HERS Rater LA/HouseSmart Green Solutions

Dav is clearly an EXPERT in what he does. He imparted a TON of valuable information and knowledge to my husband and I both DURING our Home Energy Audit, as well as in the report which we opted to have him do. This information is going to be a superb guide as we prioritize & move forward with home improvement projects that will increase our home's efficiency, conserve energy, etc.

David is very knowledgeable, professional, and honest person. In addition to fast and efficient service, he gave me a lot of great tips on improving cooling efficiency of my system. Would highly recommend him to anyone for a HERS inspection. He prices little higher than competitors, but you get what you paid for.

Dav was very detailed in his work, and was always willing to share as much detail as one might want to know/learn. He also provided contacts for a few contractors for me to get in touch with, which was very helpful.

Although I have advanced degrees, they are not in energy efficiency and HVAC systems. I knew next to nothing about these subjects, not even the right questions to ask. David Camras spent a great deal of time with me, both during and after the inspection, explaining the situation, the options, and his recommendations in language that I could understand. He saved me from spending $3,000 on insulation that another vendor had recommended., but which proved to be unnecessary.

David was fantastic. In just a few hours, he walked me through all the energy-consuming systems in my house, both indoors and outdoors, and gave me a number of easy and inexpensive ways to reduce my energy bills. I feel like it was the best money I've spent on my house in twenty years of being a homeowner.

I found Dav Camras to be extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. He quickly gained my confidence and respect as a complete professional, and my contractor was so impressed, that he has decided to use Dav in the future. Dav does charge a little more than the market rate, but in my opinion he is head and shoulders above the competition, and on a $10,000 job, it makes sense to pay a little extra to get the best. Also, it will save you money in the long run, as problems will be identified prior to inspection.

David from HERS RATER LA was immediately responsive when contacted, and was able to schedule given the short notice, a certification appointment within the week, which was critical since there was a pending inspection from the city inspector the week after.

Prior to the appointment, David was exceedingly thorough to ask for various photos of the duct conditions through emails so he can do his best to try to point out possible leakage issues prior to the tests, so I would have the opportunity to fix it prior to him coming so I didn't have to call him back in case it failed its tests. Which was much appreciated since as a typical home owner, this particular certification was completely alien, and the HVAC contractor was of little or no support with Title 24 compliancy.

During the day of the test, David arrived promptly, and immediately went to work. On site there were two systems that needed to be certified to Title 24 compliancy to pass building inspection. David started with the first unit, which was able to pass successfully based on his recommendations based off our emails.

For the second system, it was unable to pass the leakage and air tests. David was extremely kind to remain on site while I called the HVAC contractor to site, even though it meant he had missed the time frame of the next appointment, so I was able to make the necessary repairs to have this particular unit pass certification as well.

All in all, David was extremely knowledgeable in his field, and even though he could have just conducted tests, and ask to be called back if the tests were to fail, but he went the extra mile to share his in-depth knowledge of what makes a HVAC unit efficient, in addition to spending the extra time to wait around for my HVAC contractor to make the needed repairs on site, which not only saved me costs in having to call back David for another certification process, but we were able to get the system much more efficient than ever before, which in itself was tremendous savings from its operation and usage.

I found David after finding an LA Times article on how home energy audits can boost home sales prices. I also found him after having two AC consultations that were vastly different in price, but with both wanting to install a 3-ton compressor unit on my 1,100 sq ft house, which seemed way too big. I read that having a home energy consult who isn't trying to sell you an AC unit is a good idea. David replied quickly to my email, and scheduled a time that worked for both of us. He was responsive on email and on-time to the appointment. David spent over 3 hours at my home, and answered all of my questions. He is extremely knowledgable, and it's important to him that his clients understand the science behind his recommendations. He is very good at explaining and helping you to understand how the systems work, and what the problems can be. He is providing an in-depth written evaluation as well as the in-person consultation. He also gave me an AC contractor recommendation, and his guy was able to come out an evaluate my home the next day. I would definitely recommend David to home owning friends.

I reached out to Dav for an Energy Evaluation of my 5 yo townhouse due to drafts and hot/cold zones.  Dav was prompt to respond to my inquiry and we scheduled the evaluation for a few days later.  On the day of the evaluation, Dav showed up a few minutes BEFORE our scheduled appointment, which scored points right off the bat.  He was very professional; explained exactly what he was doing and why; what results to expect and what it all meant.  He showed me the problem areas which began with a poorly installed HVAC system on my roof; improperly installed ducting; poorly installed insulation and gaps which allowed air to flow freely from my unit to the great outdoors.  I've been using the phrase "as air tight as a screen door on a submarine" to describe the results.  Dav outlined what needs to be done to resolve the issues and gave me a few referrals. 

I'm looking forward to resolving these issues and moving on with other aspects of a small remodel project.

I called Dav seeking a HERS tester to perform testing on two separate homes. Even though the home do not require it, I believe having independent testing of the HVAC system is essential so that it runs efficiently and effectively. After reading the reviews online from both Angies list and another well established review site, I called Dav to screen him and pick his brains. He spent an hour on the phone with me reviewing some of the technical aspects of the HVAC system and how his services apply. I appreciate that he is willing to take the time to answer all of my questions with thorough explanation without being pushy or trying to sell additional services. I have yet to use his service but I have no doubt he would do an excellent job, and will be utilizing his services for both homes. I think the best way to understand Dav is to call him and speak to him to understand that he is knowledgeable and can help guide you, and you can see for yourself.

David Camras provided much-needed advice on what type of HVAC systems to install and how to improve ventilation, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency on a single-family home. David also HERS tested multiple HVAC systems installed by a separately-hired HVAC contractor and helped the contractor find leaks in the system and improve overall efficiency. David was punctual, responsive, and very professional. I highly recommend him.

Went well.

We hope to reduce our utility bills and hope that some changes from Dav's visit will lead us in that direction. If nothing else, the visit made us more educated and it was a great investment.

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Dav ( of HERSraterLA) was a great help on my new house construction ( green building). There were many issues with green building that Dav helped me with insulation inspections ( QII ), and duct testing to name a few. He is a wealth of information.I highly recommend his services. He knows his stuff.

I hired Dav to do a HERS test for a new HVAC system at my house and he did an amazing job from beginning to end.  Even before I decided to hire him, he explained to me on the phone about the HERS process in a very clear, thorough, and friendly way.  He was not at all trying to promote his business as I?ve experienced with others.  He just seemed very passionate about his work.  His website had great pictures and info that further helped me to understand the process.  When I decided to hire him, he first communicated with my HVAC contractor to make sure everyone was on the same page.  On the day of the test, he showed up on time and had everything organized for the work.  The test took about 3 hours and everything went smoothly.  He also gave me many great tips on making my house more energy efficient.  After the test, he communicated with me and my HVAC contractor through texts and emails to make sure I would have everything ready for the city inspection.  Thanks to Dav, everything went fine and we passed the inspection.  I have hired and worked with many professionals for rebuilding of my house and Dav definitely stood out as the best.

Dav is professional and punctual. He's knowledgeable about home energy (e.g. HVAC vs. whole house ventilation systems). My house ducting failed the test but I plan to call him again for a retest after the ducts are sealed by the HVAC contractor.

I am having a new air conditioner and furnace installed in my home.  The A/C company contracted David Camras, HERS Rater LA, for an efficiency/safety test on my gas appliances.  


David contacted me via telephone and scheduled an appointment for the same week.  David arrived at the scheduled time and was very professional.  He explained the purpose of the testing and what he would be performing.  He was very knowledgable in his field while remaining open and approachable.  He began his inspection and explained everything step by step as he was working.  He performed his tests and left everything neat and tidy.  


I am generally uncomfortable with sub-contractors performing work in my home, as I have not had a chance to screen them.  David's professionalism and personality overcame my bias. 



I would recommend David Camras/HERSRaterLA to anyone.

 

We were in need of a new HVAC system for our house and were hesitant to rely simply on proposals from installers who might be motivated to suggest more expensive equipment than we need.  We wanted an impartial resource, someone with real expertise who could help us understand what we needed (and what we didn't), put together an efficient plan for our house, and help us interpret the proposals from different contractors.  Dav was exactly what we needed. He's very smart, thorough and impartial. And just a nice guy all around.  He went above and beyond across the board and I'd recommend him to anyone considering a new HVAC system for their house.

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We had our systems installed last year and needed a HERS test before Glendale would issue our permit.  Our contractor's license was suspended and his recommended HERS testing company didn't answer their phones.  I found Dav on Yelp and we arranged for him to come out within a few days to conduct the test.  He was able to bring a HVAC contractor with him since we didn't have one. They conducted the tests, found a couple of problems, fixed them promptly and retested and we passed!  
Dave is extremely professional, knowledgeable, thorough and neat.  He explained all aspects of the test to us and answered all of our questions.  We would definitely recommend him and use him again if we ever have a need.
We felt the cost was reasonable and he stayed longer than he had anticipated just because of the issues that needed fixing.

Dav Camras is highly professional and knowledgeable.  He scheduled the required property inspection promptly, and he made his site visit on time. His report was completed quickly.   There was difficulty with the web site of the governmental agency that issues the required compliance report. Dav was able to resolve the problem by examining the CalCERTS web site and determining the origin of the problem.  The time he spent emailing me in the evening to resolve my problem was way above what one would expect.  I would recommend Dav for any service he provides.  He is an absolute pleasure to deal with.

Very professional and competent. Dav knows what he is doing and is passionate about his work. His detailed report and analysis helped us identify some key unknown issues about the house that were very helpful in making concrete decisions about how to proceed with a planned remodel. These had to do with the existing HVAC system for the house, insulation levels at walls, attic, and crawlspace, and other items.

The city we live in required that a HERS test be done before issuing us the permit for our newly installed HVAC system.  I found David on Angie's list and contacted him regarding the pricing.  He was really responsive and upfront.  He told me that my AC contractor needed to be present in case there had to be repairs done to conduct the test.  Given that we hired an AC contractor who was a friend of a friend and who later turned out to be completely unreliable, having David come and double check his work was well worth the $400 we paid him.  David was really thorough, explained and worked with my AC contractor to make sure that the units and ducts were sealed properly before we finally passed the test.  I would definitely use him again.

It went really well.  He was up on the roof of the unit and inspected the installation that was being done by the contractor.  He had all his gauges up there and measured the fluid and things that I am not familiar  with and the air flow and such.  He also went back and forth inside the condo and looked at the ducts and examined the air flow there.  He also had gauges and measured air flow coming out of the ducts in the ceiling and had some kind of contraption that was capturing air from the ceiling that I do not really know what it was but it was sealed to the outflow measuring something else.  Anyway it all was going well and he made a final trip up to the roof and when he came down he said the only thing preventing him from signing off on the inspection was that we needed a programmable thermostat which we did not have.  The installer was going to leave without putting one in and he knew we needed one and it would require another trip. Dave saved us another trip out and another cost so we were quite pleased.  We got the installer to put the thermostat in (it turned out to be included for free) and we did not have to pay for another trip out there.  If Dave had been late or the installer left without putting it in we would have had to pay them both to come out a second time.  Dav came at exactly the time he promised and it turned out perfectly for us.  I would use him again without a second thought.  He is very capable and knows what he is doing.

Operation was very clean. He uses appropriate and modern equipment.
Made sure all my questions were answered.   He reported his
results back to the company who had installed the furnace
and the duct work, although he is an independent contractor.