Frequently Asked Questions

HVAC maintenance helps keep heating and cooling systems running efficiently year-round. In the Bay Area, where temperatures can change quickly, routine HVAC maintenance helps homeowners stay comfortable while reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns and high energy costs.

As a trusted AC company and heating company, we provide professional heating maintenance plans and cooling maintenance plans designed to protect your investment. Regular service can also extend the life of your system and improve indoor air quality throughout your home.

Signs that it may be time for HVAC maintenance include strange noises, uneven temperatures, reduced airflow, or rising energy bills. In the Bay Area, seasonal temperature changes can place extra strain on heating and cooling systems, making regular maintenance especially important.

As a trusted AC and heating company, we recommend scheduling professional HVAC maintenance at least twice a year to help keep your system running efficiently and reliably.

Our heating maintenance plans and cooling maintenance plans are designed to keep your HVAC system running at peak performance year-round. With regular inspections, cleanings, and tune-ups, we help ensure your heating and cooling systems operate safely, efficiently, and reliably.

In the Bay Area, routine HVAC maintenance can help prevent costly repairs and unexpected breakdowns caused by seasonal temperature changes. As a trusted AC company and heating company, we identify small issues early to help extend the life of your system and improve overall efficiency.

Yes, regular HVAC maintenance can help lower monthly energy costs by keeping your system clean, properly adjusted, and running efficiently. A well-maintained heating and cooling system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep your home comfortable, which can help reduce energy usage over time.

In the Bay Area, seasonal weather changes can put added strain on HVAC equipment. Routine heating and cooling maintenance helps improve performance, prevent unnecessary wear and tear, and keep your system operating smoothly year-round.

We recommend scheduling HVAC maintenance twice a year—once before the heating season and once before the cooling season. Regular service helps ensure your system is prepared for changing Bay Area temperatures and operating at peak efficiency.

Routine maintenance can also help prevent unexpected breakdowns, improve performance, and keep your home comfortable throughout the year.

During an HVAC maintenance visit, our technicians inspect, clean, and test your heating and cooling system to ensure it operates safely and efficiently. We check filters, electrical components, airflow, and overall system performance to help identify potential issues early.

Regular HVAC maintenance helps improve reliability, extend the life of your equipment, and keep your system performing at its best throughout the changing Bay Area seasons.

Solar installation helps homeowners take greater control of their energy costs while reducing dependence on traditional utility companies. By converting sunlight into clean, renewable energy, solar panels can help lower monthly electric bills and support a more energy-efficient home.

Professional solar installation can also increase property value and provide long-term savings over time. In addition to the financial benefits, solar energy offers an environmentally friendly solution that helps create a cleaner, more sustainable future.

A home may be a good fit for solar installation if the roof receives plenty of direct sunlight throughout the day and has minimal shading from trees or nearby structures. Roof condition, angle, and available space also play an important role in overall system performance.

Our team can evaluate your roof and review your energy usage to determine whether solar is the right solution for your home. We’ll help you understand potential energy savings and recommend the ideal system size for your needs.

Your solar savings depend on factors such as energy usage, system size, and local utility rates. With professional solar installation, many homeowners can significantly reduce—or even offset—a large portion of their monthly electric bills over time.

Homeowners may also qualify for tax credits and local incentives that help lower the upfront cost of installation. Over the long term, solar energy can provide substantial savings while increasing the overall value and efficiency of your home.

Most solar installation projects can be completed in just a few days once permits and approvals are finalized. The planning, design, and permitting process may take several weeks, depending on local requirements and inspection timelines.

Our experienced solar installation team guides homeowners through every step of the process, from system design and permitting to final installation and utility connection. We focus on making the experience smooth, efficient, and easy to understand from start to finish.

After solar installation, maintenance is typically simple and minimal. Keeping solar panels clean and free of debris such as leaves, dust, and dirt can help maintain strong system performance and energy production.

Many solar systems also include monitoring tools that allow homeowners to track energy output in real time. With occasional professional inspections, a solar energy system can continue operating efficiently and reliably for many years.

If a roof replacement is needed after solar installation, the panels can be safely removed and reinstalled by experienced professionals. Working with a team that understands both roofing and solar systems helps ensure the process is completed correctly and efficiently.

Before installing solar, we recommend evaluating the condition of the roof to help avoid future issues. Proper planning helps protect your investment and supports long-term system performance for years to come.

Signs that it may be time for residential cooling repair include weak airflow, warm air coming from vents, uneven temperatures, or rising energy bills. If your AC system is no longer keeping your home comfortable, professional service can help identify the issue and restore performance.

If your system is more than 10–15 years old and requires frequent repairs, replacement may be the more cost-effective solution. Our team can inspect your unit and recommend the best option for long-term comfort, efficiency, and reliability.

We recommend scheduling residential cooling maintenance at least once a year, ideally before the summer season begins. Regular service helps keep your AC system clean, efficient, and prepared to handle warmer temperatures.

During a maintenance visit, our technicians inspect refrigerant levels, electrical components, airflow, and overall system performance. Routine maintenance can help prevent unexpected breakdowns, improve efficiency, and keep your cooling system running smoothly when you need it most.

If your AC is running but not cooling properly, the issue could be caused by a dirty filter, low refrigerant, blocked airflow, or another system problem. Even minor issues can reduce the performance and efficiency of your residential cooling system.

Our team can quickly diagnose the problem and recommend the right solution to restore comfort to your home. Addressing cooling issues early can help prevent larger repairs and keep your air conditioner running efficiently throughout the season.

Choosing the right size AC unit is essential for effective residential cooling. A system that is too small may struggle to keep your home comfortable, while an oversized unit can cycle too frequently and reduce efficiency.

Our team performs professional load calculations to determine the ideal system size for your home. Proper sizing helps improve energy efficiency, maintain consistent indoor temperatures, and deliver long-term comfort.

There are several ways to improve residential cooling efficiency, including changing air filters regularly, keeping vents clear, and sealing air leaks around windows and doors. Proper insulation can also help reduce strain on your AC system and improve indoor comfort.

Routine maintenance is another important step in maximizing performance. A clean, professionally tuned system can operate more efficiently, use less energy, and provide more reliable cooling throughout the season.

Signs that you may need immediate AC service include loud noises, burning odors, leaks around the unit, weak airflow, or warm air coming from your vents. These issues can indicate serious problems within your residential cooling system and should be addressed as soon as possible.

Prompt repairs can help prevent further damage, improve system efficiency, and restore comfort to your home. Our team is ready to diagnose the issue quickly and provide reliable solutions to keep your air conditioner running safely and effectively.

One way or another, you’re paying for solar. If you’re a renter or homeowner, you’re paying for solar even if you don’t have it on your home. Think about it: you’re paying utility fees—let’s say you’re paying $100 in utility fees—and next year you’re going to pay $107 for the same utilities. This is based on the historical average rate over 30 years, which is 6.7%. Right now, we’re seeing inflation rates at 10% or even higher from PG&E. With that in mind, the minute you go solar, you start producing energy today so when you use energy next year, you’ll have made 10% off your dollar. It’s already producing, and next year, it’s going to produce the same. But instead of paying the inflated rate of utilities, you’ve already paid for it once—so you’re done!

In the beginning, you can have a five-year return on investment and after five years, you’ll have a one-for-one hard cash dollar return. This means that for every dollar you spend—let’s say you spend $10,000 today—in five years, you’ll have received your entire return on investment in tax credits and utility savings.

Now that system is going to last 25 years, if not longer. It’s warranted for 25 years, so imagine how much longer it’s going to last after that. This means you have 20 years (starting after five years) of an income-producing asset: this means the system will always produce income!

You’re no longer paying a utility bill. You have a 10% inflation rate or a 6.7% inflation rate by the utility company for the next 20 years. Compounded over 20 years, if the money that was going to the utility company was placed into an account, the average calculated savings (income) for our typical solar design would be well over $100,000.

Everybody else is just trying to make a buck. Don’t get us wrong: we’re a non-profit organization, but we want to make money too. However, we lose money if we don’t do right by our clients. It may not be today or tomorrow, but eventually, it will come back and hurt us. So we always do what’s right for the client, even if they don’t realize we’re doing right by them. A client may think it’s not right because it’s more expensive; however, they’re typically not factoring in price versus cost. Price is the here and now. Let’s say we give a client a quote for $15,000, to which they reply, “Why is this more than the quote I got from the other place?”. We say to that, “Are we too high OR are they too low?”

The question isn’t how much overhead we have; the question is what are you not getting for that lesser price from that other company? Their price may be cheaper, but in five years, you may have to spend $5,000 more just to remove and install that system because your roof is bad. We make a point to inform our clients of future expenses along with current expenses. After all, how else are they able to make an informed decision if they’re not provided all the variables to consider? We pride ourselves on being a referral-based company, and ensuring that our clients are properly informed is one factor in how we make that happen.

Right now, the NET meter is available for PG&E and SMUD, the two biggest energy suppliers in Northern California. Our typical solar design produces more power during the day than what you’re using, and so the NET meter offered by their utility provider credits the energy not consumed. This meter allows you to have a one-for-one exchange, and without the NET meter, more costs would be required to store excess power for later use. The NET meter is integral when it comes to your return on investment.

PG&E has been lobbying against the NET meter; however, a recent ruling stated that no changes can be made until 2019, which is the same year the tax credit ends. So it’s twofold: you receive a 30% uncapped tax credit and the NET meter. You can decide to invest in a minimal-size solar system, and due to our system design, expand the system one module at a time. This approach allows you to keep your expenses down, start receiving savings on your income-producing asset (solar PV), take advantage of the 30% tax credit, and, more importantly, receive the NET meter. If future expansion occurs prior to the end of 2019, then you would receive an additional tax credit.

We found that, although solar is a great income-producing asset, great for the environment, has a short return on investment, and is very lucrative with all the tax credits, people really get hurt when their contractor is not thinking about their best interest, and they refuse to mention the fact that their roof is 15 or 20 years old. You would be surprised at how long a 10-year-old roof that was poorly installed is actually going to last—it could last only 12 to 15 years. So when you go to replace that roof, you now have to have the solar removed. So you’ve spent money to put solar up initially, and now, you have to pay even more to have it removed and reinstalled after redoing the roof. The nice thing about Green Air Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. is that we ensure that whatever we put up on your roof (the roofing, the penetrations, the solar) is going to last 25 years. You’re not going to have to remove our system in between that time and then reroof. We’re going to make sure it’s done right the first time, and that’s the benefit of having a roof integrated with our solar. It just serves our clients better.

The head of our roofing division brings over 32 years of roofing experience to our company. He didn’t learn to roof like everyone learns today, whereas a buddy who learned to roof last year teaches their buddy how to roof this year. He learned from people who had been roofing for 30-40 years. As a result of our experience, we’re proud to be certified with CertainTeed to bring you the best installation, products, and warranties for your solar roofing system.

It’s more specific to what the homeowner wants. If the homeowner really wants a good shingle, they want to pick a thicker shingle, one that has more aesthetics and lasts longer. Longevity is based on how long it takes for things to wear out, so the more asphalt and the thicker the composite of the shingle, the longer it’s going to last. In the San Francisco Bay Area, thinner shingles typically last 20-25 years when installed correctly; that increases an average of 5-10 years with a thicker shingle.