We had an AC system that was not running, so we scheduled an appointment with Akian. Matt showed…read moreup on schedule, diagnosed the problem, and completed the necessary work quickly and at a reasonable price. We have used Akian in the past and continue to be very happy with their service. We will call them again for plumbing and HVAC issues in the future.

Update: On the fifth visit, the AC was fixed. I've added a few stars to reflect that. Ultimately…read moremy problems have been addressed. It's possible that many of my issues were simply bad luck out of Akian's control; but the number of them still leaves me somewhat skeptical. ----- Got central heat/AC installed a year ago; installation dragged way over the predicted time, but was otherwise fine. Expensive, to be sure, but you expect that in these parts. "Free" annual maintenance time? Four house calls later, still have no AC (I think it worked before being "maintained" but if it had an issue over the winter, I wouldn't know), which I'm now told will be the case for the entirety of May. Communication has been dismal- e.g. getting a text for an upcoming appointment nobody told me was even a thing (apparently the maintenance wasn't completed and nobody told me). Multiple "whoops, we need to order a part, we'll call you in a week or two". Why a part gets ordered on the fourth house call? Beats me. Why they can't stock parts for the products they themselves install? Beats me. And I've paid for a surge protector as part of this "free" process (why wasn't it included initially? Who knows!) If you want to be stuck in a 95-degree house, I recommend Akian. If you want new people coming to your house to chat every week, I recommend Akian. If you want to actually get working HVAC, please let me know who I can talk to. But I guess most of the people I've talked to have been very nice. If they ever manage to get their act together and do their job, I'll update this review.

We were given no information about the timing of when the person would show up and or how long it…read morewould take. When they showed up 30 minutes late, we asked if it's possible to reschedule. The person who came was extremely rude and said just cancel and would not allow us to reschedule. This business is poorly run.

Easy communication, clear pricing, fast service, provided pictures of everything they did.read more

Had an absolutely amazing experience with Max Heating and Cooling! My old steam boiler developed a…read morecracked heat exchanger, and Max Heating was prompt, informative, and willing to do the replacement during the New Year holiday. Dan and Sam have been stand-out with the depth of their answers to my questions. I appreciate that immensely as a demonstration of how much they care about the subject matter, and how much they care about ensuring I'm properly informed on what is happening. Sam and his crew were out all day yesterday dismantling the old boiler and installing the new one. They were friendly and engaged the whole time letting me observe the process. Sam called me over throughout to show me up close what had corroded in my old boiler, and to explain to me how it happened. He did the same during install of the new boiler to demonstrate all the critical aspects for maintenance--including letting me unscrew and rescrew a piece to practice for future cleaning. The new boiler is running smoothly right now. I feel like I understand its pieces. Sam even took an interest in diagnosing why my bathroom heating panel (which has never worked) wasn't heating. He cleaned out its vent and it has heat now. My cat is very happy to be warm right now. From the way Sam and his crew talked through all the aspects of the work they were doing, it was clear they take pride in the quality of the work. This wasn't just a job to get over and done with. And what's more, they did it for $2k cheaper than my competing quote. Max Heating and Cooling will be the first people I call for any plumbing projects I have going forward.

I would give MAX 6 stars if I could! Our central AC died at…read more1am on one of the hotest nights of the summer. The next morning I started calling a few places to see if they could help. I was brushed off, delayed, and ignored by all EXCEPT FOR MAX! They sent out two of the techs and within a few hours had my AC running again. Their price was reasonable, the techs were super competent and nice. I highly recommend them!

I wouldn't use this plumber again. He spent a large chunk of the time for looking for stuff in his…read moretruck - which he charged me for. I was very clear about what I needed - a standard sink mount. He worked at a pokey pace. I did not get a sink mount - but cheap metal brackets you can buy for 97 cents each ($60 parts). One of the brackets is installed incorrectly and wiggles - it's not tight. He also drilled into my kitchen cabinets - unnecessary if a proper sink mount had been used.

The best plumbers around! Fair, honest and fast too. Highly recommended! I really can't speak…read morehighly enough.

Extremely happy with the services provided by James. He installed a 6 unit/2 compressor heat pump…read moresystem in our 150+ year old house in about two days, demonstrating superior knowledge of the system and suggesting actually aesthetically pleasing choices for ducting etc. that many other contractors ignored. Price was reasonable for the scope and system specs, and James was extremely responsive and patient throughout the whole process. We also really appreciate James's help coordinating with MassSave (including some truly terrible inspections), ultimately enabling us to claim our full rebate. I'd highly recommend working with James, and we will continue to reach out to him for all our HVAC needs!

After a 3-yr search and MANY bids for a new HVAC, we settled on James Wu, who installed our system…read morelast month and proved the research paid off. Below are things I wanted to know before choosing a contractor; maybe it will be helpful for you. Our situation: 100+ yr old home with current boiler in basement. We recently insulated our walk-up attic - that would both freeze and melt items stored there - with closed-cell spray foam (more research there), added drywall and will use it for storage. This is where the air handler and ERV (for ventilation) went. Our upstairs is now ducted, with one vent running through a closet on the 2nd floor to 1st floor. We also added a Mitsibishi floor mount unit and a ceiling cassette on 1st floor. So, we had a VARIETY of equipment installed, requiring a contractor experienced in not only ducting, but mini-split installs with both a ceiling cassette and floor mount unit. We did not want the large wall mount mini split units. Our walls/ceilings are PLASTER, (metal wire mesh and cement-based): cutting them is a JOB. And, we wanted the floor mount unit RECESSED. COST - James was in-line with our other bids, which came in between 27k and 39k, largely depending on equipment recommended, with ceiling cassettes costing more. Many contractors simply would not install them, and wanted to run ducts in the corners of all upstairs rooms to first floor, which to us was a last resort. COMMUNICATION - James is very responsive to texts, emails, and even more importantly, he is a fantastic communicator. He is very calm, not pushy, explains things in an easy-to-understand way that clearly shows he knows his business. I actually told my husband after he left for the first time, "I think we may have found our guy" just based on his personality and knowledge. He's likeable, which isn't a requirement, but definitely helps. EXPERTISE - This is what truly sets James apart. Our needs were fairly complex, requiring interior ducting, 2 outside units with exterior line sets, and recessed ceiling units, but also RECESSING the inside floor unit into an interior wall. We've overseen several renovation projects recently and could tell these guys knew what they were doing. Also, they were perfectionists, and paid attention to details you don't often find with contractors. DEPENDABILITY - Not a single missed appt. Showed up on time with clear communication. The job took a week. He also helped with Masssave paperwork. They cleaned up after themselves each day, which we appreciated. KNOWLEDGE - Extremely versed in Mitsibishi equipment. He's a Diamond Contractor, which extends our warranty, but we'd have chosen him regardless. Every question I had about these units (cassette and floor unit operation, air handler, ERV, outdoor units, thermostats...) he knew the answer to. When I researched anything specific online, from multiple and trusted sources, I found the info he'd given me to be correct. I trust his knowledge and I don't automatically do that. One example: our ceiling cassette has an internal thermostat and it's off by several degrees regularly. I researched it and found we likely need an external thermostat separate from the unit to measure the room's temp. I texted James a photo showing the inaccurate reading and his immediate reply, "you need an external thermostat. I'll install one." That's what I'm talking about. INTEGRITY - Example: After the permit inspector left, James explained his philosophy on inspections. Each city apparently has different requirements. He learned several years ago how strict one particular city was, requiring a blower test to determine air tightness and the passing score was 4% or less. He got 4.1% and city wouldn't pass it. This required a lot more time/energy to go through everything and another test and more $$. So, now James says to his guys, "We install to the strictest inspection every time, regardless of the specific city's requirements, so we don't ever have to redo anything." In our case, the city didn't need a blower test but if they did, I feel confident we would have passed! I don't often take time to write reviews, esp this lengthly, but I felt it was warranted here. Finding an HVAC contractor is HARD; it's time-consuming and complicated. And a lot of money. Three years of research finally led us to James and now, looking back, it was worth the wait and headaches in research. I would highly recommend anyone in the market for a new HVAC, especially if it involves Mitsibishi and especially ESPECIALLY if it involves recessing any equipment like ceiling cassettes or wall units, to consider James Wu. He and his team are uniquely skilled in their work.

Jason serviced my 22 year old furnace. He was great and explained everything involving the…read moredifferent parts that would most likely need to be replaced within the next year or so. He also gave an estimate for the parts and for a new unit.

I met Jason, after an AC failure on of the hottest days of Summer. Jason contacted me promptly,…read moreprovided all the details and was upfront about everything including his service fees. He was at my place at promised, and got to work. He explained everything as he motored on and worked the problem. He came fully prepared with every possible part monitor upgrade and suggested only what was required. He was very pleasant to work with and was very easy to talk with. I would definitely recommend using Donovan Mechanical and request for Jason if he is available.

They don'y seem to be in business anymore. Repeated phone calls during regular business calls were…read morenever returned. Don't waste your time with them.

Just had a home energy audit by Karl Trella and Romeo. They were teriffic. They inspected the whole…read morehouse for energy leaks, did some weather stripping on the spot, and recommended further steps with insolation and window replacement. They explained everything and determined that I qualified for discounts on the recommened services. Great job. I am very happy with the results.

Farshid and his team are top notch, professional, and know exactly how to fix your HVAC issues. We…read morehad a major issue of lack of ventilation in a new home since it's energy efficient (aka air tight), and we had high C02 levels in our basement where our bedrooms are located. We had several HVAC companies come out to diagnose the issue, but only Farshid was able to solve the issue with an easy and inexpensive solution. I highly recommend Farshid and his team for any HVAC needs!

From the owner: Newton HVAC is your local HVAC contractor for furnace installation, cooling system repair, bathroom…read moreventilation systems & more! Call in the Newton, MA area. now installing new fresh-aire UV whole house air treatment systems for commercial and residential buildings. Protects against and kills indoor pollution such as VOC's, viruses, mold+germs.