Best Solar Water Heater Repair in Oakland CA

It's about time we post a review about this company. Ramnar, the owner, installed our radiant heat almost 20 years ago before he even started his company. This is a wonderful cost efficient way to heat our large property (tile, wood and carpet floors) and it never failed us. We never have to think about it, the thermostats are set, there is no dust, no noise, it's just the best! We are thrilled that he now has his own company, he is the best we know, trustworthy and extremely skilled. We just make sure to service the system and water heater once a year this way we also get to see him and his crew and make sure everything keeps working properly. Absolute top notch, efficient, very nice and fair priced, wouldn't think of hiring anyone else!

Re:  Lacayo-Colt Plumbing & Heating, Oakland, California

To whom it may concern:     July, 2015

Best plumber in the World?  I can't say, but THE BEST PLUMBER IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA is my belief.  Rey Lacayo replaced our water heater--one that had been installed by one of the best-known of Bay Area plumbing companies--and made the difficult-access replacement quickly, perfectly and with corrections of the not-to-code earlier work as a natural part of the job, all on budget and only one day after we first called him!  Very impressive, high-quality work--after years with big-name companies, I now have a plumber whose work I believe in.

A month later, our toilet tank apparatus failed after many years, and Rey found time on his lunch hour to make the repair so that we would not be inconvenienced for more than a few hours.  Working inside the house, he impressed me with his cleanliness (shoe covers!) and his pride of workmanship, and he left me feeling relieved that I now have a resource I can trust for our upcoming furnace replacement and inevitable trenchless sewer line work.

For all my admiration of Rey's work, however, this letter of commendation falls short:  it cannot portray the cheerful, upbeat spirit that Rey brings to his work, a wonderful presence that makes you take him most naturally not only as your new plumber but as a friend.  I no longer dread having to call the plumber, and Rey leaves me with the sense that I will not be left stranded if I have a plumbing or heating problem some Christmas Eve.  Enjoy working with Rey if you have any plumbing or heating problem--it is honestly and positively a privilege.

Sincerely,

R. Chapman
Berkeley, California

UPDATE AS OF NOVEMBER, 2015

We have used Rey Locarno and his plumbing company for every plumbing need we have had for the past four years--and in an older Montclair property, that has been a good deal of work--and I can say only that he remains our plumber of choice by a long shot.

We have just replaced our 40-year-old furnace through his company as well, and we got spectacular work done at a very reasonable price.  The project involved relocating previous piping, building a platform for the newer, shorter furnace, and upgrading all our furnace venting to code.

Anyone who needs a smart and efficient plumber or heating contractor should consider Rey first.  He is the most knowledgeable and competent in his field from my forty years of homeowner experience, and a great pleasure to work with.

These amazing but very professional plumbers installed a brand toilet for my elderly mothers home. Booking an appointment was simple and quick. I really enjoyed speaking to the office admin. These guys were overall awesome to work with.  I was also offered great warranty on the work that was done.

I recently used Discount Plumbing & Rooter for a broken garbage disposal/overflowing dishwasher and am very pleased! They are professional, friendly, and responsive. I was able to make an appointment the day of, which was extremely helpful.

Carlos was professional, friendly, and helpful in explaining what was going on and what my options were. I had tried another company prior to Discount and they could not even tell me what was wrong. I'm definitely glad I went with this company. Carlos finished the job quickly and efficiently. Very pleased!!

Found these guys through RedBeacon.  Needed to get a kitchen faucet installed / replaced, and a couple other odd items.  These guys are great. I called and asked if they could come by the same day, and Sergei (owner?) squeezed me in. Paul (technician) was nothing but professional. He was timely, clean (wore booties in the house, cleaned up after himself), and even moved everything from out under the sink and back for me. I also asked for help in securing a loose bathroom sink due to poor installation, and removing a stuck bathroom tub drain stopper, and he did both free of charge. Highly recommend these guys, and will definitely call again when I need a plumber.

Francesco is extremely kind and knowledgeable.  I manage a restaurant in Uptown Oakland and we were constantly having to call plumbers to unclog toilets, fix issues of flushing or water coming out from the bottom.  None of the plumbers we've called got down to the root cause of what was the issue.  Francesco was the only person to remove the toilets and give an analysis of what is going on.

Turns out the toilets were installed poorly and incorrectly.  I have yet to have any issues (which I usually do after someone else has attempted to fix the toilets)  He does great work and is easily reachable!  Great with communication.

Mohammed came out to take a look at my water heater. He was able to diagnose the problem right away (bad thermocouple) and repaired it in a short amount of time. He was very friendly and I feel like he charged me a fair price. Give him a call if you need quick reliable service, especially on the weekend!

I have used VRG plumbing twice.  The first time was to fix leaky plumbing under by kitchen sink.   And, today (the 2nd time) to replace a leaky water main valve.

In both cases, Victor responded to my text requests for an appointment within 30 minutes, and was able to actually do the repairs quickly, professionally and at reasonable rates.

I recommend VRG Plumbing!

I had a very positive experience with Vince from VIP plumbing. Vince was very professional-- he was transparent from the beginning and made communication between us clear and easy. For instance, he called to keep me updated on his ETA, which might seem small but really helps when trying to manage my schedule. Once he arrived and inspected the water heater he explained what had happened and possible causes for the issue. His explanations were clear and detailed, yet simple. This makes it easier for me when dealing with my water heater. He fixed the issue and once again explained it to make things clear. He even ordered a spare part in case anything were to happen in the future.

TL;DR: Vince was transparent, professional and helpful. I would definitely recommend him.

Berkeley Home Repair fixed a pier under my house and installed earthquake bracing around the entire foundation. Brian and JMark started on time, worked late, and got the job done in less than two days. They never complained about the conditions (muddy tight crawlspace) and were very conscientious about cleaning up. Great attitude. I will be sure to hire them again since home repair never ends and it's nice to work with a company that does what they say and doesn't look for ways to increase your bill.