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Apollo Heating And Ventilating vs Vayu
San Francisco HVAC Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
Apollo brings five times more licensed experience for conventional HVAC work, while Vayu specializes in heat pump installations with intensive engineering-focused consultations.
| Apollo Heating And Ventilating | Vayu | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 | ★ 5.0 |
| Years Licensed | 5 years | 1 years |
| License # | 1075227 | 1127295 |
| Workers' Comp | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Website | — | vayu.pro |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
Apollo Heating And Ventilating
Customers consistently highlight Apollo's responsiveness, straightforward diagnostics, fair pricing, and ability to solve problems other contractors missed.
Vayu
Customers emphasize Vayu's thorough technical assessments, customized heat pump system design, clean installation work, and detailed communication throughout projects.
Key Takeaway: Apollo's feedback centers on service efficiency and honest troubleshooting for conventional HVAC needs, while Vayu's reflects a consultation-intensive approach focused specifically on engineered heat pump solutions.
Customer Reviews
Apollo Heating And Ventilating
Thank you Christ for his work today. He found a lot of water in my furnace, it looked weird and dangerous. He gave me the estimate to change the new one. However, he tried to pull it out, change the f...
They resolved my issues after speaking with 3 other companies, far superior than the competition on Yelp, highly knowledgably, no sales pitch.
I find their pricing to be very reasonable, and the technicians are excellent.
Vayu
I had a terrific experience with Shreyas and his team. They were efficient, cost-effective, communicated extremely well. Shreyas was available for all kinds of spur-of-the-moment questions throughout ...
Best HVAC experience! Shreyas (Vayu) is professional, honest, and goes above & beyond. I cannot recommend Shreyas and Vayu highly enough. From the very beginning, it was clear that Shreyas is not jus...
TL;DR, If you are interested in getting a heat pump for heating and cooling and happen to live in Vayu's service area, you should definitely hit up Shreyas. He solves for each home individually with t...
Consider Apollo Heating And Ventilating if...
- ✓ You need repair or replacement of a traditional gas furnace, standard air conditioning system, or water heater where Apollo's five years of troubleshooting experience matters more than specialized heat pump knowledge.
- ✓ You prefer a straightforward service approach without extensive consultations, valuing quick scheduling, honest diagnostics, and transparent pricing over custom system engineering.
- ✓ Your home may have older infrastructure or unexpected conditions where Apollo's longer track record of handling complications provides additional confidence.
- ✓ You want a contractor whose business model has proven sustainable over multiple years in the competitive San Francisco market.
Consider Vayu if...
- ✓ You're specifically installing a heat pump system—whether mini-split ductless, centralized heat pump, or replacing a gas furnace with electric heating—and want a contractor specializing in this technology.
- ✓ You value intensive design consultation and customized system sizing, including virtual assessments where engineering expertise is applied to your specific home configuration.
- ✓ You prefer high owner involvement throughout the project and appreciate a technical, problem-solving approach to installation challenges.
- ✓ You're comfortable working with a newer licensed contractor in exchange for specialized heat pump knowledge and detailed attention to system design.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → Ask Vayu for references from heat pump installations completed in the past year, specifically projects similar to yours in building age and system configuration.
- → Ask Apollo about their experience with heat pump installations if that's your project type, since their portfolio emphasizes traditional HVAC systems.
- → Confirm with both companies how they handle unexpected complications discovered during installation, and whether their initial quotes include contingencies for older home conditions.
The Bottom Line
For traditional HVAC repairs, furnace replacements, or air conditioning work, Apollo's five years of licensed experience and track record of responsive, honest service makes them the straightforward choice. Their broader project history means they've handled more complications and building variations. If you're specifically pursuing a heat pump installation and want intensive engineering consultation with custom system design, Vayu's specialization becomes compelling despite being newer—but ask for multiple references from recent heat pump projects similar to yours. The experience gap is real and matters for general HVAC work, but specialization can offset it for the specific technology Vayu focuses on.
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Frequently Asked Questions
One year of licensing means fewer completed projects and less experience handling the unexpected issues that surface during installations in older San Francisco homes. The owner's engineering background provides technical knowledge, but on-the-job problem-solving develops over time. Ask for specific references from projects matching your home's age and system type, and confirm their approach to complications that weren't anticipated in the initial assessment.
Heat pump installations differ significantly from traditional HVAC work, particularly regarding system sizing, refrigerant line placement, and electrical requirements. Vayu's specialization means their process is built around these specific considerations with engineering-focused design. Apollo's broader experience may compensate if your home has unusual structural challenges, but ask directly about their heat pump installation volume and technical training in this area before deciding.
Apollo's customers emphasize responsiveness, fair pricing, and problem-solving when other contractors failed—typical priorities for repair and replacement work. Vayu's customers focus on thorough consultations, custom design, and clean installations—reflecting a newer company working to establish quality standards with more owner involvement per project. Both patterns are positive, but they reflect different service models rather than quality differences.
The absence of negative review themes doesn't mean issues never occur, but it does suggest both companies handle customer concerns before they escalate publicly. Apollo's longer operation period means their positive pattern has been tested across more projects and seasons. Vayu's shorter timeframe means less data, making references from recent customers particularly important for verification.
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How We Compare Contractors
License Verification
All license data is sourced from official California CSLB records and verified regularly.
Review Analysis
Customer reviews are aggregated from Google and analyzed to identify patterns in service quality.
Detailed Comparison
We analyze credentials, insurance, experience, and feedback to highlight meaningful differences.
Not all licensed contractors are created equal. While a valid license is the baseline requirement in California, contractors can vary significantly in experience, insurance coverage, and customer satisfaction.
- Experience matters: A contractor with 15+ years of experience has likely encountered and solved problems that newer contractors haven't faced yet.
- Workers' compensation protects you: If a contractor without workers' comp insurance has an employee injured on your property, you could be held liable.
- Reviews reveal patterns: Individual reviews can be misleading, but patterns across many reviews often reveal a contractor's true strengths and weaknesses.
- Bond amounts vary: A contractor's bond provides financial protection if they fail to complete work as agreed. Higher bonds offer more protection.
Taking time to compare contractors on these factors can save you from costly mistakes and help ensure your project is completed by a qualified professional.
Data Sources: License information from California CSLB. Ratings and reviews from Google. Last verified March 10, 2026.
This comparison is based on publicly available information. We recommend getting multiple quotes and verifying all credentials directly before hiring.
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