With the weather seeming harder and harder to predict, it makes sense to be prepared for the worst. Our ratings of area heating and air-conditioning services will help. We'll steer you to some of the area's best outfits...and let you know which to avoid.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Air Conditioning & Heating Contractors

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Air Conditioning & Heating Contractors Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Air Conditioning & Heating Contractors.

• Subscriber from FREMONT, CA wrote Another Contractor: I am very happy with the work that they performed on 2 differenct occasions. They..........
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Contractor: could not repair failed electronic filer (air cleaning) device but charged for 2.5 hours........
• Subscriber from HERCULES, CA wrote Another Contractor: I pay 11.95 monthly for service contract which among other things gives a servicing once..........
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Contractor: For a heating contractor this was a minor service, all I needed was a new..........
• Subscriber from SAN MATEO, CA wrote Another Contractor: Overall very pleased with the service. An electrostatic furnace filter was not correctly installed -..........
• Subscriber from CAMPBELL, CA wrote Another Contractor: Had a Lennox Heat/Air system installed, but the Evaporator Coil was qa cheaper brand. Questioned..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Contractor: They have had to return numerous times to install our A/C correctly and each time..........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Contractor: Although we won't know till Winter how well everything works we were generally pleased with..........
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Contractor: Serviceperson tried several things, but was unable to repair my three year old system. The..........
• Subscriber from MILLBRAE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Just had a new furnace installed after 40 years! Could not have chosen as better..........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Dan came out to estimate for new A/C system and determined that poor cooling probably..........
• Subscriber from PALO ALTO, CA wrote Another Contractor: Staff very pleasant, but firm seems to have no kind of standardized checklist for heater..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Contractor: No cost involved as service was provided pursuant to a prepaid plan.......
• Subscriber from DANVILLE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Actually, Comerfords in Danville.......
• Subscriber from FREMONT, CA wrote Another Contractor: My newly installed furnace works fine. However the newly installed electronic air cleaner is still..........
• Subscriber from MILPITAS, CA wrote Another Contractor: Our family now has had a total of 4 houses done by Sobotka. All Centeral..........
• Subscriber from PLEASANT HILL, CA wrote Another Contractor: I have used Atlas for years to service my old heater/AC and they really came..........
• Subscriber from NOVATO, CA wrote Another Contractor: Original job had to be completely done over because their service technicians were so poorly..........
• Subscriber from CONCORD, CA wrote Another Contractor: We were so impressed with the service we received from Compare Air Conditioning. The technician..........
• Subscriber from SAN CARLOS, CA wrote Another Contractor: We have only received quotes so far - no service. The quoter spent several hours..........
• Subscriber from SARATOGA, CA wrote Another Contractor: Requested Annual Check-Up and Servicing Furnace. Man Disconnected Furnace and told us: "NEED NEW FURNACE"!..........
• Subscriber from LIVERMORE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Technicians VERY PUSHY in wanting one to use other services from this company........
• Subscriber from SARATOGA, CA wrote Another Contractor: This seems to be an excellent firm. The installation was top notch and the system..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Dan is very personable and easy to work with. He was very helpful in explaining..........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Fast, effecient and effective. I would highly recommend them........
• Subscriber from LIVERMORE, CA wrote Another Contractor: When came to do furnace preventive maintenence check, 1 tech pushed air duct cleaning &..........
• Subscriber from SAN RAMON, CA wrote Another Contractor: A jewel. They have won me as a customer for life........
• Subscriber from PORTOLA VALLEY, CA wrote Another Contractor: We hired R&R Marcucci to install a new Carrier furnace in our attic. We selected..........
• Subscriber from SAN CARLOS, CA wrote Another Contractor: After doing some minor work for us, we asked for a bid on a larger..........
• Subscriber from SARATOGA, CA wrote Another Contractor: Did a great job replacing our duct work. However, it took several tries to get..........
• Subscriber from CASTRO VALLEY, CA wrote Another Contractor: I was delighted when a friend steered me to this local firm........
• Subscriber from LIVERMORE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Excellent job installing new central air and heat........
• Subscriber from DANVILLE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Excellent!.......
• Subscriber from MENLO PARK, CA wrote Another Contractor: Great job! Excellent!.......
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Contractor: Unable to find problem with fan coming on and off frequently. Wanted to replace computer..........
• Subscriber from ALAMO, CA wrote Another Contractor: I picked this firm based on the score they were given on your site. We..........
• Subscriber from BERKELEY, CA wrote Another Contractor: Felt like I got duped into signing up for a "membership" and paying monthly for..........
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Contractor: Exceptional.......
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Contractor: Superiorin every respect.......
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Contractor: Found my problem after another company could not. Clean efficient service. I intend to use..........
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Contractor: Have used Dahl for over 40 years and completely always satisfied........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Contractor: Atlas knows what they are doing. They are very detail oriented and designed a new..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Staff did not have the knowlege to complete the work required, continuously had to call..........
• Subscriber from DANVILLE, CA wrote Another Contractor: We use their annual service contract and have for several years........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Contractor: I was astounded at how great of a job they did and it was completed..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Installed airconditioning. Had inspection done and failed because they did not properly do hookup for..........
• Subscriber from DANVILLE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Reliable, honest, efficient. Finally, a good company in this field!.......
• Subscriber from PORTOLA VALLEY, CA wrote Another Contractor: Tough to get an appointment, but when we were able to arrange it they did..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Contractor: Allied was called to check the freon level and the performance of my AC unit...........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Contractor: Excellent service. Chris showed up on time and provided quick, efficient service. Despite seveal symptoms..........