AICA Plumbing/HVAC Systems

Read the one star reviews. These people are crooks. My AC stopped working and the problem was the blower motor. I used James instead of my usual because he could come almost immediately. Turns out there was a reason he was so available when no one else was. My furnace's blower motor is a standard one and cost about $200 max. James charged me $1300 for parts and labor. When I asked him a simple question about whether it is was a standard motor, he became extremely defensive and said I don't have time for this, I have to go to another customer. This was after he asked me if *I* had some time for him to disassemble the motor and take it back with him.

In the end I paid him $150 to come to my house, look at my furnace and tell me an estimate. He tried to take advantage of the fact that there is a heat wave by upcharging me at least $800 (that is being conservative). It is a disgusting practice to have as a professional -- these are things you hear about but hope don't happen to you.

Do not trust him. Do not use them.

James was available quickly to fix our AC when most other places were booked for weeks. He had a break in his schedule promptly came over & was very nice to work with.  He explained everything he was doing along w/the prices as we went through each piece.  I will definitely use him again.  Very nice, very professional, very helpful!

Really great work and very useful and informative.
Helped show us how to maintain our system and keep it clean and even charged us less then the quote he gave us on the phone. And was able to do it during the weekend.

James fixed our heating system when it failed amid a recent snowstorm.  He was polite and responsive and showed up on time or early.  It took several visits to get us up and running because the supplier was closed over the weekend, but he was eager to finish the job first thing Monday morning.  He explained what he was doing and even took the time to answer my questions about improvements and preventive maintenance.  I am very happy with the service and I will call him in the fall to have him take care of those other things.

James is a really nice guy and takes the time to explain what the current problem is, what the solution is and what potential problems could exist in the future.

He is definitely knowledgeable and would definitely use him again!

Not friendly or approachable. I called explaining there was a sewage smell in our house the previous night (the smell comes and goes) and he said that he didn't want to waste his time by coming out to my house to check it out. Not helpful.

As a first-time, very new owner, I was frustrated to find myself without heat during the first real cold spell of the season.  Originally the problem was speculated to be a thermostat malfunction, but once the thermostat was replaced and I still didn't have heat I knew I needed professional help.  After reading the yelp reviews for numerous different plumbing and heating companies, I came across the reviews for James and AICA Plumbing.  Everyone talked so highly about James and their experiences using his services, so I decided to trust my gut and give him a call.

I called during those cold days of early January, and he explained that he was very busy because of how many calls he was receiving but that he would try to get to me as soon as possible.  I was expecting to have to wait a day or two, but he called back and said that he would come over that evening.  I had been sleeping in multiple heavy layers, under as many blankets I could find and my poor dog had to live in his doggie sweater and jacket, so I was super stoked when he said he could attend to the issue that very night.

James came right when he said he would and got right to work on the problem.  The three furnaces for the building are very close together, and being the middle apartment, my furnace is extremely hard to access.  James worked diligently and explained things to me (a total home repair newbie) so that I would understand exactly what was doing.  As a young woman with not much experience with repair, I felt very comforted by his explanations and never felt like I was being scammed.  He and I talked the whole time he was working and I found him very pleasant and engaging.

James fixed the problem (water pump).  He then reviewed all the different parts of the furnace and hot water heater so that if I ever had a problem in the future he could try help me troubleshoot it over the phone.  I didn't have a check on me (I had just ran out) but James allowed me to send him the check in the mail once I got my new checkbook.

Today my condo-mates noticed that my furnace was leaking and had caused a puddle in basement.  I immediately called James and like he promised he walked me through the process of checking it out.  We identified the problem and he had confidence that I could fix it on my own with a quick, cheap trip to home depot for a part.  While at home depot I received a phone call from James saying that he would come out tonight if I couldn't fix it, free of charge, because he realized I might not have the right tool for it.  I wanted to give it a shot on my own, but ultimately had to call in James for re-enforcement as I could not make the dripping stop.  I told him it was not an emergency and he did not have to come immediately (especially since there is a big football game on right now, and I didn't want him to miss it if he was a Patriots fan,) that it could most likely wait a day or two.  James insisted and said he would be at my place around 7pm, after dropping his wife off.  He came right on time and fixed the problem expertly, free of charge.

I would recommend James to anyone in need of plumbing services.  He is professional, pleasant and very skilled.  I will definitely be having him service my furnace from now on.

They don't answer their phone or respond to calls or emails.  If they ever call me back, I'll update my review.

EDIT: They just called back.  I was told they are booked solid for the next 3 weeks.  Wowzers.

Just tried this company to fix one of my AC units, since their office is close by.

The overall experience was great. The company phone number is James' cell phone, which he answered promptly. After determining a good time to drop by, he asks you to send him a text with your name, phone, address and agreed date so he doesn't forget.

He called before he came over and had the suspected issue confirmed within 5 minutes: low on freon; which I am happy to say he had with him, so it did not take extra round trips.

He was very good about explaining and showing what the problem was and what he was doing, then about the right way to run and maintain your AC to keep long term costs down. Much I knew already, but some things were very informative. I like that.

Most of what he did was on the outside unit, but when he did come into the house he put on shoe socks to prevent trampling dirt into the house. (his shoes were spotless, so it wasn't even needed, but it is the thought that counts).

The only reason for 4 rather than 5 stars is that the bill was a little higher than I would have expected for such a short and easy visit. Both time and material costs seemed a bit padded, but not extremely. As a general rule, I have seen much worse.

Next time, James and AICA will be my first call.

I had a heater problem and called James very last minute. He answered my call and in between his busy schedule he came by within the same day and took a look at my system. He was not in the area and took the time to talk me through the problem over the phone and was trying to help me with a solution. When we couldn't figure it out over the phone he agreed to stop by and take a look. I would highly recommend him and his business to anyone. I called a few other places and their earliest appointments were 3 days later. James goes out of his way for his clients and it shows.

James saved the day!!!
I was having an issue with my boiler in my basement.  I had a few plumbers come to my house and barely glance at my 20 year old boiler and tell me that it needed to be replaced.  I wasnt satisfied with what they were telling me so I went to the net and found James thru big blue plumbing.  He came to my house and with in ten minutes had my boiler up and running.  He is honestly a true pro at his job.  Not only did he fix it for me in no time flat he explained why it wasnt working and how he fixed it.  He saved me and my family thousands of dollars and was so thorough.  He has a new customer in me and my family and I will refer him to all my friends.
thank you James!

My AC broken on the hottest & most humid day!  Upon research on internet, I decided to call few guys for quotes & tried to get them to my house ASAP.  James was the first one call me back at 7:30am, I am impressed.  Not just his quote sounds fair & his diagnose makes sense, he is a very kind and polite guy, he knows his stuff well.
Because of him, I get to keep my AC with only a motor replaced which saves us tons of $$$.  At the end, he also give us a discount because he can finish the inital diagnostic earlier than expected.   Most important, my AC works great now.  I highly recommend him if you are looking for someone who can trust on his work & knowing you won't be unfairly charged.  You really do not get to meet a lot of these quality people like James.  I am lucky!

Christine & Tony

Just called to get a quote for a washer/dryer installation and I received a very professional answer I don't have the time and he kept saying this like a broken machine. Very rude and wouldn't let me explain that I need this done in a month or so not right away. My advice, don't waste your time with this company!

James came over to diagnose why our AC wasn't working. He said it needed freon and would be $650 to fill it up. I trusted him, so I said sure, even though that seemed pretty expensive. He filled it up and left - about 30 minutes total of his time.

I couldn't get any cold air to come out, so I called him back. He seemed annoyed, but came back to the house to diagnose again and said that I had a leak and he would have to replace the entire system for some insanely high estimate. After some argument about the fact that he didn't warn me about the possibility of an immediate leak or offering a less expensive service to determine if there is a leak before filling it with very expensive freon, he agreed to partially refund me so that I would be charged his cost. I thought this was fair, but the problem was that he never sent me the check that he promised (I'm writing this 4 months later).

I ended up calling another company that came out and did a very professional diagnosis of the problem to determine if there was a leak before telling me I should not fill it with freon. I didn't tell them about James until after they came and did their thing so I could have a good comparison of services.

Long story short, dealing with this company cost me time, headache, and $650. In return I received nothing. I can't recommend using them, unless you want the same.

My boiler stopped working and James came out within 30 minutes of my call!  I had an old Weil McLain CG series with some shotty wiring.  He put in a ton of effort to get it up and running, and even came back the next morning to make some adjustments.  Pricing was very fair and James is a great guy and very personable to boot!
Would definitely recommend him to anyone.

James Markarian and his son Andrew gave excellent support while I negotiated a MASS SAVE loan to replace my furnace which quit just as the pandemic reached its first crest. Their honest quote was at market rate lower than other bids. Both men are completely skilled, work quickly and cleaned up perfectly. James helped me figure out how to apply for the rebate on the furnace. I recommend them strongly. They are pleasant and easy to deal with

I was out of James' regular zone so he won't be visiting my house for service; however he still spent ten minutes on the phone with me providing guidance and helping me troubleshoot my issue. I appreciate the help and willingness to share knowledge for free.

I'm not one to usually give 5 stars, as even some outstanding places have issues. I can honestly say James was the best plumber I've had to deal with after 5 years as a homeowner. I called him to do preventative maintenance on my furnaces and replace the thermocouples.He arrived a bit early and quickly got to work. He walked me through what he was doing and showed me how to drain the air out of the pipes when the burners start for the first time in a season so that I wouldn't need to call him if I experienced the issue again. He took the time to show me what he did, how to take care of things myself, and even offered to help over the phone if things went awry. He was courteous, professional, and even gave me the coupon discount he had recently sent out but I didn't have yet and wasn't even aware of. James is an honest and hardworking plumber and I couldn't recommend him any higher.

First time using Aica plumbing and James is easily one of the most thorough, informative, and efficient professionals I've ever encountered.  He walked us through the entire process and was always upfront and honest about what to expect.  The team he brought with him was equally as friendly and professional.  The cost for the work was also the most reasonable that we were quoted.  The quality work easily passed inspection with the city following the installation.  We couldn't be happier with the service he provided, are much less ignorant about HVAC systems, and look forward to being warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.  We highly recommend!

Deeply disappointed with this organization's performance. After a mild heat wave, and noting my residential central air was functioning poorly, I contacted this organization on a Sunday to schedule an appointment on the following Tuesday evening.

When I attempted to confirm the appointment early Tuesday, the tradesman stated he had screwed up my appointment, and we were able to salvage it.

When he appeared, he appeared fifteen minutes early. Not expecting him this early, I was forced to leave work early to meet him. He proceeded to lecture me with respect to the mechanics of HVAC, all of which ran up the time he charged.

I would strongly discourage any readers to hire this organization for anything relating to HVAC.

James, the owner, is a DREAM of a contractor. He's a master plumber and master electrician. When my landlord failed to return my calls on having no heat, I yelped HVAC contractors and AICA immediately popped up. James answered and arrived within 30 minutes - in a snow storm! He rang the door bell, put on his little protective boots, accessed/fixed the situation and was gone. I even offered him a cappuccino! I will ALWAYS call James and am so grateful to be warm and cozy once again.

AICA was outstanding. My tenant's condenser went out during a very hot stretch of days and every HVAC business was slammed! AICA was able to fit me in the next day. James and his crew came out and assessed the issue. He explained to me what needed to be repaired and the cost. I decided to go with a brand new unit that he installed for the best price by far compared to anyone else. James and his crew (son and friend) came by the next day and was on time, professional and worked diligently. AC is now pumping out cool air with no issues. James has been in the business for years and is very knowledgeable. Do not hesitate to hire him for your HVAC needs!

We really got hit hard by this winter. In the evening after having snowed all day we lost hot water and partial heating. It was Friday night on frigid weather when we called him so we were a bit desperate to find some one to fix our heating system before it gave out. We still had heating but we knew it would break during the weekend.  We wanted some one good as we had had bad experiences in prior years. And then we found James of AICA Plumbging/HVAC Systems.  We asked him to please come the next day as we had lost hot water and we were loosing heat.  Though it was Friday night and he was booked he agreed to come on Saturday as early as possible. He came and within 20 min fixed our hot water and heating problems. He diagnosed that our heating problem within minutes and explained step by step what he was doing to fix it and what needed to be done. He even encouraged questions and was very pleasant. He was very professional and he worked as a pro. We knew we were dealing with an expert. We came to find out that he is a master plumber, electrician and had other expert certification titles that left us very impressed. If you watch him you would know that this guy is an expert.  His price was very fair and he was worth every bit. When you are in need and need a professional who knows his stuff, this is the guy to call. What can we say, we were very impressed and on any future issue he is the one we will call from now on.

In a remarkable series of unfortunate events, we suffered a heating valve failure, a pipe leak, and a failure of our hot water heater in a one-month span this past winter.

First to go was our heating system. Having used AICA previously, they were our first port of call. James replaced the valve, which had corroded to death and was causing the heat not to fully reach our second floor. Unfortunately, the restoration of the pressure caused a failure in (what turned out to be) an already damaged pipe in our walls, which then slowly leaked throughout our house for the next week without us noticing, until suddenly it became clear from warped floorboards and water spots in the ceiling below that we had A Major Problem. A water mitigation crew came in and found the leak quickly, but suddenly we had hot water spraying all over the place. I called AICA hoping to get emergency advice on how to shutoff the leak ASAP-- and James himself picked up the phone to walk the water mitigation crew through the shutoff procedure for the heating pipes.

I want to emphasize that this was 9pm in the evening, and the owner himself picked up the phone to offer free advice to another contractor. The lengths that James goes to to serve his existing customers are hard to overstate.

A few weeks later, our hot water heater developed a terminal leak in its liner. (Of course, it had just recently exited its 5-year warrantee period. When it rains, it pours...) James could not come out in the next 24 hours but instructed us on how to stop the leak temporarily. He and an assistant came out two days later and replaced the unit itself, and disposed of the dead one. This service also came with a one-year free labor warrantee from AICA for any work needed on the new heater (in addition to the manufacturer 5-year parts warrantee).

We've given a LOT of money to AICA in the past year-- a boiler tuneup, replacing the heating valve, and replacing the hot water tank. I get the impression that their prices may somewhat above the market rate (though this is just a hunch based on conversations with other homeowners). However, the fact that they do NOT charge any weekend/holiday/emergency markupm and that they offer such generous assistance to existing customers, provides a peace of mind that seems worth the money to me.

Now, I just hope I don't need to give them any MORE money any time soon!

My wife and I started noticing slightly discolored water in the bathtub. We figured we needed a new hot water heater. We got a quote from another, large, company. Ridiculous fees and permit costs... But we then checked out local plumber options on Yelp and the BBB. AICA Plumbing received high marks, and not without reason. We called up James. He sent us a quote right over, and he came out when we asked him to come (it was early on a Saturday). Great service, and a great guy! This is his company people- he will take his job seriously. I couldn't recommend someone more. James is now on speed dial.

I sort of don't want to write this review because finding good service in Boston can be a major hassle... but James is too good not to share the wealth.  He is simply fantastic.  He really takes the time to not only fix the problem, but to give suggestions on how to avoid them in the future.
He was very prompt, arrived on time, and got us back up and running very quickly.  If you need an HVAC guy, I'll gladly recommend him as long as I keep getting to use  him too.

I needed these guys to come by and fix my heater and they did. They're hard to get a hold of- you need to call at 7:30 am and text them. Sure, they could be perceived as a bit brusque and they now charge $150 diagnosis charge. BUT they solved the problem for a reasonable rate and are not yes men bullshitters, IMO.

I called in a busy summer day when my AC until wasn't working. I was given advice to troubleshoot over the phone, since they were booked up that day, and it worked! Will definitely be using them in the future.

I'm a recent first time home owner and pretty clueless when it comes to home maintenance, especially to signs the water heater was on its way out. When it finally blew on a Saturday evening, flooding the basement, I first called up Brandano Plumbing in Malden who had left me a flyer in my mailbox claiming Emergency Service. It went straight to voicemail, so I left a message. Didn't hear back that evening (some Emergency Service, right?), so I went to Yelp and saw the glowing reviews of James and the folks at AICA Plumbing.

I called at 7pm on a Saturday, and James picked up (yes, a real person on the other line!) and walked me through it. Instructed me to take some pictures of the make and model that I texted to him so he could do an estimate. He let me know he'd be available first thing on Monday morning, the earliest he could get a new replacement water heater.

Oh and remember that message I left for Brandano? I did eventually get a phone call back 24hrs later from a guy named Dan. He asked a couple a questions that I couldn't answer like, is the heater vented to the chimney or to the outside? Like I said, I'm clueless, I don't have the slightest idea. I see pipes leading somewhere... it's an old house, it's dark, and I'm dumb.

Brandano gave me two estimates that were  20-60% higher than AICA's, depending on the type of vent. The soonest they could get to it was Monday late evening. James gave me one price that was significantly more competitive and he could address it sooner. On top of the typical manufacturer's warranty, James tacks on a 1-year free-labor warranty. This is a no-brainer. James makes his customers his priority. For me, as a first time home owner, that's peace of mind. You get prompt service, professionalism, 30+ years master plumber/HVAC experience, and now a go-to local guy I know I can trust.

Thanks AICA Plumbing, I can't give you enough praise. Wishing you guys continued success.

After having a few plumbers take a look, we quickly realized that all of the gas pipes in our basement were rusted out. James of AICA plumbing provided a much more reasonable quote than other plumbers, and his timeline was incredible. Within 72 hours, all of the work for this massively involved job was complete!

He and his brothers were fantastic craftsmen with great attention to detail. They got the large job done in a single day, and the next morning the city inspector approved the work with no issues. I would recommend James and AICA plumbing to anyone looking for a quality master plumber/HVAC.

Right now James is 3 feet away from me in my utility room, at 10pm on a Friday, trying to get my heat running again after my house flooded during my vacation. He's done great work for me before, but this really is beyond the call of duty. Six stars.

Professional and friendly on the phone. I was not able to book a time that worked so this is about the customer service I received when trying to book an appointment. I would have used if timing was better and I will update when I do.

My AC wasn't working and called James who was referred by a friend. So far so good! My unit is working like new. He did arrive on time and was very knowledgable . Maybe more than I needed to know. Would use him again if the need arose.

James was incredibly helpful in providing regular maintenance for my central a/c system. He's a straight shooter and won't ever try to push services that you don't need. This is a guy whose business is established and successful so he doesn't need to up-sell his customers to make a profit. He clearly just wants to do right by his customers. I'll go back to him again and again.

The first time I worked with AICA, I was immediately convinced they were a five star company. They came by and fixed up my furnace and got my heat up and running in no time. They were extremely experienced and knowledgeable, and as a first time homeowner, they offered me some solid maintenance advice. Great job!

However, I currently need them for another job because every time my upstairs neighbors or myself use our dish washer or kitchen sink, a drain stack is leaking into the basement. In the process it is getting some of our joists wet, so I want to immediately address the problem before it causes structural issues. I tried calling, emailing, and texting, but to no avail. It's been two days without a response from them. I would love to continue doing business with them, but they seem to be inconsistent in replying. If you're busy, just say so. I understand. But don't leave me hanging. At this point, I am going to seek out other area plumbers that are more responsive, even if they charge a bit more.

I called On July 4th to have someone come to fix A/C, and the said someone would call back. They said if they don't call back within an hour to call back. I waited 2 hours and called back. No return call.  I call again the next day and received a very rude person who said that she had to check if I were a customer already for a call back and promised to return call. No call back.

I had them here for days to work on a leak. I am troubled that they could not find, but to keep me waiting to fix my A/X on these hot days not to respond, is poor practice.  I had to go to another company as they did not seem to want to reply.  So much for 24/7 service.  

DO NOT RECOMMEND

Note: this review is for their service, but not any actual work... full story below.

AICA was amazing for me.  I found them, called them, and had someone on t he line with me immediately.  He stopped me before I could tell him about the problem: Just text me a few specific pictures, and I'll let you know whats wrong, and what it'll cost

So I text him, and he calls back with exactly what's wrong (Cracked internal jacket) and how / when he'd be able to fix it.  And by when, I mean in four hours.  Seriously, he was willing to come in at night, on a Monday.

In the end, my landlord changed his mind and had someone else bring in a new unit, but still.  AICA was amazing, and I 100% recommend them.

James is the best!  He's done work at my house a couple of times, first to change the ignitor in my furnace when it stopped working, and just now to change the motor in the furnace.  He is extremely professional and really cares about his customers.  When I called him in the morning, he was an hour away and came immediately, assessed the problem and said he would get it done the same day because he didn't want me to be without heat all weekend (not to mention risk of pipes freezing).  He went to the store, got the part and was over my house a few hours later, and the furnace was working in no time!

I've recommended him to other people, most recently my sister, who needed her entire furnace replaced (which was a huge job).  He was honest with her and gave her all the options and let her make up her mind.  He had the job done quickly, carefully and professionally and she was extremely satisfied.  A few weeks later her water heater started leaking.  He came immediately and had it replaced in no time!

I just can't say enough good things about James.  He cares about his customers, he does an amazing job and has very reasonable pricing.  I would recommend him to everyone!!!

I will never call another plumber! James has saved us twice, both times the same day I called. The first time he fixed our broken boiler after another plumber had misdiagnosed the problem. The second time he made a same-day trip to a plumbing supply store to pick up a part to fix a major pipe leak for us on Christmas Eve! The thing that impresses me most about James is not that his plumbing skills are exemplary (they are!), but that he is 100% honest, ethical, and conscientious. He goes out of his way to make sure you understand what he's doing and why, taking pictures and showing you examples of similar cases on his phone.  He does everything he can to fix the problem quickly and charges incredibly reasonable fees.

Just great. Aside from being knowledgeable, James and his crew have the perfect temperament for the work they do. Kind, punctual, accommodating, mellow. I've called them up twice when my furnace or heating zone wasn't working. The first time they came, my wife was home, and they didn't even charge her because the issue was in the thermostat wiring (which I ended up fixing myself). She said James and his apprentice were super nice. The second time, they came over right when they said they would, and they fixed my (stupidly simple) problem right away. They even calmed my slightly irrational rescue dog, Ledger. Looks like I found my heating guys.

I called this company to come take a look at the forced air system in my new condo. They were able to make it over within a couple of days. Unfortunately, after a quick 30 second look, he told me that I needed the entire system replaced because it could not be accessed and that it had mold in it, etc, etc. He told me this would cost about $13,000 but he would do it for $12,500.  He also said that he had a daughter my age and would do it for her.  WELL. I called the former owner of the property and he claimed that he has it serviced a couple of months ago. I also got a second opinion, who said the system was absolutely fine and don't fix something that isn't broken.  THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM. Don't use them. Save your money.

James is absolutely spectacular!  

We have had James out for two jobs so far, and will use him for any other plumbing issues that come up.  He is fast, professional, and comes in below any other quote I've gotten on a job.  On the last job he and his guys did at our house (a very big job that required excavating in our basement), they swept and cleaned after themselves - you really could not tell they had been in there, other than the new piping and fresh new cement.

I can't say enough good things about James and his team - true professionals, they do great work, are polite, and charge fair prices.  What else could you ask for?

ok, can I just say how good heat feels when it's 27 in Boston and your furnace has been out?  I found AICA on yelp  and am delighted!! Most critically, they came on a busy Saturday, diagnosed my problem before setting foot in the basement, and did the repair (all for almost half of what I had been quoted by another firm who told me I'd have to wait days.) James is a real professional. He has been in the business for 31 years and has multiple certificates in heating, air conditioning, plumbing and mechanical. He's fully insured and has an assistant he is training who is sharp and on the ball. I'm definitely using them again, probably this summer when I make some repairs on the house.

Couldn't even set up an appointment with them to have someone come give an estimate for a new furnace. The guy on the phone was very rude and unprofessional. He continued to make excuses for as to why he would rather tell me a price over the phone than send someone to the property. Seemed like a very lazy man who wants to put in the least effort possible.

I called AICA last week to try to get someone out to fix my AC that was blowing warm air. They weren't able to come out the next day (but neither were any of the other 3 companies I called) so I contacted him on Tuesday this week for a Friday July 3rd 8:00 am appointment. Today James called half an hour early to say he was already at my house which worked for me.
James and his apprentice David checked out the compressor and discovered the fan was not running. The unit was low on R-22 gas and had tripped the circuit breaker. James recharged the system so it now blows cold air. He also suggested that I might want to change out my 14 year old compressor soon and gave me an idea of cost.
James was more than willing to answer my questions and explain what he was doing. David followed up before he left and made sure my questions had been answered.
Very happy with their service and will use them again for other plumbing/HVAC needs especially since they are one town away and do a lot of work in Somerville.

When you find a good serviceman, you keep him close, and I found an unbelievable one! With temps in the 90s and our A/C not working, I called James 8:30am on Sunday and he fit me into his crazy busy schedule and came at 12:30pm to fix my A/C (without charging me extra for the weekend call - weekday, nights and weekends are all the same price). Being in the service profession myself, I greatly appreciated the knowledge and honesty during the appointment. He gave me several options for how to go about fixing my A/C and recommended the most practical and economical option. He took time answering all my questions and educated me about A/C. I will put James in my speed dial for future appts, furnace cleanings, etc! (oh, and he's a certified plumber!). Thus, if you're looking for HVAC or plumbing services, look no further!

Thanks, James!

Our heat stopped working at 10pm Friday during the coldest week of the year. I frantically called a number of places, most of which never got back to me. James was at our place literally first thing Saturday morning, tracked down the piece we needed before his supplier closed for the day, and got our heat working again by 10:30am. He worked fast and was very reasonably priced, particularly given the early Saturday morning hours. Hopefully our heat won't ever conk out at an awkward time again, but we'll definitely call James at AICA if we ever do need any help with our heat, AC, or plumbing in the future.

Our steam boiler stopped working on the weekend. James and his son came on Monday and fixed electric problems and added a fuse to avoid the short circuit in next time. They were professional with reasonable price. Highly recommend!

Needed to get our heat turned on and our Landlord told us to hire this company. First, they told us that this could cost up to $550 if our whole system needed to be replaced. Within minutes they let us know it would be $550 straight away. When it came time to pay, James told us to make the check out to him instead of the company and the invoice didn't have my name or the price on it. Further, James instructed us to not return to the basement. Obviously, we went down to the basement to check the work and nothing appeared any different. These guys were in and out in no more than 25 minutes. Nothing felt right about this experience.

Super sketchy experience.

James is the consummate professional. He arrived 15 minutes *before* his estimated window, which was only a half hour after I called. Had the problem diagnosed, replaced the part, taught me a little about furnace combustion, and was out the door in 45 minutes. I was prepared to pay a lot for such expertise, but he's also very affordable. I'm completely impressed, and will certainly call James when I need him in the future.

My heating was acting up, having an intermittent issue starting. Taking the panel off showed diagnosis codes indicated the inducer motor wasn't getting correct pressure. These motors fail over time, not a big deal.

Had James out, told him it is an intermittent issue, told him about the error codes. He says it is both the inducer motor AND the control board. Suggesting that its current behavior wasn't correct. I needed this repair done fairly quickly, as I was about to go out of country on a trip and didn't want pipes freezing. James assured me he could get the parts and repair within 5 days. That did not happen.

On my return I reached out to him again and he said he had the parts. He came with an apprentice, was in the attic for about an hour and they said they were all done. The heat was working.

I asked if they replaced both the fan and the control board, to which he said 'yes'. I then asked for the control board, as I like playing with embedded computers, to which he then corrected himself saying that they DIDN'T install the control board. After calling him out on it he took off about 150 dollars from the 2000 dollar original quote.

All in all, AICA cost me about 2000 dollars to replace an inducer motor in a heater. A part that costs a couple hundred dollars, and let's round up to 2 hours of labor. Other online estimates place it between 200-700 depending on the part. I'm fairly confident I was taken advantage of because it was winter and I needed it fixed. In the end my heat was fixed and James was nice enough, but I'm confident I over paid, and the seeming lie about replacing parts does not sit well.

Had a problem with our central air/heat not blowing hot air.  Called yesterday and got a call right back from James trying to set up an appointment.  We couldn't do it, but he made sure to set something up as soon as we were able.  Even talking on the phone about the problems occurring he suspected the culprit was the thermostat... of course, he was right!    

I knew right away we had found something elusive - a great knowledgeable professional that was dependable - understands the needs when it comes to providing great service.  We had problems in the past and literally it was like we had to chase the service guys down to get them to even stop over.  Once here, it never seemed like they really were confident in their assessment - hence the same problem only a year later.    

As soon as he got here, James got right at it - giving the furnace a full check over before yes, identifying the problem as the thermostat, but also identifying some other issues for us to be on the lookout for.  He had it fixed up in a jiff - even taking the time to walk me through the thermostat setup and answer any questions that I had in the process.

First and foremost - James is great at what he does!  On top of that, he's a really nice guy!  Have to say I will be using him again for any problem we have in the future!  Nice, professional, affordable service that really can't be beat!

Wow.what a great experience.James came out early and got right to work.He found that my central air unit is leaking freon and the water drain is blocked.He was knowledgeable and honest about everything.The unit is pretty much dead but can limp along with added freon every year.He explained the options and costs clearly.He also gave great advice about air quality and mold. And the cost was reasonable..great guy, great experience! I highly recommend this company.

Unfortunately, a bit of a disappointing experience. I wanted to like these guys, too. I called these guys based on the extremely positive Yelp reviews when our boiler was malfunctioning and the heat went out in our house. They were polite and respectable, and even were available upon short notice and made me their first stop of the day.

However, they charged me $125 to diagnose the problem and explained what was wrong---that the piping was done completely wrong and was a terrible job. They suggested scrapping the boiler and piping we had and starting over, quoting me at $5000-$6000. The $125 fix they put into place, which they said they wouldn't guarantee, also didn't solve the problem---the heat didn't go up and instead the temporary fix had the boiler working for 1 hour before it went down again. It was the equivalent of pressing the Reset button, which we were doing on our own anyway. They also took some water out of the pipes, but with no hose.

My husband got a second opinion the same day from a family friend's recommendation of a company, and that tradesman took a look and said that there was no need to redo the piping. He said the piping wasn't done very well and wasn't pretty, but it was functional. In the end, this new tradesman spent 3 hours fixing the problem, replaced a part, and charged us for 1 hour of labor. Viola! We now have heat again. The tradesman also said taking water out of the pipes without a hose doesn't get air out.

These guys probably had good intentions, but we won't be using again.

Professional, Quick and Responsible.

Wish more professionals were like them. James and team stand by their work and is no wonder they have these reviews.

Our hot water heater started leaking on a Saturday. I called James and he called back within a half an hour. He coached me on what to look for on the old water heater so he could get me an estimate as soon as he could. The estimate seemed beyond fair compared to everything we researched online.

James couldn't get a water heater until Monday morning because the suppliers weren't available. But he was at our house bright and early Monday morning and he finished the job in no time.

James takes pride in his work and is friendly and courteous. When installing the water heater, he noticed that some wall was crumbling surrounding the pipe on the top so he applied some special cement. This is my face, he said. He takes his reputation very seriously.

If we ever have any plumbing or HVAC issues again, I'm calling James. Great service.

Called these guys a couple of times and got responses in less than five minutes. Diagnosed my AC issue in the fall and and came back this spring to resolve it in under an hour. Gave me free advice on how to use my AC to get the best performance and longevity. Definitely recommend.

4th time using AICA / James - and as all the times before, exactly what I needed.

Sadly the birds found a way in before I got a netting up on the exhaust vent. Tried to turn the heat on Sunday night and immediately set off the CO alarm. Called James that night and he squeezed me in late morning the next day and verified it's the same birds nest issue, and quickly opened up the pipes, vacuumed out the nest materials, verified the chicken wire mesh I got installed on the outside of the vents is still intact, and put it all back together in a little over an hour. Everything was running great after that.

As before, he always used shoe covers when entering the unit - and that's a level of courtesy I truly appreciate.

It was just great to know that he is available at off hours, and was able to address the problem so quickly and efficiently.

No question I will call him for all the HVAC needs of that apartment.

Make sure whatever time they say their coming  you are willing to just wait around almost a hour later for them to show up, with no phone call (with an apology) as a heads up that their going to be late. Definitely won't use them again.

Andrew and James were great. Helpful, responsive, knowledgeable, and did a fantastic job. Got me and my family out of an urgent jam with our AC, and still charged us a reasonable price. Highly recommend.

AICA and its owner James are great!!

During the heat wave last week my central air stopped working. I had originally found another company via google to come out. They told me that the contol board was bad and needed to be replaced. Fast foward a week I was still without a/c and was getting the run around on the part from the original company.

After being fed up with the other company I gave AICA a call. I spoke to James the owner in the morning, and he told he would be out that night. At 6 PM on a Friday James was at my door!!

He was very friendly and knowledgable, he even put on surgical booties before coming in the house so he didn't track dirt with him. Within 30 minutes James was able to tell that I didn't need a new board at all. During the heat wave the a/c overheated and threw a safety switch. All that needed to be done was to flip the switch!

Needless to say I have nothing but good things to same about AICA and James. He provided promt service and it was VERY reasonably priced!

My furnace began vibrating very loudly when I put my a/c on.  Called AICA on Saturday and got an appoinment for Monday (which was Memorial Day).  James was able to pinpoint the problem immediately.  Luckily it turned out to be a simple fix.  We've all seen TV investigative shows where small fixes can get turned into needless MAJOR repairs.  I was very impressed with James for his honesty.  Definately would feel confident to use him again and refer him to friends.  

Pam, Malden

I called AICA to come over and give us a quote to replace our boiler. I wasn't told that this trip would cost me anything. Andrew came and spent 10 mins answering my questions and 2 minutes confirming that my current boiler is still functional. Then he asked $175 for his service. If you like being ripped off, feel free to use this company. Otherwise, STAY AWAY!!!!

I can't say enough great things about Andrew. I have an older furnace for 1 apartment in my 3 family in Everett. Many years ago other HVAC contractors told me it was junk and to replace it. At that time, it wasn't even old! Anyway, I've had really poor experiences with this system. During the past winter, it was repaired twice and failed a 3rd time. This system has been a royal pain. I decided to try yet again and call another company. When Andrew arrived, he looked so young I thought 'oh boy'. Well, Andrew went up to the attic above the 3rd floor apartment (this is not a fun job). Andrew was very communicative sharing what he was trying and discovering. He saw an old part left from a prior repair. Andrew tested the electrical and diagnosed a problem with the electrical. This would necessitate replacement of the motherboard (and also explained why other repairs didn't hold up). Andrew recognized the brand (other contractors didn't or just told me they didn't) and he called right while he was with me to see if he could get the part. I am beyond impressed. He knew where to call because they had the part for this older furnace. Andrew gave me an estimate, and also gave me an estimate to replace. I asked if he thought I could get another couple of years and he honestly said yes. When I met him to install the motherboard, he thoughtfully picked up an ignition switch too. His price was more than reasonable, but his knowledge, honesty and communication is unparalleled. Andrew had a great attitude and was pleasant throughout! He fixed my furnace that multiple other contractors either could not or would not fix. I will be calling him eventually to replace the system when its time. From this point on, Andrew is the man I'll call and recommend him to others.

Excellent and prompt! Have used James twice for water heater replacement ! Highly recommend him!

Just yesterday James and AICA crew fixed our AC system.  This system has been having problems and no other company was able to address/solve it after numerous trips.  James was very respectful, always showed up at the time he promised, he was very professional and very thorough in the way he explained the problem and the solution (never in my life that a repair person bothered to draw a diagram for me so that I can understand...).  His 25+ years of experience speaks for itself.  I am quite surprised with 1 star review...  When he is at the job site, even though his phone is constantly ringing, he is turning down other jobs which frankly I appreciate because he is completely focused on the current job. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

We called.  We set up an appointment time.  It was a semi-urgent issue so we didn't have lots of lead time.  James came out, at the appointed time - that alone shouldn't be worthy of note but, alas, it is.  He checked out our furnace, decided it needed some minor maintenance work and did it.  He tried to explain it to me and when I said I wouldn't understand and asked him to explain it to my partner instead - and he did - and she really appreciated the information.  I think he charged ~$80 for a beginning of season servicing.  It didn't seem like a lot and it was worth the peace of mind to have everything checked out.  As he left he said we were welcome to call anytime and that there were no extra fees for needing emergency service or service on nights/weekends.  That also, is really great.  It shouldn't be worth 5 stars for arrive on time, do the work and not over-charge but, having tried people who don't return my calls, don't show up and offer egregious estimates, it totally is.  Highly recommended.

James Markarian installed two furnaces for me in one day this past Saturday. His bill was less than three other quotes I had gotten over the last two years.He had a crew of three men who were knowledgeable and friendly. I won't need him for hvac work again, but he will certainly be my go-to man for any plumbing problems I have in the future. I can't recommend him highly enough.

I called this company indicating I [had no heat or hot water and there was a blizzard on the way. They did not even call me back. When I called them back, I was told they are only helping their regular customers. That is a terrible way to treat  someone in an emergency situation. They would not even call me back!!

I strongly recommend James services. I have a forced air heating system controlled by nest. For some reason it stopped working on the Saturday of a long weekend. I called James and he first spent 15' on the phone trying to help me solve the problem myself. When I could not, he came early on Sunday morning, found the problem in 2', fixed it, and explained me how to fix it again if the issue happened one more time. I will certainly call him again any time I need anything related to plumbing or HVAC

James has always been very prompt in getting back to me, very patient with the fact that I know so little about my plumbing I'm not always sure which boiler is mine, and very efficient in getting us taken care of. He has fixed my heat, which broke mysteriously and repeatedly last winter and which nobody else could begin to figure out, and he worked very late at night to make sure we were all set during this time. He has fixed my AC, which gave out on the first hot day of this year. We are so grateful for his help. Reliable, responsive, and with excellent customer service!

We have been dealing with a complicated heating situation that left us without heat upstairs for days. Not only was James able to fix it, but he was incredibly decent and kind, and really helped us to understand the issue and what he was doing to fix it. I highly recommend AICA and know I will be using his service in the future if I need it.

I cannot say enough good things about James and his quality of work. I called right before Christmas and he said he could swing over that day since he was already near my neighborhood. When he got to my house, he was extremely polite, very professional (he even put on little booties to walk through my house) and very likable. After he fixed my issue (one room was not getting any heat), he took the time to explain how my heating system worked and some small, inexpensive things I could do make my heat most cost efficient.

As he was walking out the door he also mentioned that he was a master plumber, so I asked last minute for him to look at a plumbing issue I had. With a smile, he came back inside my house and advised me how to address the plumbing issue I had.

James was great and I happily would recommend him to anyone who needs help with heating and plumbing issues.

I called AICA Plumbing on New Years DAY and James, the owner, picked up the call. I was surprised because I didn't think I was going to get anybody today and hoped at best to leave a voicemail and get a response on January 2nd. Luckily for me James picked up, listened to my issue, correctly diagnosed the problem (heater pilot wouldn't remain lit; bad thermo coupler), said he'd be over in 45 minutes, arrived promptly and fixed the issue in 45 minutes.  Excellent work! I was very impressed with his knowledge and work quality. I will have no issue calling James with any future issues or projects I have.

I'm so glad I found James. My furnace wasn't working properly; I called him yesterday morning and he confirmed his availability for today 8am. It took him about 30 minutes to get my furnace back up and running. It helped that he came prepared with the necessary replacement parts. He even tested the furnace by turning it off and on several times to make sure it would continue to work and even waited a little while with me in case the burners would go out on their own. I also like that his office is less than a mile from my house so I'll be calling him again if I need anything in the future.