East Coast Comfort Inc

In a word: excellent!!! Stunned by 90+ temperatures in May, I decided that I couldn't bear another summer without central air conditioning. I found 3 top companies on Angie's List. The first, came and provided a $15,000 estimate for a patented system. Tony of East Coast Comfort (ECC) was the 2nd company to provide an estimate. Tony arrived on a Sunday morning to provide the estimate and spent almost 90 minutes at my home giving me all of my options (e.g., the advantages and disadvantages of a ductless system vs. ductless), inspecting it for options, and measuring to assess the size unit I would need. He was extremely knowledgeable, shared with me his credentials and experience, and it was clear that it was important to him that I knew all of my options and that I be satisfied with the work. The latter was especially important to me too. In the end, I decided that a CAC system (vs. ductless) was the best for me. That said, I was also a tad worried because Tony proposed a bit of innovation that at first made me a little uncomfortable. Namely, he wanted to open my ceiling to explore the possibility of putting the unit in my attic, which I did not think existed. What worried me most was the thought of some huge gash in my ceiling (I'm pretty fastidious about my home) but he assured me that all would be well. In fact, Tony told me two things that were very helpful to the process: (1) that things would most likely change because until you begin the work, you never know what challenges you'll meet; and (2) in the end, he could guarantee that I would be 100% satisfied with the work. Also, to his credit, he emailed me copies of photos of the vents, of the unit he would use (a Lennox system, which I understand to be a first-rate brand), and information about the Energy Star rating on the system. The previous company never mentioned an Energy Star system. All of this information went a long way to increasing my confidence with Tony and ECC. I also should say that I had a 3rd company come to provide an estimate. This company was far more casual in terms of looking at my home (he may have spent 20 minutes total) and never provided an estimate, despite my making two calls to request it. In the end, I chose ECC because of Tony's attention to detail, his prompt response to every email or call (and I sent lots of emails seeking additional information), and well, because his estimate was almost $5,000 less than the first one I received. Oh, and a word about the written proposal: it was beautiful. Every single thing and part was itemized and Tony offered to provide me with additional information about the parts that he would be using if I needed them. I especially liked reading that the final payment was due upon "customer satisfaction with the work." A day or so before the planned installation, Tony called to tell me that it was too hot to do the installation. It had been a week of those 100+ temperatures which meant that my attic would have been a sure furnace. Thus it was not safe for his workers. I was disappointed, but understood. The problem then was that I was getting ready to leave the country for a month. In my absence, I arranged for a friend to oversee the installation. Later that day, I received a call from Tony that he wanted to wait for me to be in the house. After scouring the house to find the best place to run the refrigerant lines, one of the best possibilities appeared to be through my home-office and then to create a soffit to hide the main duct. A less conscientious contractor who had gone through all of the effort to bring his crew and machinery out to do the job might have just gone through with the installation to be done with it and might have cared little about the client's satisfaction. Tony was adamant that I be there to approve the job because he knew how fastidious I am about my house. It was definitely the right choice to make. Moreover, by the time that I was back in town, he had fashioned another solution that was superior to the first one (again, his caution about things always changing on a job was spot-on) and did not require any of my home-office space and no soffit-work. We re-scheduled the work for the first work-day after my return to the U.S. Tony and his team spent 3 full days installing the system and I have nothing but excellent news to report about every aspect of the job. The attic did not work out as he had intended originally, but this is where his initial warning about change had me prepared. Instead, they found that I had just crawl space, which made the situation far more challenging for them. This nonetheless meant that his team had to belly-crawl in that space to connect all the ducts and vents on the top floor. It was hellish for them no doubt, but perfect for me because it meant a well-executed job; by which I mean, I did not have to worry about exposed ductwork or having to lay out extra expenses for soffit-work. All of the duct-work is neatly hidden in the crawl-space and the only evidence of my CAC is the very neatly placed vents (I watched them cut one and their attention to detail was impressive. They actually removed a vent that was just a hair crooked to ensure that it was perfectly placed) on the ceiling throughout the house, the larger exchange vent at the top of my stairs, and the thermostat to control the unit. Indeed, this was a very neat and clean crew (and that matters to me immensely). For example, as one member of the team cut the vent, another stood nearby with a vacuum to reduce the dust. And oh man was it dusty; dust EVERYWHERE!!! But, they cleaned up well after the job. As for the outside unit, the refrigerant lines emanating from the top floor down to the side of the unit are neatly and professionally tucked, and the lines to my electric panel are neat. They were even concerned about spray-painting the metal on the vent near the stairs to obscure the machinery inside. All of this attention to detail gave me a sense that they really respected my home. As for the outside compressor unit, ECC cleared a nice patch of land that was overgrown behind my basement. Gosh, Tony even repaired a loose cable on my garage door opener (that had long threatened to decapitate someone) where they stored their materials. Now that's service! The other thing that I enjoyed about having them work was how well the team (at least 3 or 4 men came and did the installation) worked together. It was hot, and it was a tough job because these 90 year old homes just don't give (not a bit of dry wall to be found) and thus there was a fair bit of troubleshooting. Yet through it all, they never complained or kvetched. Tony (who was onsite for everything, another plus) was laughing and smiling throughout, as was his team. This might not matter to other folks, but it gave me a sense of calm that I was in good hands with competent and skilled technicians who knew what they were doing. Also, throughout Tony would check in with me (I was here for most of the 3 day installation) about whether I was satisfied with how things were going. I was immensely satisfied. As for the system, it is everything he promised and more. I had to sacrifice a closet after the attic thing didn't work out (Tony is still perplexed that there is no attic up there. I totally get why he thought there would be more space up there; looks can be deceiving), but it was worth it. The system works flawlessly and has at least 3 different safety features to shut the compressor off if necessary. It is quiet (I was also obsessed with how quiet the system would be; again Tony kept his promise), and it cools supremely quickly and efficiently. I have not received the first electricity bill yet, but that's going to be my problem, not Tony's. All and all I am beyond satisfied with the excellent work that ECC did in my home and recommend them without reservation. So pleased am I with their services, actually, that I plan to have ECC come and service my boiler for the winter months as well.

Ed was on time and very friendly. Our basement was freezing and the upstairs was hot. We called to get it checked out. Ed did a thorough walkthrough of the system and explained everything he was checking for and what he saw. The best part about the experience was how he explained how we could do some of the minor work (like painting on the the sealant around the seals ourselves to save money). He checked the unit outside, sealed a couple gaps, and explained what we needed to do to maintain it. Overall the visit was educational and great for understanding how it all works.

I called and left a voice mail message at the office on 8/21 at 2:48 p.m. Tony returned my call at 3:00 p.m. I explained to him that I needed my heater checked because there had been a gas leak across the street 3 weeks ago and the gas company would not light the pilot on the gas boiler until it was checked. He was very pleasant. He said that he would place a report with the office and I would receive a call on Monday from the office. I explained that I needed to have the work done on Tuesday morning, 8/24/2010, if possible b/c I do volunteer work visiting hospice patients and the rest of my week was scheduled. When I received a call on Monday, I was scheduled for Tuesday morning service. I received a call Tuesday morning letting me know the service tech was on the way and would be arriving in approximately 1/2 hour. Ed arrived at about 10:45 a.m. He was very pleasant and professional. I explained that the gas company would not light the pilot when they were here until I had the heater checked. Before Ed even got started working with the heater, he said that he thought everything looked good and the heater and area around it looked clean. Ed cleaned and checked the heater and said that he could not find any problem with the heater. He lit the pilot and tested the heater by raising the thermostat. He said that all was well and he didn't see any problems. I was charged $80.00 for cleaning/check of heater which I thought was reasonable. Of note, when the gas leak across the street had occurred three weeks earlier, the gas company had told me I needed a new heater because they had found "a hairline crack" in the heater and that there was "a bubble along the side that would cause carbon monoxide to leak if the bubble burst". (This was at 2:30 in the morning and I didn't take the guy back down the basement to show me what he meant because I couldn't see straight from being so tired.) I had a neighbor look at the heater and he wasn't able to find what the gas company was talking about. He said he couldn't see how the gas company individual would have seen anything wrong when they went to relight the pilot. I subscribed to Angies list and did a little bit of research on local companies. I chose this company and another company to have them come out and check the heater. This was the first company that got back to me and I felt comfortable with the serviceman that came out. I didn't want to tell the serviceman from East Coast Comfort specifically what the gas company told me because I wanted to see what he said. I feel comfortable enough with the service from this company (based on previous customer input, their ratings, and the presentation/demeanor of the service tech) to trust this individual. In addition, I have a carbon monoxide detector/fire alarm at the base of the stairs from the first floor to the second floor.

Called this company on Wednesday, Aug 25 and wanted to have someone evaluate the thermostat which was coming away from the wall and I suspect was not really keeping temperature actually since knob was hard to turn (this thermostat was really old, perhaps 35 years). I spoke with Debbie who was so pleasant and bubbly it was a pleasure. Explained what I thought was needed and also requested someone come out on Friday, Aug 27th at 7am because I needed to be at a meeting in downtown Philly by 9am. Debbie called back promptly and said someone will be there at the time and date specified. On Friday, a person named Tony showed up exactly on time. He was professional, courteous and knowledgeable about my heating system. Tony explained the system and how it works. He offered choices of thermostats which would meet our family needs. He even suggested a different placement of a new system should one be needed in the future. By having the new system installed in basement instead of laundryroom/bath, the space could be a bath and laundry with stackable washer/dryer in closet. Tony installed the thermostat and even placed a wall plate to cover up the hole where old thermostat resided and did not charge me for it. Lastly, I have had a few Heating/AC people to look at this problem and not one of them addressed the real problem or explained the system like Tony had done, This is not a company that will take your money or try to sell you a product or service which is not needed. I am always going to call on this company for my Heating/AC needs. Also, told my entire office the story and recommended this company to them if they live in their servicing area. Thank you East Coast staff for your honesty, professionalism and courteous service!!

Prior to installation, Tony visited us to give us an estimate on installing central air. His advise was to replace our 22 yr old heater with a more efficient model, which would also work better with the new air conditioning unit. The price he quoted was much lower than other estimates I obtained. Tony and his assistant arrived on time on the scheduled date and they removed the old heater and installed the new units as well as a programmable thermostat . He fully explained the operations of the units and tested both the heater and air conditioner. Before leaving, they thoroughly cleaned up and removed the old heater and packaging materials. I would absolutely recommend East Coast Comfort and will call them again when I need HVAC service.

My AC went out. I called ECC after finding their name on Angie's List. The technician assessed the situation, found the problem (bad condenser) and replaced it quickly and efficiently. Both the dispatcher and the technician could not have been nicer, or more efficient. I was so impressed I asked for a maintenance service contract and I will recommend them to all my friends!!

These guys are terrific! From the first meeting, it was a pleasure dealing with Tony. He came on time for the estimate, was professional, and after looking over our house and taking appropriate measurements, etc., described the system he thought would work best for our situation and how he would install it using our existing duct work. Within 5 days he Emailed a very detailed proposal. We had received several estimates (4) and Tony's was very reasonable compared to the others. But that wasn't the entire reason for going with East Coast Comfort. I like Tony's straight forward style and honesty. I had several questions before deciding on them, and he answered all of my questions to my satisfaction. I had asked about the Federal Tax Credit and if he would give us a system that would quality. He gave us a great system and it will quality for the tax credit. On the day of installation, they came on time at 8 AM and worked straight through until the job was completed at about 4 PM. They worked together very well as a team, took out the old heater and disposed of it, put in the new heater in the basement and air conditioner on the roof, and a new programable thermostat, and WOW, it's wonderful! We've never had central air before, and don't know how we lived without it all this time! I would recommend these guys to anyone! They're great! And Mary in the office is very nice to deal with also! Thanks to everyone at East Coast Comfort!

They came out promptly and checked the system overall finding that the freon was a little low. They identified things I had not been aware of. They did the work at a reasonable cost and were pleasant to deal with.

My master bedroom averaged 90 degrees during heat of summer, and with this fabulous unit I can turn it on and off only as I need it (remote control included), with room cooling for sleeping to desired temp within 30 min. After 8 years of sleeping in heat despite having central air, this supplemetal unit has been a huge success! (as they promised). I previously had poor service with another A/C vendor, Tony and Ed fixed a botched issue from the previous vendor for me while up on the roof. I would strongly reccommend you stop here after researching angies list. They are the best.

On the morning of June 20, a Sunday, my central air conditioning unit starting making an unbearably loud noise. It sounded like the fan blades were scaping against the housing. I turned it off and started going down the list of heating and air conditioning contractors in my area on Angie's List. I was willing to pay a premium to have someone repair it that afternoon. It was in the 90s. Tony was responsive and able to come out the same day. He quickly determined the source of the noise. The unit was installed in the late 80s and needed a replacement motor. He gave me a quote for time and materials and was able to return two days later to finish the job. He was friendly, professional and informative. Most important, he was on time, did quality work and gave an accurate estimate. Next time I have a heating or AC need I'm not going to call around. I'm going straight to East Coast Comfort.

I know what you're thinking... "These guys have all A's and everyone says such great things about East Coast Comfort." Is it really true? Do they really, in fact, offer competent and honest service at an outstanding price like everyone says? The answer is unequivocally YES! The search for a reliable and friendly contractor to do any sort of work is usually nerve-raking and exhausting. I had a total of 6 different top-notch HVAC contractors to my house for estimates on the replacement of my old worn-out forced-air furnace and air conditioning system. When Tony from ECC showed up, he was enthusiastic and spent lots of time with us; he really made it clear that he wanted our business (and this in the middle of the busiest season in recent HVAC history). Tony runs the company and always gave me a timely thorough response to any question I had throughout the process. His price quote for the job was FAR below all the other estimates I had gotten. Workmanship was exactly on schedule and very high quality with lots of thought given to organization and neatness. Our newly installed system works perfectly, but I have no doubt that if any problems crop up, the guys from ECC will be out to make it right, no questions asked. If you're still trying to decide which firm to go with for your HVAC job or repair, go with Tony and East Coast Comfort. NOTE (added 10/29/2010): Had some problems with the installed thermostat but Tony and co. came out as soon as they could to replace the unit with a new one. Problem solved, no questions asked!

Would definitely recommend and use ECC again. They returned my call within 15 minutes, and were at my house within the hour. We just recently moved into our home, and had no experience with central air conditioning. When we turned the air on, the air that came out wasn't cold. They could have absolutely taken advantage of the situation (my husband and I would have done whatever they said) but instead were totally honest and told us that the unit just needed coolant--which is a very inexpensive and fast service. The guy who came out was friendly, quick, and did a great job--our air is now cold :)

I contacted ECC a couple weeks ago and sent an email about my request to install a ductless air conditioning unit. Within an hour I received a call back from Tony, the owner, who listened to what I wanted to do and scheduled an appointment with me for 7am the next morning, so there was no need to take time from work for the initial walk-through and estimate. Tony arrived a few minutes before 7am (a first for me with a contractor) and was very professional and explained that he would like to look at my existing hvac system to see if there was anything he could do to enhance its performance to save me the expense of what I orginally requested. He determined that the best thing I could do was the installation of the ductless unit and suggested that i consider a unit with a heat pump as it would qualify for an energy credit on my 2010 tax returns. He had an estimate to me at the end of the day and said he could schedule the work between 1 to 2 weeks after I decided to move ahead. I wanted to wait for another estimate which I had scheduled for the following week. I chose to go ahead with Tony and ECC the day of the other estimate and we scheduled the installation for a week and a half out. Tony arrived as scheduled, with his crew in the middle of one of the hottest days on record (103 at midday) and they did an excellent job installing the unit. They were professional, polite and worked clean - there was nothing for me to clean up after they left. They used about 24 hours in labor between them, many of them on the roof of my home in the blistering heat. I was amazed that they were able to do the installation on such a hot day and do such an great job at it. The third floor of my home is now cool and i am very pleased with the work. I will continue to work with ECC for any of my HVAC needs.

Turned my air on when the last heat wave hit and had only hot air coming from vents. I knew it was time to replace unit, called Tony left message he called right back, he said he could stop by and look at my problem in about an hour or so. He showed up right on time and, even though I told him I wanted to replace it in my voice mail, he said let me look at what you have and see if he could fix it. I told him it was time for me to replace as thje unit was over forty yrs old. I explained my budget to him and he came up with two different systems I choose the one with the tax credit. He showed up to install and found he had brought the wrong unit. He apologized profusely and promised to make it right and he did he got back to my house with the correct unit installed it and within a couple of days before the heat came back. This Guy and his partner Ed are what is right with this world honest and trustworty. Would use them again in a heart beat if needed. There is a reason these guys have all A ratings.

Tony arrived for the first contact on time and, while taking an inspection tour, designed an excellent system, and identified requirements for upgrading my electrical panel. He submitted a comprehensive proposal with a very reasonable price. On the day of beginning the work, Tony arrived early. He and his crew commenced work immediately and diligently. There were people working on all areas of the job all day. When they left at the end of the first day, my sun room was air conditioned! On the second day, they completed the job. The ducting was run. The air handler was installed and the condenser was completed. The work was uniformly excellent. The installation is neat and they cleaned up after themselves. Throughout the two days of work, Tony kept me updated as to the progress and the modifications required by finding surprises behind the walls. He was flexible and successfully met the many small challenges that came up. They worked well into the evening to finish the job. I am very happy with the work performed, the professionalism displayed by the entire crew and the added comfort in my home.

The experience from start to finish was really terrific. Of the three estimates I got, ECC's was by far the lowest, and I also felt most comfortable with them (Ed did the estimate) as soon as I met him - down-to-earth, no high-pressure sales pitch, etc. They worked hard to accommodate my request to install the system prior to my move-in date of May 1st, and they did it just in time! Tony and his crew did a terrific job. They were hard-working, conscientious, and very nice people. Their communication was great - Tony called/emailed me a number of times throughout the process, working to ensure the system I ordered met criteria for the tax rebate, etc. In fact, there had been a misquote around the air handler (the type of unit I wanted was higher cost than the price originally quoted) and they amended the estimate without charging me any extra - I was so impressed by their integrity around this issue. There was a small problem following installation, and Tony was extremely responsive, coming out the next day to correct what ended up being a very minor circuit breaker issue. The system runs beautifully, and all said, I couldn't be more pleased with their work and the service they provided. And, they finished just in time for what proved to be a very hot spring weekend!

Tony came out because my central air was not working. He quickly realized the capacitor was the problem and got the system back up and running, but then noticed that the line was icing up. After looking into things more he found that the evap coil was blocked with dust & hair. Since I change my filters regularly he thinks the prior owners must have been running it without a filter for it to have built up so much - it must have been there for two years! What a difference ? the vents were noticeably blowing harder and cooler air immediately. Cooling costs should also go down. We live in a three floor Philly row and have a hard time cooling the top floor. He also offered some solutions for cooling the top floor, including showing me how to balance the system using the dampers in the basement. He also said that with the evap coil cleaned the A/C may work to cool the third floor now ? very excited to see! He was professional, knowledgeable and willing to pass along his expertise. I feel very lucky to have found him and that my A/C is working again!

Our central air at our house did not come on during the first hot day of the season. We have used East Coast in the past and they have exceeded our expectations and they did not disappoint! Came out the next morning after the call as he said they would and the part was replaced for less than $200. A Keeper!

Tony is incredibly professional and prompt in his communications, from initial inquiry through job completion. He gave me a competitive quote, was able to schedule my job within a couple weeks, and the job only took two days - the crew started on a Thursday morning and they were done by 4:00 that Friday. And they left my house very clean. One thing I noticed after they left was that my front porch light was no longer working, and I called Tony to ask him about this. They knew they had pulled a wire in that area when they were installing a duct, so within a few days Tony and Ed came back to the house, spent about an hour, and were able to e-wire my front porch light. (Not every contractor would do that, unfortunately.) I can't say enough about Tony and Ed, they did a great job and they are very nice men. I would absolutely recommend them to others, and when I purchase my next property I will definitely call them for my HVAC needs.

They were great as advertised. Fan on heating/air conditioning was out and we could not identify the problem. Called them Friday AM. They tried to fit us in on Friday but were not able to do so. They came on Saturday, found and fixed the problem and provided needed maintenance. Very professional, courteous and punctual. Would highly recommend.

because of the recent storm, our heater stopped working in our rental property. We found EAST COAST COMFORT and called. I spoke with Tony right away and he came right out. He got it working enough for our tennant to have heat and ordered the part needed to completely fix it. Then he called back when the part was in and installed what was needed. He was so professional and reliable that we did not even have to go over to the house wiht him...we trusted him and he took care of everything and kept us informed each step of the way. EAST COAST COMFORT is a keeper and so is Tony. We will definately use them again

Excellent service, punctual, professional, explained everything very well. I felt that Tony really cared about our home and the service he provided. We will bring him back in the spring for air conditioning work.

Sorry it took so long to write this review. Tony did a great job. He was very professional and gave prompt and detailed responses questions. The quote was VERY reasonable compared to other companies. The heater works very well. There is still a bit of an issue with heat getting up to the second floor but it is a very old house and isn't insulated very well if at all. He threw in the hookup of the existing duct to the laundry room for free. I have no problem recommending East Coast Comfort and hiring the company for future maintenance, repairs, or upgrades.

Tony & his crew were extremely cognizant of my desire to maximize the space above the ceiling for storage and accommodated my requests to keep both units as "high and tight" as possible without any attitude, problems or additional upcharges. In fact they took it up upon themselves to shift some other mechanicals not part of the scope of work for my benefit. They cleaned up after themselves fully and were pleasant and professional to deal with. It was a complicated job that went very smoothly and I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

It was right before I was about to go to bed and noticed it was chilly in the house . I turned up the thermostat but the heat never started blowing-In fact only cold air was blowing! I called East Coast Comfort, Inc. and spoke with Tony. (It was about midnight) He had answered his phone on the third ring and from the sounds of my issue Tony suggested not waiting until the morning. Quote: "Your house is not going to get any warmer". Tony arrived to my home in 45 minutes, you would of thought it was his first call of the day. His goal was to find resolution that night. Tony diagnosed the problem, found the defective part, called his supplier and had them open their doors afterhours to sell him the part he had needed to fix my heater. Within no time the problem was resolved and my heater was operating again. This is the first time I used East Coast Comfort and it sure won't be the last. Summer is coming and I feel alot safer knowing I have an older heating and cooling system and East Coast Comfort to be there for me. Thanks.