For years we've wanted to install an electric heat pump in our house in Pacifica, but most of the companies we spoke to in the past didn't seem to know much about this technology, and would try to push us towards other, more conventional heating systems. Alternative HVAC gave us exactly what we were asking for, and we were happy with the way they handled the whole process. Both the installation crew and the office staff kept us informed of what was happening every step of the way, and they were all very friendly and helpful. The new system works great, and our house feels very cozy. Highly recommended! read more

We enjoyed a fast, clean,and installation experience of our mini-duct in an upper floor master bedroom a year ago and, after using the system, are now comfortable to post our appreciations for a job well-done! Our existing aircon system is central, and we prefer to only cool the bedroom for the 90 degree nights. We researched mini-duct systems and contacted Mike because of the Mitsubishi system we desired. Their quote to install the system was competitive with 2 other quotes, and the 10 year extension on the warranty was a big plus for our occasional use of the system. They are in such demand that our installation was a few months after agreement, and not a problem for us. Installation of the outside unit on a roof section was 75 feet higher than the home electrical panel, which also required some work. The mini-duct manifold and heat exchanger were installed in a bathroom soffit, with the lineset inside a 15', 4" white pvc pipe connecting the soffit to the outside condensing unit by running across the peak of the inside ceiling. Mike and his crew of 4 worked over a 3-4 day period to install a complex system with multiple ducts during very warm days. Cleanup was very good, and the crew were courteous and sensitive to the inside working areas. There was no damage, and Mike held to his quote, even though one of his crew had to return part of the following day for cleanup. We've used the system the past year, and everything works great. Very rapid cooldown from 90 to 70, and super-quiet. We highly recommend Mike and his team and will certainly contact him for any future services! Kerry read more

My wall heater died just as the bay area was entering a cold snap. I called a lot of places and no one could come and take a look for at least 2 weeks - not even PG&E. The folks at Alternative HVAC assigned someone to come take a look within a couple of days. It turned out that the whole system was too old to fix and needed a full replacement. Not only did they provide the new furnace and installation within a week, they actually came and did the work a day earlier than scheduled. Everyone I worked with from the front office to the service team was professional, kind and hardworking. 100% would recommend this team! read more

I never recommend to deal with this company. My realtor asked Mike for a quote to replace air ducts in our house. He came to here on June 7, 2015 and didn't send back any quotes to us. After one month, I sent few emails to him and the company address and also made phone calls few times. They always said they will send an offer soon. It did never happen for 6 months! They never communicated understandable reasons. I guess they decided to not work with us for some politically incorrect reasons. I'm not sure what it was. I can't think of any other explanations of their weird behavior. read more

We were very impressed with Mike after his initial walk through and hired him over several over HVAC companies we spoke with. Unfortunately, the team he had working on our house (they were new so hopefully he will reevaluate their employment) were extremely sloppy. One day after they had left, I spent one hour cleaning up scrapes on our wood floor and scrubbing scratches off our wall. My husband also noticed that they had singed our water sprinkler pipe. Unfortunately, they never notified us of this mishap. I emailed Mike to share our concerns with him. He arrived the next morning to inspect the job. He apologized for the carelessness and offered to pay to replace the water sprinkler pipe. He also pulled in a new crew member to replace a novice who had been working on our house. His crew repainted a spot on the wall that wouldn't come out from scrubbing. Because of his thoughtful response, I kept my stars at a three instead of going lower. Unfortunately, we are still finding damage to our house now that his team has finished the job, even after he replaced the apprentice. There is a dent in the counter in the bathroom, more scrapes found on the wall, and an area where they burnt our carpet upstairs. I can't believe how careless the crew was with our house and am upset that they treated our space with so much disrespect. In all fairness, we did not report the additional damage to Mike but did want to share it with the Yelp audience so if you do hire Mike's team, you ask for a crew who is more considerate. I hope this review allows Mike to reconsider if he wants to keep that team employed so others don't have to suffer through what we did. read more

Disclosure: they did not do any work for us. This review is for Yvonne's customer service. I found Alternative HVAC from requesting a quote thru Mitsubishi's website as we wanted that system. After initially reaching out, Yvonne failed to follow up on my request to schedule via email. I ended up calling and scheduling an appointment. I then called back a few days later to reschedule the time only to find out that "she canceled the appointment because I asked a lot of questions and she didn't think we were moving forward". Not professional. We took the day off work in order to meet this appointment and no one was going to notify us? Just wait around for an appointment that wouldn't happen? It's unfortunate that Alternative HVAC will miss out on revenue because Yvonne doesn't have proper skills. read more

We recently had issues with our HVAC system. We got recommendations for multiple vendors. Between pricing, efficiency of the office (Yvonne) scheduling the appointment and transparency regarding pricing, we decided to go with this vendor. They also had a very competitive price. The technician (Nate) was fantastic! He immediately diagnosed the issue and did some maintenance on the unit and got everything running quickly. We were impressed that they even let us know that the technician was running 15 minutes late. read more

We are really pleased with our experience! Mike came out and gave us a quote in about a week's time. Other quotes and companies said: Alternative HVAC was far better priced that the other quotes we received and reassured us that our VERY tight attic space and crawl spaces were workable. The two other companies we received quotes from were astronomically higher and had told us that due to the tight space in our attic that our new unit was going to be much louder and that's just how it was going to be (ugh). HOWEVER, Mike's team of guys (Adrian, Matt and one other guy who's name I can't remember--sorry buddy) were able to create a solution that made our replacement heater and new AC even MORE quiet than what we originally had which was already pretty quiet. WE ARE THRILLED!!!! Professionalism: Mike's team of guys were super friendly and professional. They showed up within the time ranges they said they would, kept me in the loop of what they were during, asked me if I was ok with their plans before executing them (i.e. drilling in walls etc, placing AC fan in a specific spot) and always did an excellent job of cleaning up after they were finished. We will certainly be using them again when we replace our downstairs heating system in the near future. Thank you Alternatice HVAC, we will now be able to sleep comfortably upstairs during the summer! read more

The folks at Alternative HVAC saved me from yet another cold, no-heat winter. Yvonne was incredibly helpful. She quickly returned my phone call and was so very friendly and diligent in ensuring I got an appointment. She actually followed up to be sure I was satisfied! Their technician, Nate, walks on water, too. He arrived within the scheduled timeframe and was masterful in quickly diagnosing and repairing my furnace. I can't thank him enough for his thoroughness, expertise and friendly advice. It's great to meet a true tradesman and a privilege to see him at work. This company and their great people are a refreshing change from the far less reputable firms I've dealt with in three seasons of trying to get my furnace back in line. The folks at alternative HVAC are honest, friendly, extremely knowledgeable and reasonably priced. I recommend them highly without any qualification or equivocation. I just wish there were more stars to give them. read more

Mike Rebholtz and his team installed air conditioning and an air-filtration unit in our house this summer. Despite it being peak season, they were able to fit our install in the week after the estimate. All the workers were prompt, courteous and meticulous about tidying up after themselves. There were no charges above the estimate on this job. The following week, Mike came by for a walkthrough and made sure we understood how to operate and maintain the new equipment. Highly recommended! read more

Mike and crew just installed air conditioning in my house. I had a super experience. The crew was friendly and courteous, neat and efficient. The work was scheduled quickly after we made the decision to proceed, and it was all completed a little ahead of schedule too. Can't say enough good things about them, highly recommended. read more

Number one in the bay area!!!! I had to get a new heater for the house Mike came cover.. explained the process and gave me a very reasonable price The crew he sent out were polite..knowledgeable and did a excellent job Cleaned up nicely after also!! There is no real reason to call anyone else for your heating and air conditioning needs 5 stars to MIKE AND CREW!! read more

Mike and his team replaced my 29 year old furnace the other day. The installers were professional and tidy. They placed drop cloths from the front door to the furnace area, Mike suggested a little larger heater and boy was he spot on. Nice to have the heat back. Alternative HVAC is a great addition to my go to list of contractors, I can trust and depend on. read more

Hi All: Mike Rebholz and Company are just Great! Our central air went out, after 20 years, right when we were having the 100 degree heat! Yikes! They installed a new unit and heating unit in one day, and we have really cold bedrooms now. These guys are clean, efficient , and reasonable in their rates. Try them, you won't be disappointed. Coolest Guys I know!! read more

I just want to thank Mike and his staff for a job well done. We are really happy with the new Mitsubishi split system they installed. Rick and Robert were pleasant and professional. Rick followed up on his own time and worked though the inevitable glitches that occur during any construction process. read more

I recently had a Mitsubishi Ductless Air and Heat system installed in my condo and I have nothing but positive things to say. Three other owners in the complex also used them and they are very happy. It's summer time, so we haven't been able to try the heat yet (we replaced very inefficient electric base board heaters) but the AC is fabulous. The whole process went smoothly, from getting the estimate to the actual installation. Their pricing was far more competitive than the others estimates we received and theirs included the permit, which the others did not. I highly recommend Mike and his crew. After the system was installed, I noticed there there was one electrical outlet that didn't get covered with a plate and when I emailed Mike, he had it taken care of the next day. Great customer service! read more

Completely unprofessional. I had an appt scheduled at 2:30. Called once and they said I wasn't in the system and that they would try to get a tech out to me. I called again at 2:40 to ask what the status was. I was told a tech would come out between 3:30-4. I called again at 3:30 to ask what the status was and was told sometime around 5. I asked to speak to the manager being that it was very hard for me to take time off work, the lack of communication, and how I was unhappy with the customer service being that I had to call 3-4x myself. All I was looking for was an apology, but instead he was completely rude and unprofessional saying he didn't know what else to say and that I could either wait or call another company. No apology for the lack of communication or miscommunication. No apology for my wasted time waiting around. Don't bother with this company. You'll be wasting your time and very frustrated with the lack of customer service and professionalism. If anyone refers you, don't believe them as I referred by another company. read more

Mike and his technicians gave us excellent service at a fair price. Everything was installed as scheduled and without incident, despite a fairly complex installation situation. His workers were polite, clean, and professional. His office staff also was top-notch and very responsive. Only wish I had used him years earlier. My previous HVAC company (who we had for 20+ years) did some pretty shoddy work in the past...which I found out when the old equipment was removed. They tried to rush-upsell me to a very expensive and unnecessary system and fed me a bunch of BS about urgency of getting new A/Cs. And the bid was almost 2X what Alternative HVAC quoted. Very happy with Alternative HVAC! read more

I called AlternatIve HVAC Solutions & spoke with Yvonne about my heater turning on & off by itself. I realized that when my tenants moved out, they must have hit the thermostat on the wall with the furniture they were moving. Yvonne was very sweet & told me to turn off the circuit breaker to the heater until the tech could come out to fix it. The tech, Nate, came out the next day & fixed it. Nate was very nice & knowledgable, was there on time, & got the job done fast. I know this job was probably a small one for them, but they were there for me. Very Professional company. Thank you Yvonnne & Nate!!! read more

This could have been a 10 star review out of 5 instead of 2. I needed a new split system Mitsubishi heat pump to cool the master bedroom in our 2 story townhouse so I could sleep at night. Mike made an outstanding suggestion about running the lines to keep them hidden as well as easily adding a second unit to help cool the rest of the house. The workmen were prompt, courteous and knowledgeable installing the system and even improving the central heating distribution. That is until they took the typical contractor's shortcut of adding an aftermarket, noisy, vibrating, piece of crap condensate pump to both units so they could push the water through an easily installed small tube instead of properly installing a gravity drain. From the beginning, I told Mike and his crew this was to QUIETLY cool the upstairs bedroom at night so I could sleep. These types of units all squeeze water out of the air when they cool it so a drain is mandatory. We had plenty of height for a gravity drain, which is the best and in my opinion only way to drain the water. It took 2 more trips over months after emails, arguing, threats, more money and wall repairs to take out the noisy, vibrating, piece of crap condensate pumps and replace the tiny plastic tubing with a gravity drain. NEVER INSTALL CONDENSATE PUMPS! Update: Sadly, Julie's reply is untrue. First, I never asked for a change to the design. The installation crew set these locations. They were the experts and I trusted them. They asked me if I wanted it 6 inches this way or that way, never mentioning the condensate pumps. Secondly, they installed the gravity drains at essentially the same locations moving 1 of the 2 units a few inches so Julie's claim that these changes caused the problems is again untrue. The problem was the noisy, piece of crap condensate pump the installation crew always intended. read more

This is a great company! From Mike, the manager, to all the employees, Including Yvonne from the office, to Nate the trouble shooter, to the installers. They are all very respectful and knowledgeable. I had a faulty company install a brand new furnace and they did not install the propane kit. That caused the furnace to spray out raw propane and ruin the new furnace and almost caused a fire in my new space. Mike's crew new the problem and removed the other furnace and installed a new one. Mike also related this information to my contractor who ended up paying for the new one. Whenever there is a concern, Mike is on it right away. I really trust this company. read more

They installed my heater and there has been a roof leak ever since, they have come out to fix it but only after I called them many times. I even took time off from work and they didn't even show up as agreed. I just left a message, lets see if they get it right this time or at all. If you use them do not pay until job is done to your satisfaction, they were very helpful until I paid them in full..(By the way I even had to have someone else complete the permits that did not pass). I guess I will now call a roofer to fix the leak right, Not sure if it will do any good but I will send them the bill. This has been going on for two years. We called them because they are Diamond certified. By the way thier manager has never returned my calls. To bad I had to select one star because as far as I am concerned 1star is not even deserved. read more

We just had our 31 year old furnace replaced by Alternative HVAC Solutions and had an excellent experience. Yvonne responded promptly to our initial call and set up an appointment with Michael, who immediately came out and gave us an estimate. One week later, we had a new furnace. Matt and his colleague were very professional and cleaned up completely when the work was completed. read more

I had a terrible experience with this service and am forced to use someone else. After having them do an initial inspection, they never followed up with a quote for any of the services I needed. After 2 months of not returning my phone calls, I finally get a hold of HVAC and find out that one of their technicians broke his leg. Very unfortunate, and I expressed my condolences, but I would have appreciated at least one returned phone call in the 2-month span. After discovering water leaking from my ceiling due to a leaky AC unit (which had been inspected by their technician two months prior), they sent out the same technician to look at the unit. There were a lot of issues with communication between the scheduler and the technician, and for a while the scheduler could not get a hold of the technician, and long story short, I wasted a trip home from work mid-day only to find out that the technician was no longer there when I got home (my roommate could not stay for the duration of the inspection). The scheduler later called me to explain that the technician had a bad back and could not bring the necessary equipment up into the crawl space in our attic to fix the problem. At this point I gave up and said, "Thanks for your help, but I think I'm going to go with a different service at this point." Apparently they are going to bill me for this second inspection (without any repair), despite the fact that I paid them once already to inspect my AC unit. There were a lot of other annoyances that I glossed over, but safe to say that this was 1-star service. If you have a simple AC setup in a modern home, you'll probably be fine to use them, although scheduling will be painful and unprofessional at times. They appear to be very understaffed right now. If your home is less "simple" or older, then I would definitely recommend against using HVAC Solutions. read more

Used Mike and his team again to put in a new gas furnace and ac in our new house. Only Mike's company was able to come up with a solution that met our requirements; space saving and move the furnace into small attic space. Guess, that's why they are called Alternative HVAC!! Mike and his team continue to impress with their professionalism, honest quotes, and dedication to getting the job done right. Highly recommend them!!! read more

We contacted Alternative HVAC in San Carlos based on positive reviews. On the appointment date, we received a text message from Ricardo, the tech, that he was on his way. He arrived on time, in a nice new van and was very professional and pleasant. All seemed great. Ricardo checked our thermostat setting and discussed the problem we were having with my husband - our furnace was blowing cold air. Ricardo went under the house and ran through his diagnostics. When he came out, he said that he could not find an electrical problem as he had no error codes on his diagnostic unit. He suggested that we remove the filter inside the house in the cold air return to minimize back flow pressure, so we followed his advice. We even bought a new thermostat, even though the old one was only 1 year old - we figured it must be something other than the furnace. But, nothing changed. So, we called another company and within a short period of time, their tech found the simple problem - some residue on the burner that prevented gas flow to the igniter. He cleaned the burner and the furnace works perfectly. It is apparent that Alternative does not adequately train their technicians to look at the furnace to find problems that are easy to spot. We spent $160 on their 'service' call and have requested a 50% refund as their tech did not find and repair this simple problem. I cannot recommend this company. read more

This review is long overdue. In April, Alternative HVAC Solutions installed 2 new heaters and 2 new air conditioners in our home in Danville. Mike came to our home and helped us decide on which units were best for our situation. His crew was courteous, quick and efficient. They fixed the venting in our kitchen which now stays cool on the hot summer days we get here in Danville. If you're looking to replace your HVAC units, don't hesitate to call Mike. read more

We received several quotes to have our outdated wall heater replaced with a modern central heating system. Michael did more than just give us a quote, he patiently educated my wife and I on the various options and brands to choose from. We felt so comfortable with his demeanor that we knew right away if the other quotes were anywhere close we were going to go with Alternative HVAC. It's a total pleasure to find a professional, and ethical contractor who delivers on his promise, performs an excellent job, and has a respectable, professional team who demonstrate the same values. I would recommend Alternative HVAC to anyone looking for HVAC service. read more

I am having to write this review because although I tried very hard to hire Alternative HVAC, they seem uninterested in my business. I called them in June to see if they could look at some ducts that seemed to be out of place with some gaps (we think created by a cat crawling up and sleeping on them), and also to inspect our 12 year hold furnace. I really wanted these guys to do the work, as Mike Rebholtz had installed our Trane furnace some years ago (before he was with this company), and I thought he was great. I originally called in June, they said they would call back in August, they never called. I called again a couple of times in the fall, and finally in December I was told they would call me the following week to schedule the visit (the week of the 16th). I never heard back from them, and I just called again (January 14th), and I'm told that they can't schedule anything for 5-6 weeks. Honestly, if you don't want my business because you don't want such a small job, fine, but just tell me that. I'm obviously a fool for trying for six months (I'm way too loyal a customer -- your loss), but I couldn't believe it when today I was told it would be 5-6 weeks, and got some sob story about how there's only one guy who does this kind of work and he's really busy. Blah blah blah. Mike, if you're reading this, Yvonne is doing your business no favors. Show some respect to your customers (or potential customers) and just tell them up front if you don't want their business. read more

I had a heating issue where the heat would try to come on, indicate that it was running, but it was not. They diagnosed a flame sensor issue, promptly ordered the part, replaced the part and went on their way. I have been trouble free ever since. They were prompt, friendly, knowledgeable and reasonably priced. I would definitely use again. read more

Alternative just installed a new heating & air conditioning system, including new duct work in our home. The workmen were in and out in 2 1/2 days. They were polite, knowledgeable, did a great job cleaning up the work areas at the end of each day; very happy with the way the job turned out. Mike, the owner, is a pleasure to work with. He has many years in the trade, and has a straight forward, yet easy going attitude. As a commercial property manager, I work with a lot of contractors. I don't always get the results I expect, as I did with Alternative. I highly recommend Alternative! read more

It has been a super hot summer so I really appreciate that Mike and his staff still replied and answered my questions in a promptly manner, regardless their busy and tight schedule everyday. We're interested to install AC in the house and Mike explained us the difference between central and ductless AC. We eventually chose to install central AC since it's more cost effective (advice from Mike )considered we already have furnace. After the installation , he made a trip to our house and made sure the installation was properly done . Mike is honest and always try to save money for the clients. We feel lucky to have the chance to work with them. read more

Mike Rebholtz and his crew are the best. After getting several quotes we chose Mike to replace our old furnace with a new one and replace all the old ducting - and also install air conditioning and air filtration units. Mike was very patient and thorough. He explained everything in terms we could understand. My wife and I couldn't be happier about our decision. It cost less than we thought it would. All the men on the installation crew were very professional, courteous and considerate. The system works perfectly. It exceeds our expectations. It's unbelievably quiet. And for the first time in 26 years - no dust. And Mike is the world's nicest guy. You'll wish you knew him as a friend. I highly recommend that you call him. read more

Great people! I wish I could give them 10 stars. My condo is under contract to sell and it's set to close escrow in 2 days. I woke up today and my heater wouldn't start. I called and explained my situation. The receptionist (I think her name was Yvonne) got me scheduled the same day. She was very helpful and cheerful and really worked hard to help me. Bo, the tech that came out, was knowledgeable, competent and efficient. And I felt I could really trust him. As it turned out, it was a minor problem caused by one of the home inspectors hired by the buyer who checked the furnace and messed up the safety on it. Bo checked everything to make sure it was there wasn't some other problem and he didn't try to fake me out and sell me something I didn't need. I highly recommend 'Alternative HVAC Solutions'. They're just great! read more

I recently bough a house without any central heating or cooling in Menlo Park-- got about 4 quotes for an electric heat pump for heating and cooling (I wanted to make full use of my solar panels, and be kind to the environment). Mike at Alternative HVAC was one of two who actually quoted me for a heat pump (the other two tried to push me to a traditional gas furnace), and he beat the other heat pump quote by 50%. He was very knowledgable, and I had full faith in him building an HVAC system from scratch in my previously ductless house. The system functions perfectly, is very quiet, and doesn't seem to have hot/cold spots, even in my drafty old house with single pane windows. I'm very impressed, and will recommend him to anyone looking for a high efficiency heat pump system, or any system! read more

Alternative HVAC has done an excellent job installing a mini split system in our house. We called, Mike came, discussed the technical details, and provided a very reasonable estimate. Once we've accepted the estimate, the crew came on time (actually, earlier than promised) and completed work earlier than promised and with good quality. We had a minor snag with electrical work but it was resolved very quickly by an electrician Mike has brought in. The installation crew is very professional and pleasure to work with. read more

Alternative HVAC is one of the best contractor experiences we have ever had. We wanted central AC rather than room or region units installed, but we had a significant space issue with the configuration of our furnace. In addition, we had problems with our city issuing a permit because of easement issues between our house and our neighbor's home. Mike was extremely creative in figuring out how to reconfigure our furnace so it could accommodate the condenser needed to affix to its top. And Jeff was a master at working with the building permit people in our city to secure a permit for the outside unit even though it did not comply with current easement requirements. It took a lot of perseverance, but he got the job done. Our unit works great. It is fully permitted and even the city inspector was impressed with the job. The installation was expertly done, and we couldn't be happier. I would recommend these guys to anyone. They did a fantastic job. read more

Mike Rebholtz installed both our upstairs and downstairs heaters, our air conditioner, two air filters, and completely replaced our heating ducts over the past 8 years. Each time he and his staff carefully went over the options and worked closely with us to identify the most cost-effective solutions. His crew was always on time, technically knowledgeable, caring, unfailingly polite and helpful. When a small problem developed with the AC drainage, his company fixed it immediately at no charge. Mike is immensely knowledgeable about heating, cooling, and air filtration, and takes tremendous pride in serving his customers. He is genuinely enthusiastic about what he does and is highly professional in every regard. read more

Bo from Alternative HVAC Solutions was outstanding! Bo quickly went to work trouble shooting the reason for our air conditioning unit not working. Bo kept troubleshooting where the problem could be including going underneath our house with wire in hand incase there was a short. Found the issue was a pump and had a replacement pump in his truck. He checked the filter and work until he was able to upgrade and change it solving a problem we created by building cabinets that prevented the filter unit from pulling out. Bo upgraded the filter unit and again had the parts he needed in his truck. As a home owner I was impressed that he had the parts he needed and was able to fix the filter issue. In the end I have working air condition unit cooling better that when we first we moved. Highly recommend Alternative HVAC Solutions and Bo. read more

I had gotten several estimates but decided to go with Mike and his team to install a new heater. The product offered, prices, features and warranty met my needs. I was very glad and thankful. Before starting the project Mike came over a second time to go over the scope of work and answer any questions that I had. His crew were very professional and finished in the time that was agreed upon. Yvonne at the "Front Desk" is also very helpful and personable. We have had two minor issues that were resolved quickly and timely and Mike even took the time on a weekend to try to assist me. Its very rare nowadays to find a company who will be there for you after the sale. I heartily recommend Alternative HVAC Solutions. read more