Long overdue review for James and his Team! I had hired them a few years back based on their reputation and excellent Yelp reviews for a furnace installation & ducting in my own home and they did an awesome job. Great communication, workmanship, and efficiency. They were first to come to mind again when I recently needed another old furnace replaced in a commercial tenant's space. Time was of the essence and James accommodated us into his busy winter schedule within two days. Since the furnace was very old and ducting was from another era, James communicated right away all of the potential issues. His team even stayed late to complete the install in the same visit so the tenant could have warm air right away. Any unusual or other issues that arose during the install, James communicated and had resolved as soon as possible to ensure client satisfaction. I am very picky when it comes to professional building techs, but would give 10 stars to Ocean Air if I could. My only disappointment is that they do not have a plumbing, electrical, or general building maintenance arm of their business! read more

Responsive, professional, helpful. James was easy to work with and gave me a competitive price.

It's December 5, 2025 and we just turned on our furnace for the first time this year. I'm grateful every year at this time for the excellent work done by Ocean Air back in 2012. I've since had to replace a motor which they did for me, and a thermostat which I did myself. It was great to have someone to call who knew our system & how to fix it. read more

Ocean Air Heating - Vent installed in a plaster ceiling in a1904 home - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me

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James reached out after I posted my review. He came in personally with a couple of other people on his team and fixed the problems earlier today. The box looks a lot better, and air is no longer leaking into the interior space. James told me the last person who had come in to fix the problem hadn't followed his instructions and had just cut a strip in the metal and then taped over it. I appreciate James following up and addressing the problem, and have updated the rating accordingly. read more

We had a few issues with our heater during this cold winter. The heater wouldn't turn on. I called Ocean Air Heating and Steven came by to help. Steven was super friendly and very good with his work. He made sure the issues were resolved and also explained to me what happened. The cost of the service and repair was very good. I would go back without a doubt. Thank you Steven and Ocean Air Heating! read more

Recently had a new furnace installed and out of all the quotes these guys were the best for what I needed done. I talked to the owner James on more than one occasion prior to the work and he was repnosive and answered all my questions and explained everything well. His crew was on time, polite and finished things without issue. James explained my options for any additions for future plans I have in mind. If I do move forward with them I will be calling James and Ocean Air for sure read more

Awesome service. They helped create a large furnace system for my home that would differentiate room temperatures between top floor and bottom floor. Awesome customer service. read more

Ocean Air Heating - Helped change our filter - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me

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Highly recommend for any furnace repairs! My nearly 20-year-old gas furnace was leaking water, and I was worried about getting upsold on a full replacement. Instead, Steven carefully inspected the entire system, identified the problem, and picked up and installed the replacement part the same day. It was a huge relief. read more

James is a very knowledgeable guy in this field and a very good communicator (in fact, he loves to talk!). He came to the house to take a look at the situation, explained my options very well, and then one of his guys put in a new furnace on a couple of days' notice. Seems to have done a good professional job and was very reasonably priced. read more

I was really happy with our technician Steve and the thorough job which he did for our split unit. Highly recommend them for HVAC service.

James and team clearly communicate, show up and finish on time as budgeted. Highly recommend.

I cannot speak highly enough of my experience with Ocean Air Heating. My house gets really hot in the summer and I was looking to install AC. I called James to discuss the options and ultimately opted for installation of a heat pump system. James and his crew did an amazing job with the project. They were able to install everything in 2 days. The crew did an incredible job installing the system and left my house spotless afterwards. Now I am able to keep my house a comfortable temperature year round with a highly efficient heat pump! read more

I contacted James to provide a quote for my old furnace heater replacement. James came out to perform a site survey and gave me a very reasonable project quote. I had contacted 3 contractors to provide quotes for the project. James had the most competitive cost. I felt comfortable going with James on the furnace replacement. James is a very straight forward no nonsense business person. On the day of the installation, Alex, one of James's staff came out to do the installation. Alex is very friendly and easy to work with. Alex provided updates on the project progression and cleaned up after completion. Overall, I'm very satisfy with the new furnace and the high level of customer service that Ocean Air Heating has provided. read more

I keep forgetting to post this review even though these folks built my hvac system (heat pump) over two years ago. So this is in effect a long term review. In summary the HVAC system was built exceedingly well and works really well. I do wish I'd asked them to install a higher end unit with built in dehumidification but that's on me as they definitely sized and chose a unit with the best bang for the buck for my house size and which would fit in the constrained space I had to hide the condenser. They reused my existing vent work by very carefully building custom venting fitted to it from the much higher stack of the inside heat pump versus the old gas furnace. To do so they had to carefully fabricate and fit an exact fit vent to go between two floor joists and include little angle deflections to avoid other protuberances from the joists. The electrical contractor they subbed out the electrical work to also did an awesome professional job. All the parts of the electrical system he built to power the indoor unit, outdoor unit, subpanel and an extra 240v outlet for me are so much better than all my other electrical that it's sort of embarrassing. He also moved a bunch of circuits and carefully relabeled them with actually readable labels while the whole time I never even noticed an electrical cut of a single circuit. read more

Super impressed with their customer service! They weren't able to provide the service we need, but they called me directly and recommended a competitor who could do that kind of work. It was an unnecessary service that really impressed me! read more

I'm tempted to give one star for the lack of responsiveness, but I really hate doing this to a small business. TLDR; I reached out via the Yelp submission process but ultimately could not get any help. I reached out to set up service time for a heater that was intermittently working / not working. If first checked if there were any appointments in the coming couple of days. I received a reply indicating appointments were booked then. That's fine, that's a completely reasonable response. I then asked when the next available appointment time is, and received a reply that no new work was being accepted... as in AT ALL. Okay, I assume you have opted into the Yelp process that allows potential customers to submit service requests. If you are full, then you should probably opt out of that form or turn it off. At a minimum, even if you are unable to, my request was very clear. Why not indicate upfront you are not taking any new appointments. It's really baffling why you would put a potential customer through this, especially for someone who was recommended to you. I have never heard of a business that just indefinitely has no appointments available. I'm fairly certain you'll go out of business if you tell everyone you have no appointments in the future, period. Fortunately, we found another five-star rated company (Cyclone) that offered to come out that same evening, 8:30pm, and fixed everything on the spot. We did not expect them to come out the same evening, but the responsiveness and service were definitely welcomed after this experience. read more

Ocean Air recently replaced our gas furnace with a heat pump and condenser. James and Alex were really good to work with, from start to finish, and the system is operating great. I highly recommend this excellent local business. read more

Ocean Air Heating replaced my old gas furnace (was in garage) with a new electric heat-pump mini-split system (compressor on the roof). So it was a big job for my San Francisco Edwardian home. They had the lowest price, did excellent work, and were communicative and easy to work with. Both James and Kevin were knowledgeable and friendly, and their whole team were experienced and did a great job. So we also hired them when we had to move another furnace in the building, to accommodate an earthquake retrofit. They did a great job with that project too, moving the furnace to fit the needs of our structural construction team. read more

Ocean Air Heating - Me with one of my new mini-split heater / A/C units and its remote. - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me

James came onsite to give me an accurate quote for an AC installation. He was on time and very honest about what would work and what wouldn't work. He gave me some recommendations that he thought would save me money and would work better than what I initially had in mind. read more

James and his technician Kevin were by far the most competent HVAC experts I worked with. My mini split system stopped turning on mid-summer - after months of contractors provided by my home warranty (don't get one of these, they're horrible), nobody had provided me an answer. One technician said the compressor was busted, another said the circuit board. All of them said the whole system had to be replaced. I got tired of this - and reached out to James. Kevin spent more than two hours looking at every aspect of my setup - in the end, he was able to figure out that the condensate pump indoors (since my condensate drain line is above the fan) had failed, which turns off power to the rest of the system. The system itself worked fine, and he came back to replace the pump and viola, everything worked. He tried two different pumps - the first was one was way too loud, so he installed a different one which is silent. I appreciated Kevin's thoroughness and honesty - I would trust them for an HVAC job in the future given how many other contractors failed to find the real issue and almost made me get a whole new system. read more

Thought we had it right. James came out a few years ago and helped us with removing our old tank of a gravity furnace and replaced it with a more modern device. Long story short: Motherboard issue within the first couple years. Costs $800 to replace. Only temporarily fixes the problem. James comes out and cannot solve the problem. Ends up sticking a pencil in between the door and the unit to engage a pressure switch Problem is solved for a few days. I'm embarrassed to call the guy back because I'm like that AND James is a stand up guy and I'm thinking this is just a bad unit + it was getting warm and I let it slide. Then it became now. My wife is cold and the heater is still broken and the pencil is on the floor. After trying to get a hold of the business a reasonable amount of times, I felt it was time to try someone else who told me the problem was the motherboard. So... was the motherboard replaced? Was there some other problem that my $800 couldn't diagnose? Not sure because ocean air was unable to give me support. You'd think that if you purchase a new piece of equipment from someone and within a short time a huge malfunction occurs.... and your name is on that product, you'd make it right somehow... especially when your customer is willing to pay you $800 DOLLARS to solve the problem. My NEW FURNACE which cost about the same but it's cleaner, it burns hotter and is quieter than the one ocean air installed. I thought it was great when it worked but it wasn't till right now that I realized how much better was available. The two stars are for James cause I like the guy on a personal level. The missing three stars are for grief I've taken from my family as I'm the one they come to when they're cold. They should never have been cold. read more

Ocean Air Heating - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me

Got a quote from one of the big HVAC firms to install heat pump HVAC in my condo in SF. After the sticker shock I shopped around and found James on Yelp. He was super friendly, expedient and his estimate was not only HALF of what the big firms charge, he came in under budget! Work was done in a timely manner (also in half time of the bigger shop), and his crew is super friendly, helpful and knows their stuff. Six stars! Highly recommended. read more

10 STARS!! Ocean Air Heating has over 130 Yelp reviews with a overall 5 star rating. Yelp is correct. My Carrier furnace acted up so I took to Yelp and found Ocean Air and read thru the recent reviews. I decided to use this place and sure glad I did. The business owner, James, took my call and set up the appt for the next day. James was straightforward during our brief conversation. Shortly before my appt slot, I received a call from Kevin (the tech) and said that he was on his way. Kevin arrived and listened to what I had observed about the furnace. He proceeded to inspect and checked out a couple of components and quickly found a defective part. He had the part in his van! Replaced the part and fired up the furnace. We thought it was good to go. Kevin then vacuumed the furnace inside and around, wow! He also checked for gas leaks, found one and fixed it. I'm impressed! Kevin wanted to double check the furnace and fired it up again. Good thing he did, after a few minutes, an error code appeared. Kevin diagnosed it and replaced another part that did not appeared to be bad. Looks can be deceiving. Ran the furnace again and everything is working. Price was reasonable. Kevin was personable, courteous, meticulous and thorough. I would not hesitate to recommend or use this business again in the future. Thanks James and Kevin! read more

We hired James and his crew install a Whole Home Fan this past winter in preparation for East Bay sweltering spring and summer heat in hopes of reducing AC usage. This amazing unit has not disappointed! Temperatures here tend to begin rising in April - our home is a 2 story with vaulted ceilings. AC most evenings is generally a must to allow for comfortable sleeping - I have yet to turn AC on despite temps in the .80's and we are now into May. I merely open a couple of windows in my upper floor levels and turn the fan on to pull the cool air in from outside lowering temps in under an hour. Also works great to dispel fragrant cooking smells from the home :) James took his time to assess the size of our home and it's requirements to ensure we installed the appropriate unit for our needs. Being that we are two levels he needed to cut some additional venting through the attic - looking at the work from the inside and out you would never guess that it was an add on. His crew were very professional, conscientious and efficient. I will definitely be using Ocean Air for any and all HVAC needs in the future. Thank you James! read more

Was trying to decide how to survive fire season this year. I called James and he helped me figure out options without charging me for a consult fee. His info was incredibly helpful! read more

James did work for me in the past - getting some ducts installed. I asked him for some advice about furnace inspections, and he gave me honest, good advice that saved me money - grateful for a craftsman who doesn't take advantage of people! read more

Our furnace had been short-cycling for weeks throughout the coldest part of winter. We had to keep turning the system off/on to restart it, and even then the blower would run for a few minutes but not generate more than a minute or two of hot air at a time, and our electricity bills were noticeably higher. I was having no luck trying to diagnose/fix it myself. I saw a recommendation for Ocean Air Heating, gave them a call, and they were out to take a look the next day. Kevin was patient and courteous, we talked about what I had already tried, he took the time to explain things to me, and after a thorough review he identified the problem as the motor not being strong enough to prevent condensation from accumulating, and thereby tripping the shutoff sensor. He ordered a replacement motor and installed it as soon as it arrived. We've had a toasty warm house again since it was fixed. read more

Needed a couple of wall heaters replaced in 2 units. James quoted and sent me an estimate (labor and parts) within 24 hours of my inquiry. His quote turned out to be lower than the going rate for the units I wanted. He was flexible on the installation date. The tenants who received the new heaters were satisfied and taught how to operate the units. read more

Furnace was shutting off prematurely and making a strange clicking sound. Got a fast response from Ocean, and Kevin came out the next day. He did a thorough job of checking everything (including Carbon Monoxide - much appreciated with young kids in the house), helped me fix my vents/airflow to resolve the issue. No expensive repair needed - everything was accurately quoted for a very reasonable service call fee! Ocean will be my go-to for HVAC issues from now on. read more

I can wholeheartedly recommend Ocean Air Heating. I initially messaged them for a repair visit for my old furnace. James got back to me within a couple of hours to say that he does not usually do repairs. But he then called me back again, and recommended a DIFFERENT company. He told me to mention his name, which got me a technician to come out on the SAME DAY. When I decided that it is time for a new furnace, this was one of the companies I called. Ocean's quote was within the range of everyone else (a little cheaper in fact). He was able to schedule the installation within a week. We communicated with photos of my place over the phone. He came out at the end of the work day to do a brief inspection. The work was done on time. James also arranged for the city's inspection based on my schedule. If I had chosen my initial first choice based on the number/rating on Yelp, I would still be waiting. Responsive, reasonable and responsible. That's why I would recommend these guys. read more

Honest guys. Can't say good enough about them. Responsive, cordial and , again, honest.

This review is for an initial phone consultation with James. He was very transparent, and super helpful. We decided not to go forward with our project but would definitely work with Ocean Air for any future HVAC projects based on our experience with James read more

James and his team are phenomenal. We had the Daikin split air conditioning systems installed in our old Victorian in San Francisco. From start to finish, James and the team are pros. They understand the challenges, they recommend the right systems, they show up on time, they finish on time, the work looks beautiful and they even clean up. Also, this happened during COVID and they were all vaccinated but still wore masks. Plus, they liked our dogs! Highest recommendation! read more

James is a great guy who really cares about you. He gave me a lot of very valuable information about how to design my HVAC project so my home is comfortable all year round. read more

We had a great experience with ocean air. They installed a new furnace in our house (and handled the removal of the old one). Additionally, when the furnace started short cycling a couple years later, James came out and fixed the issue without charging us. read more

Called Ocean Air Heating to try and get an appointment to fix my elderly parents heater and was able to get an appointment right away. Dennis was able to locate the problem within minutes and had it fixed in less than half an hour. He was very professional, courteous, and super nice. I would definitely call them again if needed in the future! read more

I recently moved into a 1960s house with asbestos duct work and an original furnace that had broken down. As SF started getting colder, I started getting quotes to replace everything. I found James through Yelp, but after talking with my coworkers, found some coworkers that coincidentally had used him to do the same project several years ago! His quote was cheaper than several other companies I talked with and included a Carrier 95% efficiency furnace, which seems worth it for the value over time. James and his crew were very knowledgable and practical about their work. The old furnace was in a terrible position in the middle of the basement and I would hit my head on several of the pipes, because they were placed low over doorways. James suggested moving the furnace under the stairs and placed the pipes much higher and in a better layout. The project took about 4 days: 1 day for asbestos guys to remove my old ducts, about 3 days for his crew to finish everything, including a side project to add a new vent for my dryer. I also purchased a Nest separately, that they hooked up with no problem. The system has been keeping me warm for the last 2 weeks and city inspection was today, with no problems. I'm very happy with the quality and value of work. If only all projects were this easy... read more

Ocean Air Heating - Carrier 95% efficiency furnace installed under my stairs - Heating & Air Conditioning/HVAC Near Me

I really like these guys. The owner James is very cool and responsive. The technician Kevin was super knowledgeable, prompt and professional. The work was done immaculately and timely. I am thinking of having them come back and do more stuff, as I see how the work should look and my prior hvac person did a super sloppy work. I just did not even know it was supposed to be done so cleanly. Clearly I was had like a dummy by my former hvac person. To top it off, the owner actually talked me out of hvac work knowing that I used so little heating. Great guys. I support this business. read more

I had many quotes, 6 to be exact. 4 were in the same range as James (give or take $500) , 1 from the other big names on yelp/angieslist was $3300 more, and lastly 1K less from a guy if he working outside his lic/bonded company he works for. I was leaning towards one in the middle of the pack before James came to have a look. I changed my mind from some of his suggestions. There is work in the future I might do , so asked all of them for best ideas for placing ducts and return air. No one came up with his suggestions and he also explained why I would not be happy with what everyone else was suggesting (Wall was too thin and would whistle). Everyone else was like 'sure whatever you want', but James said 'this is what i would do'..... Bottom line, He just seemed a little bit more knowledgeable then the other guys. They were pretty swamped so quote was a little late-ish but there was a two day window they could get it done before being booked solid for a while. Everyone else said a week of work but the Ocean Air crew got it done in two days flat, Thursday and 6pm Friday it was done. Punctual, cleaned up pretty good and actually ended up looking better than I expected. We had a warm spell so only has turned on twice or so but works great. I'll post a pic. read more

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So - Kevin came out to take a look at our heater. Very polite. Our problem was intermittent and would cause our heater to not function at times but at other times would function. Determine that it could be a motor. So - decided to have it replace - ( it did not sound healthy ). Kevin said he'd fit us in the next day to do the replacement. The next day towards the end, he calls and says he is on his way with the motor like he said.(He told me the day before that it would be towards the end of the day) 45 minutes (or so) later - we have a new motor. To be able to understand your self where you can give such a good time estimate is commendable. And - so far we have not seen the intermittent issue reappear. read more