Most of what an HVAC technician does here happens before a tool comes out: working out why a furnace locks out, why one bedroom never cools, or why a heat pump short-cycles. We hire for that habit. Menlo Park HVAC Pros works in Menlo Park, Atherton and Portola Valley, and every role below means diagnosing carefully, working cleanly in occupied homes and leaving the homeowner with written next steps.
The kinds of work we hire for
Service technician. Diagnosis and repair of gas furnaces, central air conditioners, heat pumps and ductless mini-splits, plus seasonal tune-ups. The job is mostly testing: static pressure and temperature split, electrical readings under load, ignition and flame-safety controls, refrigerant pressures. Then you explain what you found and the options before anything is replaced.
Installation technician. Replacing furnaces and air conditioners, installing heat pumps and mini-splits, and the ductwork, line sets, condensate drains and controls that go with them. Installers work as a crew, and a job is not finished until the system has been started, measured and checked against the written scope.
Apprentice. For people starting in the trade. You work alongside experienced technicians, stage equipment, learn to read wiring diagrams and take measurements, and build toward refrigerant certification and calls of your own.
What the work looks like in these three towns
The houses shape the job more than the brand on the equipment.
- Menlo Park: in neighborhoods such as Downtown Menlo Park, Allied Arts and The Willows, many homes are more than 50 years old: mid-century ranch homes and older bungalows with ductwork in tight attics or crawlspaces and patchy insulation. Plenty of calls come down to airflow and leaky ducts, and heat-pump retrofits sit next door to original systems.
- Atherton: larger houses often run two or more systems or zones, with long duct runs and equipment in attics, basements or side yards. You learn which system serves which rooms before you touch a thermostat.
- Portola Valley: spread-out homes on wooded hillside lots. Outdoor units sit on slopes, refrigerant and electrical runs are long, and quiet placement matters. Dust, pollen and smoke days make filters and coils a regular part of the visit.
Summer afternoons bring AC calls; mild winters still bring furnace and heat pump failures on the first cold nights. Urgent calls are taken 24/7, so ask about after-hours work when you call.
What we look for
- A diagnosis-first habit: you measure before you replace, and you can say why a part failed.
- Plain communication. You tell homeowners what you found, what it will take and what can wait, and you put it in writing before a larger repair is approved.
- EPA Section 608 certification for the service and installation roles.
- A valid California driver’s license.
- Comfort in attics, crawlspaces, basements and on sloped yards, and lifting heavy equipment safely with a partner.
- Care inside people’s homes: protected floors, closed access panels, a clean work area.
- Field experience for the service and installation roles. For the apprentice role, mechanical aptitude and a willingness to learn matter more.
How to apply
- Call (650) 567-5385 during office hours: Monday to Friday 7 AM–7 PM, Saturday 8 AM–5 PM, Sunday 9 AM–3 PM. Say which kind of work you are looking for.
- Have the details ready: the equipment you have worked on (gas furnaces, heat pumps, ductless systems, ductwork), the certifications you hold and when you could start.
- Talk it through. A phone conversation about your experience comes first, then an interview about the role. Openings change through the year, so ask what is open now.
Looking for an HVAC technician for your home?
If you landed here looking for a technician rather than a job, call the same number. Start with AC repair, furnace repair or heat pump repair, or see how we work in Menlo Park, Atherton and Portola Valley, including West Menlo Park and Ladera. The contact page lists the office hours and how to request service.