HERE'S ONE EXPERIENCE THAT WAS AS FAR FROM "COOL" AS YOU CAN GET!
My wife and I are senior citizens who cannot withstand the high summer temperatures anymore. So in spite of being on a fixed income, for our own safety, we decided to install a very expensive mini-split HVAC system. After ordering the system from Harwich Port Heating & Cooling in the early spring, we waited nearly 4 months for the system to be installed (spanning almost the entire summer). Nonetheless, we were excited to get some cooling relief even during Indian Summer. However, when we started using the system we realized that something was wrong, as the system was not sufficiently lowering the inside temperature even during a season with cooler temperatures.
We would give Harwich Port Heating & Cooling zero stars if we could!! We learned the hard way that THIS COMPANY IS ABSOLUTELY THE WORST CHOICE anyone could make when considering a new HVAC system. The system they specified cost almost $15,000 and was totally inadequate to handle the cooling requirements of the space that their “professional staff” (their words, not mine) had measured and inspected on 3 separate occasions. We voiced our dissatisfaction and after nearly 2 months following the completed installation (it was then late summer), they brought a representative of the company that supplied the hardware to see why the space was not being cooled. The hardware specialist almost immediately said that they had not considered the solar gain from windows and skylights, nor the height of the vaulted ceilings in those areas. Further, they then told us that to work properly we needed to tint our existing glass windows or install solar UV blocking shades in every window and skylight! We got competitive bids on the window treatments and were shocked to learn that the cheapest option was to spend another $4,000 for solar UV blocking shades!!
When we told the Harwich Port Heating & Cooling of the added cost for the window treatment, they didn’t want anything to do with it saying our “fancy” window treatments were "not their responsibility." On the surface that might seem like a fair statement. However, the ONLY reason we needed the window treatments at all, is because they had specified a system totally incapable of doing the job and that either they knew such a disclosure might stop our decision to move forward, or they were so unprofessional that they didn’t realize this fact! Either way, they denied any responsibility, and we were compelled to somehow come up with another $4,000. As a result, we feel as if we are being victimized a second time, and we are considering reporting them to our state's Council on Elder Affairs.
On top of MISREPRESENTING what the system which THEY SPECIFIED would do, their workmanship was so shoddy that the actual heat exchanger unit is not level to the ground, some cooling lines are partially uninsulated, and rather than running the cooling line along the foundation of our house and below the height of our street facing 4' fence as they had indicated during their sales pitch and which could easily have been done so it would not be visible from the street, they mounted the line 12' up from the ground so now we have an ugly grey service line running across the front of our house which is in full view to everyone passing by!
Sadly, after spending nearly $20,000 we have an undersized system, a house that has much less curb appeal, and we still must endure high summer temperatures! The bottom line: CHOSE ANY COMPANY OTHER THAN THESE GUYS!!