Heritage Plumbing & Heating

Installation was easy to schedule and was performed in two days. Installer was professional, neat, respected the cleanliness of our home and was as unintrusive as possible.

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They were excellent. I called 3 people and they were able to react the fastest. They were very fast, knowledgeable and their cost was very reasonable.

Jim was very professional. He did an excellent job, got me replacement filters for the air returns, and gave me information about my systems.

I had some water leakage around the compressor. Dave fixed it. Other plumber could not. Dave checked the outside unit and found a capacitor (?) that was still good, but really on its last legs. I took the option to replace it, and Dave did it that day. What impressed me most was Dave's attitude. He genuinely gets into his work. He's extremely knowledgeable about the systems, and their affect on your home and lifestyle. Good man - I'd use his service again in a heartbeat.

He was great.

Start to finish it was great.

The work turned out very good. When the guy first came over, he kept saying that he was booked out really far but that was just a week. He came over, he said that if we needed any repairs right then, he couldn't, but he was thorough, he looked at everything and he made an appointment to come back. It was really good. His estimates on the stuff we needed done was much higher and when we got the bill, it was only a quarter of what he had quoted. We had him come back a couple of times. He took pictures of it the first time and then went and did the research. He came over and brought his stuff and figured out the problem. The good thing was that when he came over the first time, he had said that we would have to pay 85 or 90 Dollars for the house call and diagnosis, and then if we use them, this amount will go towards the cost of the work. I had a lot of questions and so I asked him if I could get an estimate and he told me that I shouldn't worry about paying and he didn't take any money from us for the house call. I thought we wouldn't hear from him because we didn't pay him anything, but we did and he gave us an estimate. His personal service was very good and I would recommend him. He said he was the boss and he still had to make house calls because of the economy. He was very knowledgeable.His price was reasonable and he didn't try to say that he had done stuff that he didn't do. He came to assess it to make sure that it wasn't a dangerous situation. I had so many questions and he remained pretty good with me and so he was very professional.

He was great! Very communicative about when he would be at the house, and very patient with explaining what he was looking for and what he was doing. I asked a lot of questions, and he was able to answer everything. Great guy! I would definitely recommend him.

Great!  They inspected the system and determined it was not a problem with our radient heat but a problem with the water heater which told us to call the plumber.

We contacted Heritage (Jim) for an estimate on adding A/C to our existing central heating system.  Jim came over and did a thorough inspection of our furnace, the electrical supply, and the proposed site for the condenser.  To meet flood insurance requirements, we asked that our condenser be elevated almost two feet, which Jim said could be easily accommodated.  The next day, we received a cordial email with a nicely itemized estimate.  We got an estimate from a competitor for equivalent work, and Jim's was slightly lower.  Between Jim's professional demeanor, his online reputation and his competitive price, we decided to go ahead with Heritage for the work.
With about a week's notice, JIm scheduled the two installation days, pulled the permits and planned the inspection.  We decided to add a whole house fan (ordered from QuietCool) to the project, and Jim was happy to come by to consult on the fan size and placement.  The installation went as planned, and Jim was able to avoid opening any drywall when running the new electrical service, which was a pleasant surprise.  The inspection went smoothly, as did the house fan installation.
Over the next few days, the weather warmed up and we had our first real opportunity to use the new A/C.  There was an issue with the compressor not turning on (the condenser's fan was running), and Jim came out a couple of times to address the problem and tune the system.  During one of the visits a furnace component failed, for which he did a quick, no-charge warranty replacement.
In the end, we are quite pleased with both our A/C addition and the whole house fan.  Jim was always on time (or slightly early) for appointments and he clearly communicated everything he was doing.  He was also prompt about returning email and phone calls.  We will call him first for any future plumbing or heating/cooling work.

My experience with them has been pretty good.

it was okay, the heater didn't work the first time and we needed to call him back.  He wasn't particularly happy to return.

Called them and left a msg . They called back and arrived within the time window promised.
once i described the problem and my initial attempt to diagnose the
issue . The gentleman ( i don't remember his name now) performed his own
checks and assessment and confirmed my initial suspicion that the
thermocouple was not working . He confirmed that he has a spare one in
his truck  and it would cost appox $150 for parts and labor . I agreed
and he quickly fixed the new part and got it working. I am very
satisfied with the quality of work and the professional behavior  and
competence

Our furnace quit working, and I called Heritage and received a call back from owner Jim Nachtigal within an hour, even though I had indicated to the answering service/office when asked that it was not an emergency. Jim was very friendly and professional, and came by as scheduled later that day to check out the problem with our very dated furnace, which I had reported was that the pilot light was out and I could not get it re-lighted (even though I had often done so in the past).
He investigated and then explained what the possible causes were (either the thermocouple line or the gas valve body) and gave me an estimate. It turned out to that replacing the thermocouple resolved the problem. Jim also inspected and replaced the filters.
When I discussed my plans to remodel and upgrade, Jim consulted as to what my options might be for a new more energy-efficient system. The furnace is the original one installed in ~1976. We also discussed other general and related topics like duct cleaning and relocation/replacement and air filtration systems. This will also play into the planned remodel in 2013. And I will DEFINITELY be bringing Jim back in to bid the job!  He is very forthcoming with expert insights, dependable and professional.
Heritage is highly recommended!

Mr.. Nachtlgal arrived exactly on time, replaced the required part in quick time.  He was courteous, professional and I would
definitley recommend his services.

Jim, the owner called in the morning to give me the exact time he would be here. He arrived promptly and recalled previous work on installing and maintaining the furnace. As he was working I mentioned my concern about the hot water heater and the lack of hot water in the shower. At no cost he inspected the hot water heater and the shower faucet. He cleaned out the shower head to increase the flow. I  greatly appreciate his work and service over and above what would be expected.

Reasonably priced. I thought he was very efficient and fast. It was a good price. He did not try to sell other things and I'm really happy about that. He was very nice and courteous.

. I called, they got back to me within an hour, we scheduled the appointment for the same day, Jim showed up when he said he would, fixed the problem then returned the next day to do more than requested. They have a minimum charge of $198.00, which they tell you up front.
Jim felt bad about the fix being a very small issue that he came back to do the maintenance explained above.

I am writing this review again because Angie's List's IPhone app did not
have all the details like the website.  Anyway, here is the sequel.
Plumbers are like doctors and physicians. They work to improve the
quality of our lives and especially our health.
We had an unusual situation. Our tankless water heater started leaking
at the valve and then died. We called a few plumbing companies got
quotes and proposals ranging from reasonable to absurd to can't do the
job. Luckily it was summer and the prospect of cold showers wasn't
unbearable, so we met with at least 5 or 6 people before deciding to go
with Jim.
Jim was one of those rare people who is a straight shooter who is
conscientious, knows what needs to be done, and does not try to impress
or sell. He is a great problem solver who can work with the client's
level of knowledge of the issue and propose options. After I called his
number, he came within a couple of hours and looked at what needed to
be done. We discussed the options: 1. Install a new tankless heater but
the flue would need new stainless steel lining and size of the gas
supply pipe would need to be increased; and 2. Install a tank heater and
keep the existing flue lining. The same evening he emailed the quote
which was reasonable and he scheduled to do the job within a day or two.
He came with a helper and the job was done within a few hours. The
heater is working flawlessly and we have hot water thanks to Jim.
We also engaged Jim to help install a reverse osmosis water
filtration system. I had tried to install it, but ran out of time and
patience. He came on a Sat and was done in a couple of hours.
Working with Jim has another benefit- he is tech savvy. He is
comfortable texting you and has an iPad handy if he needs to look up a
part or manual.
I highly recommend him and would solicit his services without
hesitation.

The AC unit was fitted with out a problem and well under the time estimate given. I am so happy to have AC again!!! I am more than 100% pleased with the service I received. Everything was done wonderfully and professionally. I would totally use these guys again!

Jim Nachtigal (owner) comes across knowledgeable during meetings, but staff sent to do the work was a big problem.
Adam was assigned to our job. His lack of attention to detail, ability to keep the job area clean and failure to follow obvious safety protocol before making cuts into the subfloor raised significant concerns. Adam cut into a LIVE GAS LINE DISCHARGING GAS INTO OUR HOME due to failure to look under the house first and clear the area. His work did not yield precision cuts in the subfloor (measuring the vent and making a template so it fits correctly) so there are open spaces around the vent he installed.
Jim Nachtigal agreed to repair the cut gas line but suggested using a new material called corrugated stainless steel pipe (flexible pipe makes repairs easier). Given problems with this company I checked the City of San Jose Building Department web site and found a special bulletin preventing this material use in residential homes. Using that material saves the contractor time in fixing a gas line break but it's not as good as the rigid gas pipe that was cut in the first place.
This was the last straw for us and all we wanted to do was get over this job and get them out of our house!
It took us weeks to clean the dust that Adam brought up from under our house when he walked through the living room to the outside A/C unit multiple times without removing his dirty overalls.  We have no confidence in this company's ability to provide quality work. Their performance or lack thereof resulted in the loss of the second phase of our job.

Very courteous and came in under the quote.

He was very professional and knowledgeable. I found them off Angie's List. He tested everything completely. He was willing to work with an electric air conditioner. He was very prompt in returning the call.

The work was done on time and difficulties presented by a 1907 built house were overcome.