The first time we used Sal (about 12 years ago) he responded to our request within a few hours, at 7:00 pm! He diagnosed that the original furnace installer, a few weeks earlier, had not given the new unit the proper slope for drainage and corrected it the following day. Hurray! This time our daughter's furnace gave out. Sal responded the following day and determined that the gas valve was not functioning. Looking around he could not find a replacement for the 20+ year-old furnace. He gave us a quote that was reasonable and within 2 days was beginning the replacement. He was frequent contact regarding his progress and availability. He finished within 4 days. He is definitely our first call (again) when we have heating or cooling issues. read more

Sal added a brand new HVAC system to our house last year, since that time we've had a few questions about the system-when we call Sal he is always highly responsive and goes out of his way to help us out. He is everything that you want in a service provider: honest, professional, detail-focused, fair, and a genuinely nice person. He offers amazing value for your money. Don't waste your time with other vendors, Sal is the go-to pro in the Bay Area! read more

Calling RC Mechanical for my A/C unit was the best decision I could have made. Sal was accommodating and helpful. He explained why my A/C unit was having issues and what was needed to get me back up and running. Excellent response time .... Fair prices. THANKS SAL!! read more

Heater Broken? Air conditioner on the fritz? SAL...IS... THE... MAN, when it comes to HVAC. Bookmark this page, now. You will not find a better guy to do the repairs, and you will be glad I referred you. Before he came over to fix our heater, my husband said, "You are going to love Sal, he's the nicest guy." And he was right. Unfortunately, neither myself nor my husband was smart enough to program Sal into our cell phones after he fixed our crapped-out heater several months ago, and I needed to ask him a question this week. Neither of us wanted to call his ex to get the phone number again because we can never seem to "properly file" the numbers she gives us (we had to originally get the info from her) and knew she'd be a bit annoyed... not that I blame her. Luckily, after a little detective work, I was able to find Sal's number via another means. Sal did a great job, got our heater running in a jiffy, and was just an all around nice guy, who explained everything he was doing. To me, that's important (he's like Pedro from Pedro's Auto Clinic - best mechanic ever... to me it's a BIG deal when somebody explains what it is that they're doing, because it conveys honesty). And his fees are very reasonable. I'm just going to write a little note here... whatever you do, DO NOT let Sal leave without paying him. And please pay him CASH if you can (this is just my suggestion, he's NEVER brought this up). He is the kind of guy that, I get the feeling he would work for free if he could, as if he feels funny about getting paid (the reason I suspect this is because I AM THAT WAY, as a photographer). I get the feeling he is not big on "invoicing". But Sal won't be able to continue to operate if people don't pay him, and for the great work he does, he deserves to get PAID, and paid ON TIME. You'll see what I'm talking about next time your heater breaks. Just trust me on this one, Sal is the man. read more

In the middle of all of the heat and smoke of August, 2020, I called RC Mechanical to fix my old air conditioner. He arrived 20 minutes later, had the replacement part in his van and even dealt quickly with some power labeling issues. I can't tell you how much I appreciated his prompt and friendly service. read more

Sal is absolutely the best! When he arrives it feels like he's the very capable, trustworthy brother of your best friend in college. He's definitely a throwback - someone who really cares about your situation, wants to do a great job and at a fair price. Sal is the kind of guy you want to work in your home and will be willing to give a key so he can come and go as necessary. It's without hesitation I can highly recommend RC Mechanical! And if doesn't respond quickly please remember he runs his own business. read more

Sal at RC Mechanical is the best! He installed a new furnace with AC, which we did not previously have, new ducts where accessible, rebalanced the airflow, resized vent openings... He gave us lots of options, was thorough in explaining everything and gave us time for decisions. I thought at first that his bid was high, but after some research I realized it actually reasonable, and it would have been worth it anyway. The work (he does pretty much everything himself except electrical) is meticulous and he wants to make sure everything is to your satisfaction. He was also very patient with my engineer husband's bazillion questions. My only complaint, if you could even call it that, is that the time estimate for the work was 3 weeks and it took twice as long. But that is really just a nit pick, considering the quality of work. read more

Sal from RC Mechanical was able to finally solve all the issues we were having with our HVAC unit. It was a fairy new unit installed a few years before we purchased our home. When we moved in we hooked up a Nest thermostat.... and the problems began... The unit would start.. then stop, start stop and sound like it was choking... Short story = it did not work! Sal came over and soon figured out what the problem was. It turns out the wire run from the HVAC unit was too low of a gauge for the distance it had to cary the signal to/from the nest (basement up to second story) and the HVAC unit was not installed correctly. Sal was able to get some special parts and get the drainage for the unit working properly and install a new wire for the nest. He also enabled the Fan function which for some reason was never hooked up initially! Sal is the man. He is exceptionally knowledgeable and provides a level of customer service that far exceeds the competition. I highly recommend him. read more

Update: I did fix the flue, as Sal didn't have the equipment to do it. It was certainly dangerous and Sal did find the problem, but it had been like that for 15 years since the furnace was installed, and was not the cause of the problem. The problem required additional troubleshooting and replacement of the control board, which I also did. Sal is a great guy and offered to refund our money, but I think it's fair to pay him for his time, I will not take him up on his offer. read more

Sal replaced our furnace and ducting in January. He gave several options for the replacement, was extremely patient as I asked unending questions. His workmanship and professionalism are unparalleled. I would use his services again in a heartbeat. read more

You will never EVER find a better HVAC expert than Sal. I found Sal after developing a severe allergy to my cats. After much research, I discovered that IQAire creates the best whole house filter on the market (if you have allergies and sensitivities, please look into this company). IQ put me in touch with Sal who showed up to conduct extensive air pressure testing (for free!) in order to diagnose where we had air leaks and why our air quality was so poor. Sal diagnosed our problem immediately--a combination of an improperly sealed furnace that was pulling dust from our cat litter into the air ducts (!!!), the installation of cheap duct work made from plastic flex (which collects dust in the grooves), and the total failure of an expensive electrostatic/UV air filter that came highly recommended by the HVAC guys who never sealed our furnace. Not one of the many other HVAC guys I called to diagnose our air quality problems (before finding Sal) mentioned any of these things. No one conducted air pressure tests. Nobody mentioned ductwork. No one even bothered to open our furnace, the inside of which was plastered with cat hair and litter. (When Sal opened our furnace, I almost fainted). We hired Sal on the spot to clean up this mess of a situation. He proceeded to replace all our ductwork with flat metal ducting (never use the flex stuff) and installed a new furnace with efficient heating. He also installed the stellar IQAire filter, which is a fabulous product. Best money I have ever spent. I am so grateful for Sal. He is skilled, patient, honest and super friendly. He is also totally committed to finding a solution for any issues you might have. I cannot recommend him highly enough. read more

Sal is a great guy! Woke up to a very cold house today and after dialing around a few places, RC Mechanical was the only one who was able to come out today. I am glad I went with RC Mechanical! Sal quickly diagnosed the problem and was able to rush to find the part to get the furnace running by the end of the day. I greatly appreciate his honesty, clear explanations, and obvious knowledge of the systems! read more

Sal at RC Mechanical picked up his phone immediately twice. Sal was extremely helpful in helping me troubleshoot a blower motor issue. Due to Sals phone support I was able to fix it myself. I do know in the future when I need furnace repair Sal at RC Mechanical will be the guy. read more

Sal was the 3rd person to take a look at my heating unit, which was not draining condensation correctly. The first person concluded I needed to replace the motor for $1k, and the second person had concluded I should replace the furnace for closer to $10k. Sal, on the other hand, more thoroughly went through the instruction manual for the furnace and other installation literature to explain everything my original installers had gotten wrong, including: location of air intakes, pipes going into the unit, sloping of the flue pipe, and more. Because of his attention to detail, I'm actually going to get my heating system fixed correctly, without any temporary hacks. Sal was absolutely capable and trustworthy. read more

I found RC Mechanical through other Yelp reviews. My air conditioner was on the fritz, and after 3 days of calling other businesses and getting NO returned phone calls, the fact that Sal called me back in 1/2 hour was a relief. He was here the next morning and quickly discovered my system had a freon leak. He fixed it but, in the process, took the time to inspect my whole HVAC system as well as the rest of the house and he made great recommendations for improving the temperature control inside the house. He takes the time to talk with his clients and explain things clearly. He seems to be dedicated to very high standards and quick response times. How refreshing is that? read more

Sal has been our go-to guy ever since we put on a second floor addition twenty years ago here in Palo Alto. He knows what he is doing, makes a point of being up-to-date on all the best systems, is honest, fair, and doesn't try to sell you anything you don't need. He has our complete vote of confidence! read more

My HVAC (Heater) went out on XMAS day & I tried to find a reputable HVAC repair company to come out to my residence. On most phone calls that I made, it was either getting a voice mail or hearing they were booked for weeks out into the New Year. Sal actually called me back & was able to fit me into his schedule the same day. He was very punctual, I believe totally honest & charged me a fair price to repair (vs. replace) my home heating system. I would HIGHLY recommend Sal & RC Mechanical, it's a joy to be able to deal with a reputable company today & not feel taken advantage. Contact Sal, you won't be disappointed! read more

They failed to respond to all three ways to contact them: by telephone, email, and their online service request. I won't give them another chance. read more

Sal Contreras was a subcontractor when remodeling my house. Sal did a great job, and I am very happy with both the execution and the result. The new high efficiency furnace Sal recommended works great, is very quiet and way more comfortable than the one stage furnace I had before. read more

If your heater or air conditioner is broken, Sal is the guy to call. He fixed our heater quickly when it broke a few months ago. I won't write a lot of details but my wife just wrote a long review and yelped about how great he is. Trust us, Sal is THE guy you want to know. read more

I just had Sal from RC Mechanical at my house to repair my AC; I got his name from Nextdoor.com where he was highly recommended, he also had 5 stars here on Yelp although there were not many reviews for him here. He figured out the problem right away and fixed it. While here, he also took a quick look at the furnace and duct system and shared his thoughts about overall system efficiency and maintenance, including how to evaluate what is worthwhile doing vs not. He was very responsive: answered his phone right away (as opposed to every other service I called that was closed for the weekend) and came over the day after I called him. I would highly recommend him and will definitely contact him for any problems in the future. He seems very knowledgeable, reasonable and honest. 650-575-3915. read more

Sal Contreras, of R.C. Mechanical has installed furnaces in three different homes I have lived in over the past years. Each time it has been an excellent experience. Sal is extremely knowledgeable, effective, responsible and decent. I have always been very happy with the results of his work. I recommend him highly. read more

Sal Contreras runs a first rate business. He installed two heaters in our home and recently installed a heating system in our guest house. He sizes up the job and submits a careful bid. He then undertakes the work, carries it through and stands behind his work. We recommended him to a friend and she couldn't be more pleased. I learned of Sal through a licensed contractor i greatly respect. I give him the highest marks and do not hesitate to recommend him. read more

I have been using Sal for many years and he has always done an excellent job. This year, Sal did his $99 In-Home Whole House Health & Comfort Check-Up. It was comprehensive and resulted in excellent suggestions for reducing heat loss. I have implemented Sal's recommendations and have noticed a significant reduction in drafts, more even heating. An added benefit is a quieter house. read more

We returned home on a Friday to find the temperature of our home to be 47 F and quickly decided that we needed help immediately. After calling several furnace repair companies recommended by friends to learn that they would be happy to send someone over Monday or Tuesday, we came across Sal reading Yelp reviews. Sal had some other appointments that day and could not commit to being able to say definitely that he would be able to stop by but was willing to talk me through diagnosing our furnace problem in case it was something simple and we could get our furnace going without him coming. After 20 minutes of being guided through a diagnostic procedure, the furnace would not start. I was amazed that anyone would be willing to talk me through such a procedure which could have avoided a service call and service charge. I knew I had found the right person to be our permanent furnace repairman. The story continues in that Sal did stop by, quickly found the problem and repaired the furnace. After the repair, he was willing to take the additional time to explain how to track down some furnace problems without having to call a repair person. I could not have had a better experience and trust that anyone who uses Sal will feel the same. read more