Eighteen questions Bay Area homeowners and businesses actually ask us on the phone. Same answers here that a tech would give you standing in your driveway.
Not seeing yours? Call (650) 698-7979 or open the request form and ask it directly.
The diagnostic fee is flat, and you hear it before the tech touches anything. Common repairs like a capacitor, contactor, igniter, or thermostat get a price on the spot, parts and labor included. Bigger jobs like a compressor, heat exchanger, or blower motor get a written quote before any work starts. What the quote says is what the invoice says.
Same day, most weeks. No-cool calls during a heat event and no-heat calls during a cold snap move to the front of the line, because those cannot wait. Maintenance plan customers get dispatched first regardless. Call (650) 698-7979 and we will give you a real ETA, not a guess.
No. A new install quote does not cost you anything. We run the load calculation, walk the house, check what the existing ductwork can actually handle, and hand you a real estimate, not a placeholder number. Take it and compare it against other bids before you decide anything.
Rule of thumb: past 12 to 15 years old, and a repair quote that runs over half the cost of replacing the whole system, replacement usually wins on efficiency and reliability. We lay out both numbers straight and let you make the call. Nobody here works on commission for pushing a new install.
Every major brand: Carrier, Lennox, Trane, Mitsubishi, Daikin, Goodman, Rheem, York, American Standard, plus mini-split brands and the older systems a lot of shops wave off. For new installs we lean on Carrier, Mitsubishi, and Daikin for homes, and Carrier and Trane for commercial jobs.
Yes, especially in the Tri-Valley and the East Bay. Our winters stay mild enough that a heat pump keeps its efficiency all season, and one system covers both heating and cooling instead of running two. Add PG&E and BAAQMD rebates into the math and most homeowners come out ahead within 5 to 8 years.
BayREN, PG&E, and BAAQMD all run heat pump and electrification rebates, and the programs change every year. What you qualify for depends on the equipment and your household income, so we check that during the install quote instead of guessing. Confirm current amounts with the program directly before you commit to anything.
Yes. The plan gets you two seasonal visits, spring for AC and fall for heating, plus priority dispatch on repair calls and 15% off any repair that comes up in between. For most homeowners the repair discount alone covers what the plan costs.
Twice a year: once in spring before the AC gets tested by the first real heat wave, once in fall before the furnace has to fire on the coldest night. One combined visit in the shoulder season works fine for most homes too, and it still satisfies manufacturer warranty terms.
Standard pleated filters: every 90 days, and pull that forward if there is wildfire smoke outside or pets inside. Higher-MERV filters: follow the manufacturer spec, usually every 60 days. If you pull it out and it already looks loaded with dust, change it now and check it more often going forward.
It depends on square footage, insulation, window orientation, ceiling height, and the ductwork you already have. The real answer comes from a Manual J load calculation, not a rule of thumb, and we run it on every install quote. Oversized systems short cycle and still underperform. Undersized ones run nonstop and never catch up.
Yes. A live person answers the line 24/7, not a voicemail tree. We dispatch across the Bay Area for no-heat in winter, no-cool during a heat event, gas smell, CO concerns, and commercial refrigeration that just went down. Maintenance plan customers get a reduced after-hours rate.
On the first ignition of the season, yes. A brief burning-dust smell is just dust burning off the heat exchanger after months of sitting idle. If it runs past 15 to 20 minutes, smells like plastic or chemicals instead of dust, or shows up again later in the season, shut the system down and call us. That pattern can point to a wiring or component issue.
Leave the building right away. Do not flip any lights or appliances on or off on your way out, a spark is exactly what you are avoiding. Once you are outside, call 911 first, then the PG&E gas leak line at 800-743-5000. Then call us at (650) 698-7979 so a tech is ready to move the moment PG&E clears the property.
Yes. NADCA-protocol duct cleaning with HEPA-filtered negative-pressure equipment, optional EPA-registered antimicrobial sanitization, before-and-after photos, and a written completion report so you can see what came out of your own ducts. Worth doing after wildfire smoke, a remodel, or any job that kicked up a lot of dust.
Yes. Walk-in coolers and freezers, reach-ins, refrigeration line work, condenser racks, ice machines, all of it. Restaurants and grocery get 24/7 emergency dispatch because a down walk-in does not wait for business hours. EPA-certified refrigerant handling on every visit.
Yes. Onzone Heating and Cooling is a California licensed HVAC contractor (CSLB 1154419) and fully insured. Our techs carry NATE certification and EPA Section 608 certification for refrigerant handling. Ask and we will hand over the license, bond, and insurance documentation directly.
We run out of Pleasanton and cover the full Bay Area for commercial work. Residential primary coverage is Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Danville, Alamo, and Fremont, with regular calls throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties. See the full service area.
