Overall, a great experience - I highly recommend them. I got several quotes and this was not the…read morecheapest one, but I decided to go with them because A. they were most responsive (email, text or phone call, they respond to all), B. they were flexible and agreed to sub-contract my preferred carpenter for the construction pieces, C. the equipment they offered me was better than the competitor, D. they offered information and help with MassSave high-efficiency 0% heat loan and related MassSave rebates.
The job was replacing my broken heat system, including backup heat / air handler (inconveniently in my bathroom ceiling) and heat pump / condenser (inconveniently on the roof of my condo complex). The machine is a Bryant Evolution® Variable-Speed Heat Pump
Model 288BNV (which is 18 SEER/12.5 EER cooling efficiency and 11 HSPF) and the air handler is 5-speed variable. The new thermostat is the companion Evolution® Connex™ Control.
It took a few weeks to get contracts (including sub-contract), MassSave heat loan sorted and schedule the job, but once is started, the heat replacement itself took only 2 full days, including removal of old equipment, crane to reach the roof and electrical. The heat removal / replacement was exactly per the provided schedule. I think there were at least 6 guys working on the heat equipment at various times. The ceiling construction (4 other guys at various times) took a bit longer than I initially expected (1 day demolition of bathroom, as expected, but 3+ days of ceiling reconstruction, which included frame, drywall, plaster, paint and 2 installed metal hatches), but that was my preferred subcontractor and he did a fantastic job.
All the people who came to my house were professional and knowledgeable. The preparation and cleanup was a little inconsistent depending on which guy was there; sometimes it was 30 minutes of prep with paper / plastic on all floor (including through the doorway) and cleaning so thorough that it was cleaner than I usually keep it; other times it was a cloth tarp quickly set down with a quick wipedown and sweep at the end (not as clean as I usually keep it), but I appreciate that everyone made an effort to clean the job site at the end of each day.
I haven't had the new, efficient system long enough to see an appreciable change in my energy bills (April was slightly less than 2018 April bill, but hard to say if that's just inconsistent weather or the new system), but I can definitely FEEL the difference. I LOVE the new 5-speed fan system, which goes soft if just maintaining a temperature or harder if needing to change multiple degrees (which it can do much quicker than my old system). Also, it's "smart" enough not to put the fan full blast while there's still cold air in the ducts (my old system used to blow cold air when it first turned on and had only one speed).
During the project, they handled most of the MassSave heat loan application and also responded quickly to questions, and were able to deal with challenges (like the narrow height of my bathroom ceiling) and changes (e.g., an unrelated plumbing project in the building which had impact on my condensate drainage pipe). They also submitted both MassSave rebates on my behalf.
Although I generally like to support smaller businesses, having a larger business for this project, with a dedicated sales person / project manager (Jason Shea) made this project a lot easier for me. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and I think in this case, choosing a more expensive service gave me a much better experience. Also, on a side note, this project involved people of various skin tones and accents; white guys, Brazilian immigrants, they all did a great job - that's what makes America great, a mix of talented, hard-working and diverse people.
I would definitely use Cooling Unlimited again and would recommend to anyone in the area who needs heat replacement.