Can anyone recommend a good heating repair company that serves Oakland and San Leandro. I have a newish wall furnace that needs a new ignitor. It's a pretty simple job, but I still want someone who will do the job right! Chilly Millie

We need to replace our furnace and most of our ducts. Can anyone recommend a good heating contractor for forced air heat in a little old Berkeley bungalow from the 1920's? Thanks in advance!

Our furnace was not starting up so we called AC Heating & Air Conditioning. They came out to our place and quoted $475 + tax for a new humidity/water pump. They said it was ''half parts and half labor''. It turns out the identical pump to the one that's stopped working is $48 online and is connected with 2 hoses and plugging it in an outlet. When I told them that I wanted to talk with them about their quote, he said ''my manager said we could do it for $360''... Just reporting the facts.

We are going to replace our furnace (circa 1947)...yes you read right. We have already receive a quote from Atlas. Does anyone have any feedback on how Atlas performed....timeliness, came in on budget, addressed concerns and worked to correct them, completed job in its entirety, etc. Do you recommend anyone else. Thank you for your input. -Al Gore is making me do it

We recently had a new furnace installed by A-1 Guaranteed. They were the most professional and considerate workmen that I've dealt with. (and I've dealt with many!) Not only was their bid the lowest by far (for the exact same product and installation as other installers) but they really went above and beyond to make sure I was happy with the job. After the city inspection, they came back quickly and politely to 'fix' a couple of things that weren't even really their fault. One guy made a small scratch in the floor near the heat register, and he promptly got me and showed me. They called several times afterward to see how they could make it up to me, even though i wasn't pushing it. (Sent me a home depot card) Oh, and these are the contractors that the Emeryville HOme Depot subs their work out to. (That's how i found them.) They're wonderful and very responsible! They have the best guarantee for their work long-term, as well. Highly recomend them!!! annie

I would like to recommend a fantastic furnace guy named Rich Witczak from AirZone Heating and Air Conditioning at 925-829-9401. Our heater would not turn on and we got some other people to come clean out our vents to see if that would fix the problem and to check on what the problem was. They cleaned the vents but spent 5 min checking out the system and said we needed a new circuit board which is like 500-700$. We called Rich on a rec from a friend and he spent over an hour and meticulously evaluated the whole system, informing me about everything along the way and determined it was a faulty thermostat and he replaced that; all for $180. He was honest, very professional and meticulous and just did an awesome job and the best is we now have heat! He said most of the other heater people all say ''replace the circuit board'' without even looking at the system. gabriela

I have an old gravity-flow heating system. I love the system, but half the burners are currently clogged and they need to be cleaned. It's a rather involved process. Does anyone know someone who does this type of work? I would be grateful for your help. cathy

I highly recommend Airco Mechanical for Heating, Air Conditionong and Sheet Metal work. They also do gutter and down spouts. Airco is a small family owned business. They offer both standard and energy saving high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Their prices are very fair and their staff is profesional. They are fully licensed. Contact: James Loera (707)322-4620
km

2006 Recommendations

Our home only has central heat downstairs and we are freezing upstairs. Could anyone recommend someone to bring the vents to the upstairs rooms? Is that how it would be done? Thanks again LSG

- Their estimator said we would be able to punch vents into the upstairs rooms with ease, but the installers didn't see a way to do that, and it took an extra day and a visit from the foreman before they figured out how to do it. The way they came up with caused approximately $1000 in plaster damage (that we had to pay a different contractor to repair).
- Their initial clean-up was inadequate, and we had to request a follow-up visit to remove significant amounts of plaster dust.
- They cut one of the heat registers directly under the doors of our built-in, which means the built-in doors are drying out and swinging open because they've shrunk. This was a different spot than we had agreed upon in the walk-through.
- They cut a different heat register without reinforcing the floor planks that were cut. Those planks are now cracking.
- They installed a new thermostat without leaving us an instruction manual.

On another house (the one we sold to move into this one) we had our heater replaced by Superior Plumbing & Heating of El Sobrante, 510-223-6246, and were very happy with the work, although it was a less complicated job. Their bid was almost 30% more expensive than Harry Clarke's for the same work, but, after our experience with HC, it seemed worth it. Heated twice, burned once

I'd like to recommend Scott Raykiewicz, Air Quest Heating and Air Conditioning, to anyone (in the Contra Costa area) needing a new air conditioner or heater, or service on an existing unit. He has provided excellent service. His phone number is 925-820- 0866. Lourdes

I'm going to install a completely new central heat (and hopefully AC, too) which means all new ducts and the units. I'd like to get several quotes, and the posted recommendations all seem pretty old. I'm in Lamorinda. Thanks! ~kristi

From the archives: ''Central Heat Installation -- Last year we ripped out our old forced air central heating system and had a whole new one designed for us. We got many bids and talked to many companies, and ended up with Atlas Heating in Oakland. We were impressed with them and I highly recommend them. They are a local, family-owned business with lots of experience. Ours was not a simple job, but they did a fine job with good follow-up. And the heating works great! You can call them at 800-750 -0074. -- Warm & Happy ''
Still Warm & Happy two years later

During the my 2001 home renovation project, one of the last subcontractors turned out to be one of my best. I hired RC Air to design and install a new heating and ducting system. One critical element of the design was that I wanted no visible ductwork, even in the basement. Ron accepted the challenge of working within the combined new and old structure, and designed a highly aesthetic, efficient result. All ducts are fully hidden as well as soundproofed.

He recommended a highly efficient (92%) condensing gas furnace, which has lowered our heating bills from our former model, even though we're now heating more space. In addition, we added an electrostatic filter, to alleviate our allergies.

His installation work was extraordinary. He is very fast and efficient, but remarkably careful. He is attentive to the minutest detail. I watched him ensure printing on sealing tape is consistently oriented (who would have thought)? He rotated all PVC pipes so that the purple printing on them pointed away from view. His PVC pipe priming - that purplish dye on white pipes - is crisp and dripless. Every port and duct is labelled clearly with flow and destination.

And it's all covered under drywall and beadboard. And he knew it would be. Ron put extra effort into making his ductwork look beautiful even though he knew it would ultimately be covered and unseen. He told me he didn't want someone 50 years from now, when maybe renovating the house again, to look poorly upon his work. He's clearly concerned with quality that lasts, and he defines his reputation through his craft.

Ron warrants his work, yet we have had no problems. He left us with a clear binder of maintenance and repair information, but I've never needed to consult it. We are immensely pleased to have worked with Ron, and are delighted by (and very comfortable due to!) his work jeff

We need to have our unreliable central heating repaired (or maybe ultimately replaced). The recommendations on the bulletin board are a couple of years old, and I'm wondering if anyone has more recent experience with any of the following companies: Atlas, Harry Clark, Best Heating, Ceridono, or Walter Mork? Thanks for your help! rachel

I have checked previous postings and nothing seems to be recent. I'm looking for a HVAC specialist in the Lamorinda area. Your recomendations are appreciated. Carole

2005 Recommendations

We called AC Heating and Air conditioning (510-271-0771) to come take a look at our two heaters. They have the largest ad in the SBC Oakland Yellow Pages (pg 40). They told us that there would be a $45 charge for the service call to find the problem and if we decided to have them fix it the $45 would go towards the costs of repair. So, the guy showed up, did little more than just re-light our pilots (no parts, laughable labor time) and was done in 15 minutes. He then asked for $120!!! I was shocked. Needless to say I didn't pay him $120. But, the experience wasn't fun and everyone should stay far away from these folks. Almost Burnt

As winter lurks around the corner, I want to replace my 2 ancient floor furnaces (in a 70-yr old house) with central heating. Any recommendations?

I know we haven't had a crazy hot summer so far (2005), but my hubby and I decided to install air-conditioning in our house this year. We hired Ceridono Heating/Cooling. Our "3-4 day job" ended up taking 30 days and by the time they left our house not only did we end up with half of the things they promised us, only half of our house is cool. Sadly, it's not the half that needs cooling. Our bedroom on the top floor was 92 degrees the other day with the "air-conditioning" running. And they are still expecting us to pay in full. We've called in Jeff Brown from LJ Kruse to be our salvation and are just kicking ourselves that we didn't hire LJ Kruse from the get go. Jeff and his team can be reached at 644-0260. (Oh, and several postings from the last couple of years list Jeff Brown at Ceridono - he doesn't work there anymore... now he works for LJ Kruse.)
disgruntled and HOT in Oakland

We have had great experience with RD Heating & Air Conditioning. They installed a heater for us a year and a half ago and an air conditioner this spring. I would definitely use them again. Their phone number is 1-800-606-6456. Pam

In response to an inquiry from a member about the ins-and- outs of a new forced-air system for her home, I recommend that you contact my partner Jeff Brown, who heads the HVAC division at LJ Kruse Company. Jeff has over 25 years in this industry in the Bay Area, so he knows all of the HVAC challenges of older homes. He and his crew are thoroughly knowledgeable, professional and will design a system that will truly enhance the quality of your home life. Jeff can be reached at 644-0260 or 549-5314 (direct). Andrea

2004 Recommendations

GREAT HEATING CO.!

Our furnace/heating system just died a few weeks ago! Unexpectedly and in a real bind, my husband called a few heating companys. WE LUCKED OUT BIG TIME and came across a company that is small; family owned for many years and they were a God- send! BEST HEATING AND AIR CO. OWNER JOHN HALSEMA is smart, respectful, pleasant and knowledgable as well as fair and straight! He came over that night, put in a NEW furnace that next day, worked his butt off late into the night to get our heat back on and running! We were SO happy and just want to spread our good fortune to anyone who is in need of help with your heating or cooling system in your home! Relax and call... * JOHN HALSEMA * # (510 ) 530-2092 john AT bestheating.com www.bestheating.com Happy Holidays! Melinda

Central Heat Installation

Last year we ripped out our old forced air central heating system and had a whole new one designed for us. We got many bids and talked to many companies, and ended up with Atlas Heating in Oakland. We were impressed with them and I highly recommend them. They are a local, family-owned business with lots of experience. Ours was not a simple job, but they did a fine job with good follow-up. And the heating works great! You can call them at 800-750-0074. -- Warm & Happy

We have an old gas furnace which I was told is not energy efficient. I contacted one heating company and a guy said that my furnace is losing about half of the gas it uses. He then give me an estimate for replacing it to a new, energy efficient furnace. He said that it is almost 95% energy efficient. I can probably save $50 ~ $70/month for gas. However,, to replace it their estimate was $4700. (7 rooms (4 bedroom) house.) It takes almost 10 years to pay off the cost of replacement from the money we save for gas. It seems long,,, but if PG & E keeps raising their price up consistantly we may be able to pay off sooner,,,. Should I replace the furnace or not??? Mom trying to save money and energy

My typical 1920s Albany bungalow has only a wall heater (located in the hallway, which is useless for the rest of the house). We are looking into getting central heating installed. Has anyone done this recently? Approximately what does it cost? Any recommendation for a company to do the work? Thanks Anon

For our house, with 8 vents, the cost range was $5,000- 7,000 depending on the furnace you choose. We went with the more expensive (& more efficient) variable speed furnace and love it. (Of course, since we had no heat before that, we probably would love anything). The air feels good, there are no big gusts of air, and the furnace is very quiet.

The installation took about 4 days, and there was about a 4 week wait to get scheduled at that time. The work was very professional & clean. grassygal

Earlier Recommendations

Does anyone have hydronic heat in their house? We need to replace our heating system and I'm interested in hydronic heat. Specifically because my husband has allergies and asthma. I need recommendations of heating companies that can install it. If possible, please email me personally as well as posting on the newsletter. rcohen

We need to update heating system in our house-- are having trouble finding contractor/ company who isn't wierd or scary. If you have used someone and it was a good experience please share! Thanks. Maria

We need a new furnace and have already gotten an estimate from Atlas Plumbing and Heating. I'm interested in hearing from anyone who has had them do work, as well as getting suggestions for a company that might give us another bid. Some duct work may also be part of the job. Thanks.

We are installing a new gas furnace and would like any recommendations for gas furnaces. Two well-recommended HVAC companies independently have suggested Carrier furnaces; does anybody have an informed opinion on that furnace brand? Kate

Can anyone recommend a good heating contractor who could add a vent to our existing central heating system? We felt that the contractor we engaged to do the original installation was very pricey. We live in Emeryville.

Furnaces are supposed to be inspected annually. We have ours done by Atlas Heating and Ventilation in Oakland. They originally installed the furnance (before we owned the house) so we just kept with them.
Fran

What ever you do, DO NOT CALL COMFORD. They are a rip off. When I was 9 months pregnant they insisted our funrnace was no good, and that gases were leaking into our home. Their furnace cost was $8. He was really pushing a sell. We ended up calling PGE. They came out right away. And informed us that there were no gases leaking into the home. That our furnace is old but ok. I would not recommend them....
Cindy

I've also used Berkeley Plumbing and Heating to repair my furnace when a cheap programmable thermostat fried it and they were very very nice and did a great job. And they were reasonably priced.

We have just had a new forced air heating system installed in our small house in Oakland, and used Harry Clark Plumbing and Heating. We have no history with the heater, but Harry Clark's people were very helpful and pleasant to work with. We also got a bid from Ronnie at Atlas Heating; Atlas is more expensive, but it's a union shop and is highly regarded.

I want to chime in with Wendy on 9/1's Parent Digest regarding Harry Clark Plumbing & Heating. We had them install a new heating system in 2 homes with great success. We also used their plumbing services for both minor repairs and major pipe replacement/installation and found them to be excellent. We also got bids from Atlas Heating -- they are highly regarded and more expensive. However, after having used Harry Clark since 1988, we still have the same plumbers coming to our home and they seem quite satisfied with their shop. Albert Nahman has also serviced us for plumbing, and is equally good.

My furnace and heating ducts were supplied and installed by Ceridono Engineered Heating in Berkeley. They are in the yellow pages under heaters-sales and service. I had one of those small floor heaters in my downstairs so that the heat never made it upstairs. My furnace is in my attic (the crawlspace under my house wasn't big enough) and the vents are in the ceiling. They were pretty inventive about placing the ducts because I have an old house with few places to hide stuff, but they managed to do it.

The original furnace and installation cost about $3500 10 years ago.