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"I hired Merrimack Valley Plumbing to install a boiler in my home, and my experience was overwhelmingly disappointing. While the boiler functions, the installation process and quality of work raised numerous red flags. I want to share my experience to help others make an informed decision when considering this company. Installation Issues Code Violations: The exhaust is less than 3 feet from the gas meter, and the holes drilled in the joists for intake and exhaust are less than 2 inches from the bottom, both of which do not meet code requirements. Improper Venting: Both the exhaust and intake vents are installed too close to the ground (not meeting the 12-inch clearance required for expected snowfall) and are too close to each other (less than the 12-inch separation required). Unsealed Penetration: The hole drilled in the siding was left unsealed, creating a potential entry point for rodents. Condensate Drain Issues: The installed condensate pump is leaking and wasn’t tested. Additionally, rather than a permanent drain installation, they daisy-chained it into a pump for a portable air conditioner. Wiring Errors: The zones for the primary bedroom and second floor were wired backward, causing overheating in both areas. Missing Outdoor Sensor: The outdoor temperature sensor, critical for proper operation, was not installed. No CO Alarm: A carbon monoxide alarm was not installed, which is essential for safety. Unprofessional Workmanship: Trash, including a metal duct pipe, was left in the crawl space near live electrical wires. Process Concerns Permit Delays: The company failed to file permits before starting work. I only discovered this after contacting the town permitting office myself. Mismanagement and Delays: The project stretched far beyond the promised timeline, with repeated excuses about missing parts and limited crew availability, despite prior assurances that the job would be completed in two days. Broken Promises: They claimed a project manager would take measurements in advance to ensure a smooth installation, but no one came. Additionally, they rescheduled initially, promising a larger crew, only to send a single plumber on the first day. Misinformation and Deception Throughout the project, I encountered multiple instances where Merrimack Valley Plumbing provided misleading or false information: - They lied about the dates permits were filed. - They claimed delivery issues caused delays, though they should have anticipated these based on the advance photos provided. - They repeatedly shifted blame rather than taking accountability for the delays and issues. Overall Experience While the boiler itself works, the installation was riddled with code violations, safety oversights, and poor workmanship. Additionally, the company’s lack of transparency and repeated dishonesty made an already frustrating situation worse. I would not recommend Merrimack Valley Plumbing to others. Their lack of professionalism, disregard for safety codes, and failure to take responsibility for their mistakes created an unnecessarily stressful and costly experience."

"Well done."

"Five Star Service! Total Comfort Mechanical planned, designed, and installed a Mitsubishi Intelli-Heat system at our home in Melrose. They seamlessly combined our existing gas furnace and ducted system with an efficient Mitsubishi heat pump to create a hybrid heating and AC system. The team exceeded our expectations. They are honest, respectful, and always maintained a positive and professional attitude. They did everything they said they would do and even went above and beyond. The technicians are skilled and dedicated, often working long hours to ensure the job was done right. We were impressed by their commitment to keeping our work sites clean at the end of each day. The planning was meticulous, the communication was excellent, and the final delivery exceeded our expectations. We can confidently recommend Total Comfort Mechanical for any heating and air conditioning projects. Thank you, Wendell and team, for making our home more comfortable and efficient!"

"Seamless. From the moment of making the appointment with the sales rep to come out to the follow-up phone call, I could not have asked for this installation to go better at a difficult time. They listened to my concerns regarding the look on the outside of the house and the location of units inside. They assisted with all aspects of the Mass Save program making the application process easy. They took care of actual submission of the paperwork where most companies wanted to provide the info to me to then submit."

"Diagnosis and repair were straightforward and the talented Mike, who has done other great work for us on our ACs, had a replacement pump in his truck. Swapped over in under an hour. Cost of the repair was quite high, mainly due to very high price they charged for the pump. A Taco pump that I could buy for $175 was priced on this repair at more than $500. I get that it was an urgent situation and I’m happy to pay reasonably for the response but that mark-up bothered me. I called the office, had a long talk with the owner; sadly, she offered no consideration at all. Yes, it’s hard to find and keep skilled techs, but now seems that most HVAC firms have a business model like a car dealer’s service dept, far more corporate, less flexible or customer-considerate."

"From start to finish they were very professional and knowledgeable about what we needed. Once we decided to go with them they arrived on the date set up and finished before the estimated time frame. The crew was phenomenal and before they left they made sure everything was working properly and showed us what we needed to know about the system. When they left everything was all cleaned up. We would highly recommend to anyone that needs their services."

"I booked a service and was given a 4 hour window. The technician apparently arrived about 1 hour before the window, claimed to have called me but left no message and simply left with no availability during the actual 4 hour window that was promised. This is poor service and I have no heat. Unbelievable and unprofessional."

"Really appreciate the help we received. We had an emergency and they were able to come out to help us quickly and resolved the issue for a fair price. Would definitely hire again."

"I used to like them. Use them for my big install of backup basement sump pump. This time, I was out of the country, my rental property in MA needs a toilet fix. It was a standard water tank leak and we need to replace the inside mechanism. Milltown came and said 'rebulid the toilet', my wife authorize them to do it as I was not reachable at the time their plumber was at the rental property. They were in and out according to my tenant for at most 45 min, rebuilding two toilet tank and fixed the leak. The bill came to be 1200, $600 a toilet. One line item on the receipt is $470 for the kit they use to replace the plastic mechanism inside the water tank. I casually google the kit, I can get a universal sup kit for the toilet to replace that for $20. I called them, manager came on gave me that talk - we did hundreds of toilet leak and we average all of them to come up with the cost for that line item, which includes (a) parts (b) labor (c) our service guarantee for a prompt and reliable service Say they charge $200 /hr labor, 1 hr for two toilet is $100 labor for 1 toilet (remember, the plumber was there like 30-45 min rebuilding the two toilet). Say total parts are $100 (with markup), we are talking about $200 for fixing the leak of 1 toilet. They charged almost $600 for one toilet. You can do that math. I expect some up charge, but I am not paying $300 just for getting prompt reliable service. I turned around and asked for a few reliable plumber quote from Thumbstack with great reviews, most can do the job for $200 labor and I can get them the universal kit they will be able to come on the same day. So maybe if you want Milltown to do bigger job, that is ok. For smaller job, it does not worth it. Replacing the toilet flush mechanism is really not rocket science in plumbing. If I am not thousands of miles away, I would have done it myself after watching some Youtube video. I am willing to pay up charge for the service, but this is really above and beyond the normal up charge range, $1200 for a 30 min job replacing the toilet flushing mechanism in the water tank!!"