We 100% recommend Mniska and Afterglow. The service, care, professionalism, and expediency we experienced throughout this whole process far surpassed our expectations. I only wished we had reached out sooner. Afterglow helped us find the best way to use our current countertop and sink with upgrades and replacements. Our priority was a new kitchen faucet, and Mniska did not disappoint. He helped us pick the perfect faucet and in a color we had not considered, but works great! This left us with four holes from our previous configuration in our countertop to decide what we wanted. Mniska's expertise proved helpful in our decision making. After he replaced the sink and counter caulking with new sanitary-grade silicone sealant, he installed a dishwasher air gap, kitchen soap dispenser, and a whole new garbage disposal. He then wired a garbage disposal switch to a countertop button (since we didn't have an existing switch). Mniska also upgraded our pop-up assembly. Outside Afterglow really helped us upgrade and install different parts for our house. He replaced our spigots (hose-bib) on our exterior walls flawlessly. We came home to two new shiny spigots with no leaks and zero damage to any surrounding exterior wall. The next two upgrades included an emergency seismic gas shut-off valve and a smart leak detection and automatic main water shut-off system with power supply. Mniska took the time to help me download the app related to the water shut-off system, test the system, decide the best places for the sensors inside the house, and ensure that I knew how to operate the system. He also helped fix our other two sinks! We signed up for the Advantage Membership offered by Afterglow and received an immediate discount on the services. We also received excellent service after the work was complete when I asked for a few tweaks to different installations. Mniska came right away and helped. He always left our home clean and better than when he started. Such a valuable service! In the future, we will turn to Afterglow to install a whole-home water filtration system (multi-stage chloramine reduction) with a four-stage reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system, including a tankless system. read more

Our combi boiler died and left us facing a bigger question: the whole system was old, poorly installed, and badly maintained, so we had to decide whether to fix it or walk away from it entirely. The owner got on the phone late that same evening to help diagnose the problem and talk through options. He came out the next day, quickly recognized there was no quick fix, and started planning with me on the spot. When we decided to abandon the old system rather than sink more money into it, he walked me through every path and its tradeoffs, and then came out on a weekend to install a new on-demand water heater so we weren't without hot water any longer than necessary. The communication stood out most. Timely, clear, and honest about costs at every step. No pressure, no upselling, just a straight explanation of the options so I could make the call. He's also a genuinely kind person, which is rare in any trade. I'd hire him again without hesitation. read more

After inheriting an old house I also inherited a host of plumbing problems which could wait no longer. Afterglow and Mniska explained what was needed first, what needs to be done soon and what can wait. My water flow has greatly improved, old valves changed, emergency water shut off installed and much more. I appreciate this company and there fast, experienced technician. Thank you!! read more

Afterglow Heating and Plumbing - Mniska from Afterglow - Plumbing Near Me - Berkeley, California

I hired Mniska to decommission and remove an old hydronic heating system, including a large gas boiler, radiators, and associated piping, as part of a major HVAC conversion. He did an outstanding job. Mniska is knowledgeable, skilled, meticulous, and thoroughly professional. He clearly knows his way around heating and plumbing systems, and I felt confident that the work was being done carefully and correctly. He was also dependable, communicative, and conscientious about taking care of my home. Beyond his technical expertise, Mniska is simply a wonderful person to work with. He's warm, kind, honest, and genuinely committed to doing good work. After dealing with numerous contractors during a major renovation, I especially appreciated his integrity and professionalism. I recommend him wholeheartedly to anyone needing heating or plumbing work. He's exactly the kind of tradesperson you hope to find! read more

I called Afterglow after the two plumbers I had previously worked with failed to return my calls and I am so glad of it! Mniska picked up (!) and promptly got us scheduled. We found a leak in our water heater supply lines during his estimate visit and he fixed it on the spot, which was amazing. He came back a few weeks later to remove an old cast iron radiator and helped get our old radiator boiler back into shape. I really appreciated the careful explanations he gave me and how he always gave me multiple options on how to go about the issues that came up as he worked through our ancient plumbing (yay 100 YO home!). The price was great for how high quality the work was and being able to seamlessly communicate ahead of the job was a very appreciated! I have already recommended him to our neighbor and can't recommend enough to others! read more

Mniska efficiently and economically trouble shot an unusual situation for us. I found water damage to the floor boards on an exterior wall that is near the water main and that contains plumbing for the floor above. I suspected a water leak and assumed we would have to start by opening the wall. Mniska methodically worked through checking the exterior for leaks coming in, the upstairs bathroom drain plumbing coming through the wall, and before we opened the wall to investigate he started with just removing the damaged baseboard to inspect the source. There wasn't much in the way of moisture present though. Long story short, he returned with an industrial black light and helped us realize the "water damage" was really just from our cat peeing in the wrong places. An unusual and kind of embarrassing story, but his methodical and least-invasive first approach saved us a lot time, hassle and rebuilding of the wall we would have otherwise torn open. read more

Afterglow Heating is fantastic. Mniska is thorough, helpful, knowledgable, and friendly. He came over to look at our furnace which had stopped working. He got it up and running in under an hour. Highly recommend! read more

Afterglow Heating did a phenomenal job of replacing and upgrading my boiler system. It's not your typical heating unit, it's a hydronic radiant heating system, but Mniska knew exactly what was needed. He was able to come out immediately and assess, clearly explaining what my options were. They worked long hours to get my hot water and heating back online as quickly as possible, and in just 2 days, I was all set and warm again. I really appreciated the time he took to determine my needs, and to explain every step. Especially the last parts where we tested all the elements on the Viessmann unit, made sure everything was connected and working properly. (Photo note: all those shiny copper pipes did get jackets to insulate them, I just loved the way they looked before it was done) I would not hesitate at all to recommend Afterglow! read more

Afterglow Heating and Plumbing - Plumbing Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Our heat pump water heater was not working-- on Friday afternoon! On Sunday I called Afterglow because they were local and their website indicated their work on heat pump heaters. Mniska was there at 8 am on Monday. He was very knowledgeable and working with Rheem tech support he fixed the problem quickly. read more

Mniska is such a good human being! Honest, caring, responsible, and conscientious. He is very communicative and succeeds in listening and responding well and in a timely manner. My only drawback is the plumbing profession charges more than I wish they would! Next lifetime I'm becoming a plumber : )) read more

Afterglow Heating recently installed radiant heat in my 1921 bungalow, and I couldn't be happier with the results. We decided to make the switch because my son has struggled with allergies from our old forced-air system. Since installing radiant heat, his allergies have significantly improved -- it's been a game-changer for our home comfort and his health. I was originally concerned that radiant heat couldn't be installed in our home because of the old wood flooring, but Mniska made the process seem easy and stress-free. Everything went smoothly and we LOVE the end result. Mniska was incredibly professional and knowledgeable. He took the time to inspect our crawlspace -- which had never received attention -- and found it filled with debris. Not only did he clean it out, but he also laid down plastic to prevent moisture buildup. It was such a thoughtful extra step that showed his attention to detail. I really appreciated how clear he was about pricing. He explained our options and offered different service levels to fit our needs and budget. His prices were very reasonable for the quality of work and care we received. If you're considering in-home heating upgrades, I highly recommend Afterglow Heating. Professional, honest, and skilled -- you'll be in great hands! read more

Awesome company to work with! On time and very professional. Prices are reasonable and many options offered depending on your needs and budget. Hard to find a contractor with such integrity! read more

Great service. I had difficult a plumbing situation in a very tight space and Mniska handled it all with easy and came up with get solutions. I would recommend him highly for all plumbing needs. read more

We called Afterglow Heating to fix our thermostat and we had a great experience. He was very professional, efficient and got the job done at a very reasonable price. read more

I wanted to replace a 37-year-old gas water heater located in a kitchen that is in a 120-year-old building. I needed to understand all the options for modernizing service and Mniska came through. He was always on time, kind, considerate, and patient. He gave an explanation that was easy to understand and a new condensing tankless system got installed outside. His work is neat and beautiful! He worked around every problem and surprise (the kind that are always present in old buildings), under the building and outside, and completed the work in record time. I will definitely consider Afterglow for future work in my home. read more

We highly recommend the services of Mniska Lamb at AfterGlow Plumbing & Heating systems. We had a carbon monoxide situation a few months ago and called on Mniska to investigate and correct the problem as well as update our aging hydronic heating system. Mniska did an excellent job and, over the past few months, we've been enjoying our updated heating system. Heating can now be programmed in separate areas of the house which is wonderful because areas where we spend the most time are heated without having to heat the entire house. The system is now tankless (see pictures) so we don't have a huge water tank sitting in our small utility room. Mniska impressed us with his hard work, attention to detail, neatness and cleanliness in all aspects of his work. An excellent communicator, he responded promptly to all of our questions via text and/or phone, even after hours. Mniska is extremely knowledgeable and kept us informed of what he was doing and why. He did everything he could to minimize any disruption of service during the course of the project. We trust Mniska and would absolutely hire him for any future heating needs. read more

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Mniska was fantastic! He came as soon as possible. Delivered the bad news that I needed a whole new boiler with professionalism and grace and then offered a solution. He spend the next long full day procuring and then installing a new boiler! He made sure we had heat and hot water before bedtime. Thank you so much Minska! read more

I've been using Mniska's services for over 15 years, and am happy to see him setting out with his own independent operation. He's always promptly available, very easy to communicate with, and is very careful and exacting in his work. He's definitely one of those professionals I feel fortunate to have on call as a homeowner. read more

I have never had such a pleasant, competent plumber. I have a very complicated heating system. For plumbers before Mniska we're unable to diagnose and repair a problem. I am so grateful to Afterglow Plumbing for diagnosing and repairing problems that could've been disastrous. I highly recommend this company. read more

We wanted to revive the abandoned hydronic floor heating. After providing the estimate of ~$900 to pressure test the existing system we were told there's no hydronic floor heating. Upon confronting about the estimate being for pressure testing the hydronic floor heating we were told to pay for coming out and providing a consult. After a lengthy and unpleasant discussion we agreed to pay $450 for the consult. If you are going to charge for a consult it must be communicated upfront. read more