Bayhill Heat & Air, Inc. is an HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) contractor that serves homeowners in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and San Francisco Counties. The company fabricates, installs, maintains, services, and repairs new and existing HVAC systems, including floor and wall furnaces, heat pumps, insulated ducts (aluminum, wire flex and hard pipe), and rooftop units. It also provides system relocations and upgrades.
Owner Ricardo Valderrama started his career in San Bruno’s restoration industry, working on both residential and commercial jobs. In 2004, he made the switch to heating and air conditioning. “I was doing a bit of HVAC before,” he says, “but there came a time when I just wanted to concentrate on one side of the business.” Mr. Valderrama says this focus allows him to develop much closer relationships with his customers. “I serve their air quality needs, but I also contribute to their comfort.”
Bayhill Heat & Air offers free in-home estimates, 24/7 emergency service and a unique approach to its five-year warranty. “If a customer’s warranty has expired, I’ll still work with them,” says Mr. Valderrama. “Even if I didn’t install the system and it’s a manufacturer’s warranty, I’ll see what I can do.”
“We emphasize quality over all. When we do a service or installation, our main goal is to gain complete customer satisfaction, and we achieve that by providing excellent quality, both in our work and our products. We have frequent meetings to review jobs and see how we can make them better, so our staff is constantly reminded to strive for the highest quality service.”
If you’re a homeowner, make sure you know some basic safety information about your furnace.
HVAC units keep homes comfortable throughout the year, but most people don’t realize that a malfunctioning or old furnace can endanger both their homes and families. Consider carbon monoxide, for example—it’s an odorless, colorless gas that’s produced during combustion, and it can be deadly in the right circumstances. Every gas furnace creates carbon monoxide during the heating process, but most only produce small amounts that are carried out and away from the home. However, furnaces that are running inefficiently because of age or faulty parts can create higher levels of carbon monoxide, which can be toxic to anyone living in the house.
To protect yourself and your family, consider the following HVAC safety tips:
- Have an HVAC professional conduct an annual safety check to ensure your furnace and all its parts are functioning correctly. This may include searching for cracks in the combustion chamber, performing a deep cleaning, or lubricating any motors or bearings.
- Replace your furnace’s air filter three to four times a year, depending on manufacturer recommendations and how frequently you run your HVAC unit.
- Never store combustible materials like solvents and chemicals near your furnace. “If your furnace is in your garage, make sure you keep these items at least three feet away at all times,” says Ricardo Valderama, owner of Bayhill Heat & Air in San Mateo. “If the furnace is in a closet or utility room, you shouldn’t put any chemicals or solvents in that space.”
- Make sure fresh air can flow to and from your HVAC unit. “Sometimes furnaces aren’t aesthetically pleasing and homeowners want to cover them with sheets, but you need to make sure the area around your HVAC unit is always clear and vented,” says Mr. Valderrama.
- Never close more than 20 percent of the air registers in your home. Better yet, keep all register vents open to allow for adequate air circulation and prevent stress on the system.
Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it's even more important for HVAC companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Bayhill Heat & Air, Inc., the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: focus on providing quality in every aspect of its work, from the initial consultations to the finishing touches. "Our first goal is to make sure our clients are completely satisfied," affirms owner Ricardo Valderrama. "We accomplish that by staying up-to-date on industry regulations, working with high-quality HVAC equipment and original replacement parts, and ensuring our technicians have the skills and training to take on all types of jobs."
Bayhill Heat & Air has been providing HVAC services for homeowners throughout San Mateo County since 1981. The company's primary focus is fabricating, installing, maintaining, and repairing new and existing HVAC systems such as air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, insulated ducts and rooftop units, but it also has the capabilities to perform system relocations and upgrades, provide 24/7 emergency services, and more.
Unlike less experienced HVAC companies that use off-market replacement parts and offer short-term warranties as a result, Bayhill Heat & Air exclusively uses original replacement parts made by leading manufacturers like Carrier, which allows it to back all its parts and labor for five years. "We use top-of-the-line equipment and materials that meet or exceed industry standards, so our customers know they're getting quality every time," says Mr. Valderrama. "And we don't just rely on our equipment–we carefully walk through each job after it's complete to make sure everything was done correctly."
Mr. Valderrama says Bayhill Heat & Air's industry longevity has also been an important aspect of its success. "The fact that we've been in business for more than 30 years really resonates with our customers–they know we're always here for them and will work hard to make sure they get exactly what they want. They trust us to take good care of them, so they give us good feedback and recommend us to their family and friends."