Afterglow Hydronic Heating

Afterglow Hydronic Heating runs as an owner-operated plumbing and heating business out of Berkeley. Mniska handles the work on hydronic heating systems, boiler installation and service, air-to-water heat pumps, water heater replacements, and general plumbing jobs. The company covers the East Bay and broader San Francisco Bay Area with twenty-plus years focused on these systems. Customers reach them at the number listed on their site for service calls in places like Oakland, Piedmont, Emeryville, Kensington, El Cerrito, and Orinda.

Reviewers describe Mniska stepping in on old boiler replacements where prior contractors left problems behind. He has swapped out thirty-seven-year-old gas water heaters in century-old buildings, fixed carbon monoxide issues while converting systems to tankless setups with separate zone controls, and handled failing sump pumps on short notice. Other jobs include sorting low shower pressure and slow drains during the same visit, plus full upgrades on radiant hydronic setups that needed new piping and controls. Outcomes include steady hot water, even heating in used rooms only, and systems that run without the old tank taking up space.

Mniska shows up on time, explains options in plain terms, and keeps people updated as work moves along. He clears his schedule for longer jobs on complicated systems and works long hours to restore heat and water fast, often finishing in a couple days. Pricing comes across as reasonable in the accounts, and he stays considerate while working around surprises under floors or in tight utility rooms. Service stays limited to the listed East Bay spots with no mention of farther travel.

Google shows a perfect five from one hundred eight reviews, with repeated notes on clear communication, neat pipe work, and skill with tricky hydronic setups. Recurring comments cover patience during old-building jobs and reliable follow-through on repairs. DIRT Score 4.9 from N reviews on Finds.

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“It was a pleasure to work with Mniska at Afterglow to have him replace a 37-year-old gas water heater. It was located in a kitchen that is in a 120-year-old building and all the headaches that go with that working in that kind of place. I needed to understand all the options for modernizing service and Mniska presented them clearly and carefully. He was always on time, kind, considerate, communicative, and patient. A new condensing tankless system is now installed. His work is neat and beautiful! He worked around every problem and surprise, under the building, inside and out, and completed the work in record time. I will definitely consider Afterglow for future work.”

“We recently had the boiler for our hydronic system replaced by Mniska at Afterglow heating and plumbing. There are not many heating specialists knowledgeable of the complicated hydronic systems in our area, so we were very happy to have come across someone who was able to diagnose the problems we were having and come up,with the best options for repairing it. We are very happy with the work he did for us. The cost was reasonable and he kept us informed throughout the process. It ended up taking longer than we anticipated due the complicated nature of our system, but Minsk’s made sure to clear his schedule so that everything would be done in a timely manner and we could have both hot water and heating back! I would recommend Mniska and Afterglow Heating to anyone who is in need of an expert in the hydronic system!”

“We highly recommend the services of Mniska Lamb at AfterGlow Plumbing & Heating systems. We had a carbon monoxide situation a few months ago and called on Mniska to investigate and correct the problem as well as update our aging hydronic heating system. Mniska did an excellent job and, over the past few months, we've been enjoying our updated heating system. Heating can now be programmed in separate areas of the house which is wonderful because the rooms where we spend the most time are heated without having to heat the entire house. The system is now tankless (see picture) so we don't have a huge water tank sitting in our small utility room. Mniska impressed us with his attention to detail, neatness and cleanliness in all aspects of his work. An excellent communicator, he responded promptly to all of our questions via text and/or phone, even after hours. Mniska is extremely knowledgeable and kept us informed of what he was doing and why. He did everything he could to minimize any disruption of service during the course of the project. We trust Mniska and would absolutely hire him for any future heating needs.”

“I called on Friday afternoon regarding two failing sump pumps, Mniska was out by Monday at noon. As everyone else has said he is extremely kind, explains everything and is very considerate. I don’t like having to replace two pumps but it feels really good to have my sump pump system in working order and a new plumber. Oh, and while he was here he figured out my shower water pressure and a slow draining sink.”

“Afterglow Heating did a phenomenal job of replacing and upgrading my boiler system. It’s not your typical heating unit, it’s a hydronic radiant heating system, but Mniska knew exactly what was needed. He was able to come out immediately and assess, clearly explaining what my options were. They worked long hours to get my hot water and heating back online as quickly as possible, and in just 2 days, I was all set and warm again. I really appreciated the time he took to determine my needs, and to explain every step. Especially the last parts where we tested all the elements on the Viessmann unit, made sure everything was connected and working properly. (Photo note: all those shiny copper pipes did get jackets to insulate them, I just loved the way they looked before it was done) I would not hesitate at all to recommend Afterglow!”