Most small commercial buildings in San Leandro, from offices to shops and retail spaces, are heated and cooled by rooftop packaged units or split systems. That equipment shares a lot with home systems, but it runs longer hours, serves more people and often sits on a roof where problems go unnoticed until the space is too warm by mid-afternoon. We repair and maintain these systems and plan the work so it disrupts your business as little as possible.
Systems we service
- Rooftop units. Cooling, gas heat or a heat pump, and the blower are packaged in one cabinet on the roof, with ducts dropping into the space below.
- Packaged units at ground level. The same all-in-one design, set on a pad beside the building.
- Split systems. An outdoor condensing unit paired with an indoor furnace or air handler, common in smaller offices and storefronts.
A single room that runs warmer than the rest, such as a back office or an equipment room, can often be handled with a ductless mini-split instead of oversizing the main system.
What fails most often on rooftop units
| What you notice | Common cause |
|---|---|
| Unit runs but the space stays warm | Dirty condenser coil, failed capacitor or contactor, low refrigerant |
| High bills on mild days, or warm humid air | Economizer damper stuck open or closed |
| Weak airflow or a squeal at start-up | Worn or broken blower belt, clogged filters |
| No heat on cold mornings | Ignition or flame-sensor fault in the gas heat section, inducer motor |
| Water dripping inside the space | Clogged condensate drain or trap |
| One area too cold, another too hot | Thermostat placement, duct balance or a failed damper |
The economizer deserves a mention. On many days our mild climate is cool enough that the unit can bring in outside air instead of running the compressor. A damper stuck closed throws that away; one stuck open can pull in hot afternoon air and overload the system.
Maintenance that prevents most breakdowns
Rooftop and packaged units do best with a visit at least twice a year, in spring and fall:
- Filters changed, more often in dusty or busy spaces.
- Belts checked for wear and tension.
- Condenser and evaporator coils cleaned.
- Condensate drains and traps cleared.
- Economizer dampers, linkages and controls tested.
- Electrical connections, contactors and capacitors checked.
- The gas heat section checked for ignition, flame and venting.
- Thermostat schedules matched to your real business hours.
Maintenance contracts are available. Ask about them, and about priority service, when you call.
Scheduling around your business
We schedule repairs and maintenance to keep disruption low, including Saturday and Sunday visits within our service hours. Before the visit, it helps to tell us how the roof is reached (hatch, ladder or exterior access), who holds the keys, any alarm or building access rules, and the model numbers if you have them.
Check your lease, too. Many commercial leases put HVAC maintenance and repairs on the tenant, while others leave them with the landlord, and knowing who approves the work avoids delays. When a system fails outright, phone support is available 24/7, and same-day service is usually possible when you call before noon. Our emergency HVAC page covers what to do first.
Lowering energy costs
- Thermostats programmed for occupied hours and protected from all-day overrides.
- A working economizer, so mild days use outside air.
- Clean coils and filters, which let the unit move heat with less run time.
- Replacing very old equipment. Units that use R-22 refrigerant are costly to recharge because new R-22 production ended in 2020.
Repair or replace
Replacement becomes a real conversation when a unit is old, needs a compressor or a major coil, uses R-22, or keeps breaking down at the worst time of day. For a business, the cost of downtime belongs in the comparison. The quote explains both the repair and the replacement option, and our repair-or-replace guide walks through how to weigh them. Financing is available for installations and replacements.
Pricing
Commercial pricing varies with the equipment, its size and how it is reached, so each job is quoted after we see it. As on every job, you get the price before any work begins, and repairs carry a 90-day warranty.
Local notes
We work with businesses in San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Castro Valley. Roofs here heat up on late-summer and fall afternoons, which is when dirty coils and weak capacitors on rooftop units give out. Cool foggy mornings near the bay, on the other hand, are exactly the conditions where a working economizer can carry much of the cooling load. To set up a visit or ask about a maintenance contract, contact us.