My Dear Watson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling

When the hot water quits, My Dear Watson is the kind of shop that turns up the same afternoon. A September 2026 customer had someone at the house within a few hours of calling; during a July 2026 heat wave, a homeowner who has called them for six years got the central air running again. The North Chelmsford company dates itself to 1987, calls itself family-owned, and covers plumbing, heating and cooling along with a fair amount of general home repair. Google carries 4.8 stars from 99 ratings, and many of the people writing are on their fifth or tenth call rather than their first. One customer counted five projects in 18 months in a June 2026 review — an emergency hunt for a leaking underfloor radiant heat pipe, a new toilet and sink, a vanity faucet repair — and said each was on time and on budget. Another, writing in April 2026, has been a customer for more than 15 years. The heating side goes deeper than a service call. In February 2026 a homeowner called them the only heating company they had found that could fully service their Dunkirk boiler, and described an overheating steam problem traced to a failed main circulator pump and a new pump installed. A May 2026 air conditioner with a serious refrigerant leak got next-day attention from technicians the customer named as Cauy and Ryan. On the plumbing side, a July 2026 crew walked a homeowner through replacing leaking copper piping and swapping out an old ball valve before touching anything, and a June 2026 plumber arrived for a clogged drain already carrying the replacement garbage disposal the customer had flagged when booking, so there was no second trip. The work is not all pipes and ducts. In July 2026 Celio, the handyman, tore out wet ceiling and wall drywall and reinstalled and repainted it; in March 2026 he rebuilt a screened porch — trim boards, screens, a new door and paint — after Gordon talked the homeowner through the options and gave an estimate. An August 2026 customer had a microwave installed sooner and cheaper than the appliance store quoted, and a May 2026 homeowner had the house power washed. Two customers tell a different story, and both are about money. A March 2025 reviewer said the company tried to charge more than it had quoted at every turn and billed for tasks the customers had done themselves. A September 2024 reviewer disputed a $2,400 air conditioning bill on a condenser that was under warranty, objecting to four hours of extra work. The company's BBB page carries a C+ grade and one complaint on file. Its site lists License #13308 and an oil burner technician certification, #127967, says the company is insured, and offers free estimates. For a same-day plumbing or heating call around Chelmsford — and for the odd jobs a plumber usually turns down — they are a practical choice. Pin the price down in writing before anyone starts, agree what happens if the job runs long, and check that licence number against the state register.