Yaeger Services

Rating: 5/5

693 N Birchwood Rd
Orange, CA 92869
(714) 289-8337

Our furnace attic was on a 1999 recall list, and sadly, the owner we purchased the house from did not take advantage of the free replacement. The Premier furnace was responsible for a number of deaths and house fires, and went out of business in the early 2000’s.

After having done a lot of research and interviewing a handful of heating contractors, we came across Yaeger Services on Angie’s List. The moment we met Curt, we felt quite comfortable with him. He took the time to patiently explain how furnaces and AC units work, what needed and did not need replacement, what rebates were available (only one other contractor did), and provided brochures and online articles for us to look over. Curt struck us as very educated, experienced, and with a genuine pride in his work, although he was not the least expensive among all quotes received. However, he did help us pick a system that would work best for our home and within our budget, making best use of any rebate programs available. He also willingly provided multiple quotes for various scenarios and price points.

The quotes provided were also the most professional we had seen. It was apparent that Yaeger was up-to-date with technology — the quote, use of email and SMS text, and providing documentation in PDF form — made it easy for us to stay in touch. Curt was also fully aware of City Permit procedures, including the requirement to perform HERS testing. Yaeger certainly looked the professional part. Curt also mentioned that all his staff has to undergo training to stay up to date with regulations and guidelines, including those set forth by Southern California Edison.

One thing I learned after researching HVAC, having a decent HVAC system installed properly is better than having a high-end system installed poorly. Curt struck us as being able to do the job right. We ultimately chose Curt over all other contractors not because of price (it ranked on the higher end), but because of his professionalism, knowledge, experience, and education. We were confident in his ability to install the system properly to save us in long-term energy cost (poor installation would result in inefficiency), and most importantly, to do so safely and according to code. The design/quote included a secondary drip pan for the AC system in the attic to help catch condensation/water caused by a defective AC — only one other contractor provided this thoughtfulness. The pan would help minimize water damage to the ceiling as a result of leakage.

Work started promptly and on time as agreed, and took about 5 days to complete (as proposed), which included hauling away the old furnace, ducting, AC coil, and the exterior AC compressor unit. Herb Yaeger, Curt’s son, led the installation team of three (which included himself.) Further, the new AC compressor was wired professionally at the back of our yard after Curt found that the unit we wanted would not meet City guidelines at the original location. We had concerns moving it to the backyard, but in the end, it was a good choice. Attic work, including the new ducts, looked professional. The installation team even addressed our concern of how the new, exterior piping could degrade the aesthetic of our home by routing them in an unexpectedly nice way. Thanks, team!

Manuals were left for us, and Curt took the time to explain/verify the thermostat usage/configuration, furnace/AC compressor functions, and recommended maintenance at the end of the project. City Inspection passed, and conveniently, he took care of all the procedures and supervision associated with permit/inspections. As someone who had to deal with City permits before, this was a great and much appreciated time saver.

The only negatives we found were that we came home to cigarette smoke in one of our bathrooms on a couple of days, and that the spare key we provided was left under the front entrance mat by Herb’s installation team at the end of the project. We were not sure if it was left there every day, or only on the final one. We thought and expected that the key would be taken home every day, and that it would be returned to Curt at the project’s conclusion. Leaving the key under the mat posed a potential security risk to us, the homeowners, and when my wife brought up this concern to the installation team, she was told that I had asked them to do so. That was inaccurate. We shared this concern with Curt during the following meeting in hopes that the team would not do this with future customers. So, if you choose Yaeger, be sure to address these two items if they bother you.

Overall, Curt, Herb, and their team were, as mentioned many times, very professional. Good communication, good work, patient and educated, and proud of their work. We found it amusing that Curt wanted to score as high as possible on the HERS test of the HVAC system, but that just shows you again how much pride he has in his work. We absolutely recommend and trust Yaeger Services. Thank you, Yaeger!