Forbes Plumbing

Laura I.

This may be more of a review of Yelp and how they're treating this company and people trying to reach it or others. 1) I wrote to Forbes Plumbing from their Yelp ad, saying that I wanted a quote for a radiant heating floor, and they'd been recommended by the regional manager of the Warmboard company as experienced people near me. 2) Yelp immediately flashed up four supposed competitor companies to give me quotes too -- even though they weren't recommended by the vendor. Three of those companies , Bell Bros., Boom Water Heaters, Oakland Rooter, all emailed right away that they don't offer the services I'm seeking -- so much for Yelp's algorithm. 3) Then I tried calling Forbes at the number listed on Yelp, and got a message that the voicemail box hasn't been set up yet.
What kind of way is this to run or promote a business? Yelp's not doing you too many favors, but it's wasting customers' and competitors' time.

Brent R.

I first worked with Alan several years ago to repair our radiator heating system in a new house that we had just purchased, and he was fantastic. Kind, patient, very trustworthy, and reasonable prices. Since then, I've worked with him several more times - in a couple of cases, he gave me advice over the phone that solved my issue (at no charge!), and in one more challenging case, he was able to come over within a day or so and quickly diagnose and fix the issue. I highly recommend Alan.

Dan B.

Alan helped me out over the phone saving me unwarranted repair expenses. He went above and beyond what most contractors will do these days. I highly recommend Alan and Forbes Plumbing.

John A.

prompt, courteous, skilled, reasonable. Great experience

Alan G.

Alan Forbes is an extraordinary plumber and human being. Alan has serviced our radiant heating system several times in the past and we have always been impressed by his caring nature and real knowledge of his profession.

However, how he recently helped me solve a difficult problem over the telephone rather than with an expensive bill, defines the character of this man. Alan took the time over the telephone to help me diagnose a disturbing tapping noise coming from the radiant heating unit in our master bedroom that had been disturbing our sleep for months. The consistent regularity of its night time ""sonata"" was both maximally frustrating and seemingly impossible to fix. There wasn't a You Tube video that I did not watch on radiant noises.

Alan listened carefully to my complaints and descriptions and accurately told me the problem was most likely electrical and not heating and recommended using the fuse box to help locate the culprit circuit. Bingo! We chased down a faulty exterior lighting fixture that was activated by a light sensor on the wall outside our radiant heater. When it got dark the sensor's attempt to activate the light made a tapping sound like dripping water in the wall.

OMG...last night's quiet was a dream come true! Thank you Alan Forbes for your brilliance, you kindness and honest concern. We will not forget.

Caz V.

Alan was perfect, we had a 100 gal water heater stop working. Fixed in no time and competitive rates too. On the phone with him now to install a gas stove.

Margaret L.

Alan is awesome. He has been keeping our radiant heat and hot water systems going for 20 years. When it was time to replace them with more efficient systems, first he supplied all the information and patiently answered every single question I asked him about components, options, installation, functions, etc. Then he and Trish did a first-rate job, and worked during the holidays to ensure that we had heat and hot water. Plus they are really nice, in addition to being so competent and professional.

Jane J.

Alan is amazing! He was so kind and competent! Came out and worked magic on our radiant in-floor heating. He helped us fix an issue that had left an entire bedroom without heat. He was quick, thorough, and well-priced. So easy to work with and communicate with. Will definitely keep using him for all our radiant floor needs! Can't recommend him highly enough!

Craig I.

Professional, friendly, passionate about his craft of radiant heating and plumbing. We worked with Alan and Trish his partner on three projects at our house. The first was replacing a 80+ year old boiler with a modern high efficiency boiler. It was great to see Alan get so excited about the different technology and him being patient as I asked all sorts of geeky questions. He is a true craftsman and people literally say ""wow"" when they see the complexity and professional layout of the pipes in the boiler room. He would make Mario and Luigi proud!

The second project was putting in-floor radiant heating in the rafters below our second floor. This was a really creative yet simple solution using Ultra-Fin radiant technology. Our upstairs is extremely comfortable. He did a bunch of research to see if it could work with our old floors and Persian carpets.

The third project was we renovated our ground floor and utilized a mix of old radiators from our house (that got freed up from the in floor radiant) and new radiators to heat a two bedroom apartment. He did all the selection of products and worked well with our general contractor who enjoyed working with Alan as well.

He also let me use Nest thermostat's and trouble shot their quirkiness. He came back lots of times without charging to fix the buggy thermostat. He also did a minor repair on my laundry to help me out so I didn't blow myself up.

We look forward to staying in touch with Alan as a friend.

David F.

We've been clients of Alan's for a number of years, and he is simply the best in the business. We have a 22-year-old radiant heating system that has needed periodic repairs over the years, all of which Alan did flawlessly. But the time came to stop applying ""band-aids"" and replace the boiler with a more modern, much more energy-efficient model -- which Alan and Trish did in their usual professional and timely fashion. They are a pleasure to deal with, and the work is done with great care and attention to every detail. Simply put: the best!