Sandium

Excellent job. Good walk details in initial discussion and in quote. Most complete job proposal. Price was not the lowest but the multiple quotes I got were all within 10% of each other. Crew was excellent. Very careful to keep the place clean and clean up after themselves. Good job cutting through lathe and plaster to install vents and return and attic access. Had a problem with the NEST thermostat which prevented stage 2 heat operation (due to faulty base unit for NEST) which they fixed promptly. 4 day job was completed on time and involved quite a lot of work.

Very well. Jake, the first technician gave very clear explanations and described choices without any pressure. A different tech was there in 2 days with the new motor, installed quickly and efficiently, cleaned dust and leaves off the unit. Total charges a bit less than the estimate for new motor and labor. Very professional and excellent customer service. And the office called on the day and narrowed the 2-hour service window to a 30-minute one. Way better than a 12-hour Sears repair window!

Sandium came in to completely inspect our 2 year old HVAC system and find out why we were having to recharge it every year!The company that put in our system (Rebholtz who is now Alternative HVAC) did not install it correctly and never bothered to find out why it was not functioning well. Instead they would just add more refrigerant and charge me each year. Jake from Sandium, ran the tests and discovered the issue was insulation on the exchanger in the attic (the other company never even went in there to check) and a disconnected duct under the house. He also stayed late on Friday to make sure my family (including a 1 year old) would be comfortable over the weekend (which was supposed to be very hot). I now consider Sandium to be my HVAC company and have no reservations about recommending them.

We had 6 different quotes for the work we needed. Sandium is the only one that mentioned a PG&E rebate and we did get $1,500 back on a rebate. They are professional and courteous workers. Mike followed up with every question I had. Things couldn't have gone any better. Wonderful company!

I called to make an appt. Customer service was great. Jake came to see the problem. He explained to me everything. He replaced some parts. He was great.

I had sent an email through angieslist a few days ago. After not receiving a response I called the office and left a message. Later that day I received a call, and he explained that ~5 years ago I had gotten a quote on a new air conditioning system but I did not reply to his email. I apologized and said I thought I had replied to the contractors we did not use (and I even remember his pricing being great, but we decided to go with a different brand of HVAC). He then indicated that he was not interested in my business, so I guess he holds a grudge despite the apology.

I was pleased with the work; they were prompt and the work went exactly as planned. We have had no problems with it; they came up with an interesting solution to moving the air return and that worked out just fine. The price was appropriate and they are very capable of explaining technically what they are going to do and why they are doing it. I would recommend them and will use them again in the future.

Tyler was the person to come out and provide a quote. He worked with me and my many wishes and offered a range of detailed scenarios. He came back twice to make sure the final proposal met my needs. It was not an easy situation, since the old system was fundamentally flawed and the house did not offer a lot of freedom for installation. Tyler showed that he was not afraid to think outside the box and the system we agreed on is quite innovative using new technology to provide zoning and better quality heating and cooling at a significantly higher efficiency. The Sandium crew then came out and did the install. They worked very clean, putting down tarps everywhere they worked and informed me every day of the work to be done and the progress that was made and an estimate of when the job would be finished. At the end of every day they cleaned up and we did not have to do any additional cleaning related to the work ourselves. Initially there was a problem with the new system and Sandium sent out technicians who worked until the system was working as expected. We now have much better heating, resulting in significantly more comfort. We will hire Sandium again if the need arises and gave them the maintenance contract for the installation.

They are superb. They are very knowledgeable and very efficient. They cleaned up after themselves after they finished the work. Their price is very reasonable. I really like them. They call before they are going to come. They are really nice people and they know what they are doing.

Fantastic. Jake, the service technician that was sent out was super helpful. Aside from inspecting the furnace for correct operation, he spent a full hour and a half walking me through the heating system in my house and making suggestions for improvements and next steps. The $85 fee will be credited towards any future work I do with them.

They were good. They quoted the price very well. I would probably use them again in the future.

Gas fired wall heater pilot light frequently went out. Service technician arrived on-time, evaluated repair requirements and made repairs. Advised us that main valve may also need replacement in the future due to age of equipment.

The day Mike Lee (president of Sandium) visited my home to review the new duct-work plan, he immediately suggested that I better add an additional return duct and it would be better to add in kitchen so that the entire house is well balanced. Mike convinced me that 6” ducts are enough for bathrooms (as these rooms are smallest in my house) and 8” are pretty good for the other rooms’ returns. His technician Martin came to size up the ducts to order and upon my request, he gave me very valuable feedback where we made last minute modifications to the new system that would be installed and it came out to be the best duct work I can think of. For example, Martin suggested adding an additional vent/register in the large living room so it has a total of 2 where both ought to be away from the hall-way return so that the room gets heated efficiently. He also suggested relocating the kitchen register to another place to help avoid the traffic going over it into the sunroom. Martin drew the entire diagram as to what new design with 8” ducts going to most of the registers and except the two with 6” ducts for bathrooms. As there was not enough space to pull the new filter case out above the furnace because furnace was in a small tight place behind the door, Martin engineered the case in such a way so that the case was installed with an angle for easy operation. Upon my request, he sealed all the openings and corners with new tape and he found out areas where the air could leak, he himself sealed all those problem areas. In fact, his staff readily agreed to tape the boots against the floors beneath the carpet so that there is no cold air coming from the crawl-space for each of the boots, and they later added one more layer of tape against the carpet and boots for better air-leak protection. Upon my request, the staff evened out the insulation in the attic as much work was done to add a new return in the kitchen as well as older return was oversized and new return ducts were installed. The staff took their time and never rushed. They were very receptive to my questions and willing to take extra steps to make me happy such as adding extra tape to join the boots and the floor. Martin went out and purchased very light air-filters that were put on both the returns so that at least some dust is caught before it dirties the new return ducts before eventually reaching the main Career air-filter. Mike answered tons (really) of my questions and provided valuable answers over e-mails and phone including as to why it doesn’t make sense to put 10” or 12” ducts for 12’x12’ small rooms. Him knowing that my wife runs a home child-daycare, I felt Mike was just as concerned as I was with respect to everything ought to be done by code/permit! I felt he was always there for me to help me understand and make the wise decisions. He gave me an excellent labor and material warranty! Most importantly, he was patient with me and nice/soft to talk to me – he won my heart. Knowing him and his staff, I feel that if any problem should arise, his company will be there to take care of me. With the new work, my house no longer takes an hour+ to warm up, it now instead takes 10-minutes and all rooms get heated really fast with 1/3 the noise than earlier system with smaller return! Immediate gratification! Well worth the money. My wife and kids are enjoying our beautiful comfortable home now than ever!

Sandium did a very good job. The inspector said he could tell as soon as he looked at it that they did an excellent job. It was significantly cheaper than other quotes we had received. They did exactly what they said they were going to do.

The technician arrived on time and was both very pleasant and very knowledgeable. He found and fixed the problem very quickly, and took the time to answer many questions about how the heating system worked and how best to use it. A real pro!

We are trying to make our house more efficient. The estimator was the owner and he was very nice. His workmen were very cooperative and they spread tarps over the floor so they wouldn't get anything dirty. They are coming back this week to do the second energy audit. They cleaned up and were very efficient. They worked around two cats so they couldn't get under the house. Our house is complicated because we have 3 sections and they each have their own entry into the crawlspace. They worked with all of that. They put in two new floor vents. The guy that sprayed the insulation was very careful. They were very clean, very professional and very quick. They had 3 people working and found they were running late so they brought in another crew to keep their commitment. They were great and we would recommend them in a heartbeat.

They are a little on the expensive side, but they are well worth it! The inspector was very impressed with their work.

We recently purchased a new townhome which was set up for A/C (internal coils, furnace, ducts, vents etc.) but did not include the external A/C unit. (This was a builder option we decided to wait on.) With the summer upon us, it was time to tackle that project and we looked online to find a local provider. Ultimately, we selected Sandium and they were wonderful. Here are the things we liked about them: 1) They originally suggested that we buy from our new home builder, rather than from them, so that both the internal component (pre-installed) and external unit (post-build option) came from the same company and were under warranty together. 2) Even after that recommendation, they were happy to review our options and prices from the builder...and were able to offer a much better option for our home, at a more affordable price (still recommending that we try to buy from and negotiate with our builder, per #1 above) 3) When the builder proved inflexible, we went with Sandium and the unit was ordered and installed in short order (quite important as the summer was upon us!) 4) In regard to the install, they originally told us it would take 4 hours, and they were done in four hours- including 1 hour to size up the space, unit and placement options which we discussed together, an hour to get it physically in place and installed, an hour to fill the Freon and stuff, an hour to clean up and make sure everything worked. 5) They even swapped out a wire on the inside unit (I think for the controller) which was not properly installed (or at least not optimal) for the interior coil. 6) The slimline model they recommended was absolutely was the right choice for us. While probably the same overall size (in terms of cubic feet) as the main alternative, its shape (a wider, less deep rectangle rather than the squat square of the Bryant) fits our balcony perfectly and minimizes encroachment. 7) The price of $3,680- which we we were not billed for until well after installation and assurance that we were satisfied- is much better than the $4,800 we were quoted by the builder. 8) The expert (not sales person), John, that we worked with throughout was knowledgeable, available, helpful and a great advisor. Interestingly, we referred them to another resident in our area who ultimately chose a different company. By contrast, our neighbor who went with the OTHER company described their experience as "the A/C works fine, although we are not totally satisfied with the installation process." Again, we will definitely use Sandium again if we have additional needs and will be sure to work with John!

They are a fantastic company and delivered as promised and advertised.

Having me take time off from work to be home and then be refused service was infuriating! Horribly arrogant attitude.

Sandium sent an employee named Jake, who arrived exactly on time. There was some confusion as to what needed to be done but that was quickly resolved. Our A/C system is older and the heating system is approximately 4 years. We have had a contract with another firm for approximately 15 years but never received the service and attention we received from Jake.The tests he performed on our systems had never been mentioned or suggested, and will, we believe, increase the efficiency of both systems. He suggested additional items, i.e. a different type of filter that may prevent a dust build-up (helping both to run more efficently) etc. and at less cost. He answered all questions in a pleasant and forthright manner, educating us on matters he thought needed additional attention and steps we make want to take in the future. Overall, we were extremely pleased with this knowledgeable serviceman Sandium provided and especially with this friendly and technically adept young man. I plan on using them to service and of our heating and air conditioning needs.

They were responsive. They came right away. I'm not 100% sure about their diagnosis of my system. The important part is that they fixed it, and it works now. They are neat and are nice people.

Sandium did all the work in one day with 3 workers. They arrived at the time promised in the morning and all the work was done exactly as quoted on their original estimate. They did an excellent job of cleaning up at the end of the day. The estimator & foreman, Martin Correa, was extremely professional and very pleasant to work with. I will definitely use this company in the future.

I talked to the tenant and she said they were fine and everything is working. The price was fair and they were on time.

Very well, in a word. We had a previous test of our heating system showing significant leaks in our ductwork. The Sandium's owner, Michael Lee, came out to do the original estimate and explain the options for improving our system. He also helped me with the city permitting process and with the rebates available. He was quite honest about what we could and could not expect in terms of performance from each option. He also helped me Once I gave an email approval for the items on his quote I wanted he scheduled the work soon after. For the install his technician worked for two days plus part of the second evening. There were several design decisions the technician needed to make that turned out not be problems after a short discussion. All in all the process was efficient and satisfying.