more sales. Rest assured, I will be reporting this incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the Ontario Energy Board, the TSSA, the local police department, and the Better Business Bureau. It’s deeply concerning to think about how many vulnerable elderly individuals might fall victim to this predatory strategy.
I recently had an issue with my furnace during the winter, and I was fortunate enough to have ADAM as the technician from Reliance Holmes. He was not only on time, but also extremely helpful in explaining the situation and what needed to be done to fix it. He thoroughly described the necessary repairs, which made me feel confident in the process. The parts required for the repair were delivered within 3 working days, and ADAM made sure everything was sorted out quickly and efficiently. It's clear that Reliance Holmes is lucky to have such a dedicated and professional technician on their team. I truly appreciate his expertise and the care he took to ensure everything was working properly. Highly recommend!
Service call to remove an old hot water tank and install a new one took 2 days for the appt .. 1st appt Thursday .. a.m. office called needed to move to pm as needed to go to warehouse to get a tank.. 2) p.m. appt cancelled as ran out of tanks at warehouse. new appt Mondsy 1-5 pm . 3) Monday pm appt tech arrived at 5:50 pm installed tank but dolly battery failed so could not remove tank &.needs to come back next day to remove it. I also asked tech to reconfirm temp to keep at approx 125/120 degrees. Tech called office to arrange a pick up time for the old tank. We agreed on Tuesday 1-5:p.m. 2 techs arrived early p.m. Tuesday ..they were told it was a new install ! The Office didnot pass on correct details for call !!! ... they quickly got the dolly and took out the old tank. I asked tech to check water temp gauge as I found water temperature very hot(scalding) .. tech found it set at 'very hot" .. tech readjusted it to 'hot'. Mentioned a gauge to install if temp continues to be too hot.... an install that would be grandfathered ie I'm eligible for it. all three techs were personable .. efficient and fast. Office - not so great. providing techs with enough and correct equipment ( tanks) would have avoided delays..snd info on the call.