We previously used Harry Wells and later Heritage for plumbing and HVAC. Heritage had experienced…read moretechnicians, but their pricing was extremely high. Last year they warned us that our refrigerant was obsolete, and if anything major failed, we'd need to replace the entire system (coil + pan + outdoor unit). Their estimate was around $15k, which is a huge, life-changing expense for most households.
The breaking point came when they quoted $1k just to replace a kitchen faucet. We ended up doing it ourselves. On top of that, yearly maintenance and repairs were consistently costing us $500+.
When our AC started leaking (caught by Ring sensors), I had to look for alternatives. I had tried before but hadn't found anyone reliable, so I gave Thumbtack another shot despite past poor experiences--many vendors talked a lot, quoted high, and didn't seem focused on actually solving the problem. Some even lacked proper licensing.
That's when I found Noble. They handle plumbing, duct cleaning, and HVAC. Their $89 visit fee was more reasonable than others. They performed initial HVAC maintenance and replaced an aging condensate pump, but when the leak continued, they came back at no extra charge to investigate further.
They identified a crack in the drain pan under the coil. I confirmed this myself when they demonstrated how water leaked directly through the pan, and later when the removed part clearly showed the crack. Their diagnosis matched what Heritage had previously found, which gave me confidence.
They explored lower-cost options like replacing just the pan, but explained the risks clearly. The coil joints were rusted, and replacing only the pan could result in a failure that would waste about $1k. A temporary patch also risked water leaking onto the furnace below, potentially damaging major components. As an engineer, that reasoning made sense to me.
Ultimately, the only reliable fix was replacing the coil + pan and the outdoor unit. Their quote was less than half of Heritage's $15k estimate, which made the project feasible.
We also bundled additional work at discounted rates:
Duct cleaning
Brush motor cleaning (had never been done before)
Mini-split maintenance
HVAC maintenance twice a year for two years
A temporary window AC unit provided while waiting for parts
I initially considered buying the equipment myself, but they explained that doing so would void the warranty, which I appreciated.
Since they're a smaller company, I was cautious about making such a large payment. They addressed this by providing ID, company registration details (which I verified through the MA corporate database), and accepting credit card payments for added protection.
The equipment arrived on schedule within two days. On installation day, they first completed a thorough duct cleaning using a vacuum system, brushes, and cameras, and shared before-and-after photos. There was a noticeable amount of buildup, so this was valuable.
The HVAC installation itself was complex since our furnace is about 10 years old while the new AC system is modern. They even sourced an additional control board the same day to make everything compatible. Despite the long day (about 8 AM to 8 PM), they completed the work and also cleaned the blower motor as promised.
The new system is significantly quieter and more efficient. They later returned to fine-tune the system when the weather was warmer and also completed the mini-split maintenance--nothing was forgotten.
Overall, they handled a complicated job professionally, communicated clearly, and delivered exactly what they promised. While this was still a significant expense, we were able to address multiple overdue issues at once.
I would highly recommend them for HVAC work and plan to use them going forward for plumbing and maintenance (faucets, water heater flush, filtration systems, etc.). They may seem young at first, but they are reliable, transparent, and capable. You can trust them to follow through and do the job right.