Fire & Ice Air Conditioning & Heating is a family-owned HVAC company based in Elgin, Illinois, owned and operated by Melanie and Jerry Bechtold. We diagnose, repair, replace, install, and maintain heating and cooling systems for homes and businesses across Elgin and the surrounding northwest Chicago suburbs.
We bring more than 25 years of experience in heating and air conditioning to every job. Our goal is simple: honest, reliable heating and cooling service that homeowners can trust, done right the first time.
After years of working for other HVAC companies, Melanie and Jerry decided to start a business of their own in 2023. They wanted a company built around customer satisfaction, support, and quality workmanship.
They also wanted to change how people see the HVAC industry. Too many homeowners walk away from a service call unsure of what was wrong, what they paid for, or whether they really needed new equipment. At Fire & Ice, we want you to understand your system and your options.
Melanie and Jerry Bechtold own and run Fire & Ice together. If you’ve read our reviews, you’ve probably seen Jerry’s name more than once. He’s the technician many of our customers know by name, and he’s the one on the roof in a snowstorm or in the basement tracking down a problem other companies couldn’t find.
When someone asks what we do, our answer is simple: we repair and replace heating and cooling equipment, and replacement isn’t always necessary.
A system’s age alone doesn’t tell you whether it needs to be replaced. Sometimes a system needs service and a few parts, not a whole new unit. That’s why we don’t quote major work over the phone. We want to see your system, hear what’s been happening, and understand why you think you need new equipment before we make a recommendation. Seeing it in person also means our quote reflects the real job, so you don’t get surprised by extra days of labor once work begins.
Anyone can say they value quality. Here’s what it looks like on a Fire & Ice job:
HVAC equipment and refrigerants keep changing, and we change with them. Jerry attends manufacturer training classes throughout the year, and we are certified on the newest refrigerants now being used in heating and cooling equipment.
We install equipment from RunTru by Trane, Amana, Goodman, Daikin, and Lennox. If you prefer a specific brand, we’ll get you pricing on that equipment.
We stand behind our work. When you compare HVAC companies, we’d ask you to look beyond the lowest number. Consider the experience behind the work, the care taken during the installation or repair, and how the finished job will look and perform for years to come.
Our warranty: Fire & Ice provides a one-year warranty on labor. Equipment and parts are covered by the applicable manufacturer warranty. Manufacturer coverage varies by equipment, part, and brand, and some warranties require the equipment to be registered. We’ll walk you through what applies to your system.
When people in our community talk about us, we want them to say three things: we explained the process clearly before they signed on, we charged a fair price, and we did quality work. In short, we did what we said we would do, when we said we would do it, for the price we said we would do it.
