Boston Air Corp.

About 6 years ago, we put an addition on our house and decided to heat/​cool it with a Mitsubishi Mr Slim heat pump system. Our General Contractor chose Boston Air for the install. Fast forward 6 years and our split mini stopped producing heat this winter. We’ve kept it clear of snow all around. So, I phoned a large, reputable HVAC company to come diagnose, but they were not able to fully diagnose the problem due to a very thick layer (4−5″) of ice in the compressor unit that had built up on the interior compressor coils at ground level. The service tech told me that the unit was not properly installed for New England weather. The standard install is, and was six years ago, to place it on a platform approx 2 – 3 feet off the ground. He also determined the coolant had leaked out, but he couldn’t be sure because the compressor coils and housing unit were frozen. He suggested we melt the ice on the interior of the compressor unit using warm water. I also
As a last ditch effort to regain heat, we ran warm water (from our hot water heater) onto the compressor coils (covering the control panels with a plastic bag so as not to allow water damage to the panels). The ice melted away but the unit failed to put out heat. However, my husband saw an oil shimmer on top the water as he was melting the ice, possibly the coolant leaking out.
I contacted Mitsubishi and chatted online with a Mitsubishi customer service rep who also stated that the unit should have been installed on a riser rather than only sitting on a pad, and that the unit parts have a 5 yr general warranty, 7 year compressor warranty, and 7 year warranty if installed by a ‘Diamond’ contractor, which Boston Air isn’t.
Our GC pointed us to Peter Smith at Boston Air. Spoke with Peter about using the warranty to replace the compressor unit, but he told me the unit had only a 5 year warranty at the time of installation– not so according to the Mitsubishi web site and according to the Mitsubishi customer svc rep. Peter said he’d phone back after looking into our install. Three hours later, another person from Boston Air phoned to say the warranty was 5 years.
My husband was able to get back in touch with Peter Smith, who wouldn’t phone us back directly. Peter let us know that our GC from our remodel owed him $ 4K and he didn’t particularly want to help us with our heating problem. Our GC acknowledged that he owed money but not from our project 6 years ago, but rather from a more recent project. After 2 or 3 phone conversations with my husband, Peter refused to email warranty paperwork for our system after repeated requests. He repeatedly stated that 6 years ago, the Mitsubishi compressor units were routinely installed at ground level — a statement contradicted by both Mitsubishi and a highly rated HVAC (Angie’s List) company.
The Takeaway: Boston Air won’t back their own work, won’t own up to substandard practices, and, also provide terrible customer service. As per the Mitsubishi CS rep with whom I chatted, Boston Air very likely incorrectly installed the Mr Slim unit by not putting it on a riser above a potential snow line as a measure of protection. They didn’t want to send a tech to further diagnose the problem — faulty compressor coils or coolant leak. Peter Smith decided to either hold bad blood between him and our GC as a reason to not back his company’s work or he decided to fabricate a lie so that he wouldn’t have to deal with a warranty issue that might cost him money/​time.

I just had to write a review for this company. I have used them twice. The response time is fast, they are professional & honest! I called this morning at 9:30 and the man was here by 11:00. I live in the middle of Boston in a 4 th floor walk up so not the easiest place to get to. After tinkering for a few minutes the man declared that there was nothing wrong & didn’t even charge me for his troubles! Eventually I will need to replace a small part so he called me ten minutes after he left to give me the cost (under $ 200) something to keep in mind when the time comes. I just really appreciate the honesty and professionalism. It would have been easy for him to make a lot of money off of me due to my ignorance but he didn’t. I found out about Boston Air from my neighbor whose AC was broken last summer. He had gotten a couple quotes including one for $ 15,000 because he was told the entire thing needed to be replaced. When my neighbor had Boston Air come to look at it the guy fixed it that day for $ 150. It’s nice to know there are still good trustworthy businesses around. I am a life long customer now!