Gruber Plumbing San Francisco, CA Reviews

Serving the San Francisco and San Mateo, California area

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Reviews
  • Jan 30, 2024 by Janice Porter

    Professional and fast

  • Oct 19, 2023 by Janet Harris

    We had been having issues with our water heater pilot staying lit for years. We’ve called multiple plumbers to our house who have charged us varying amounts to change what seems like never ending random parts.

    Then we came across Gruber Plumbing while dealing with our water heater manufacturer warranty. Their tech came out and explained that the chimney pipe on the top of our water heater was installed incorrectly and we needed to have it rebuilt. We were skeptical at the time but went ahead and had them complete the repair. Didn’t think of it for a while just feeling like it was another plumbing bill.

    Which brings me to present day (a year and a half later!) and our water heater pilot hasn’t gone out since! We spent thousands with various plumbers over the years trying to solve this issue, but Gruber Plumbing was the first company to actually SOLVE our problem!

    Highly recommend Gruber Plumbing if you have a problem you actually need SOLVED!

  • Oct 18, 2023 by Joel Gruber

  • Jul 21, 2023 by jrztmada

    I was supposed to get on a plane the next morning at 6 am to leave town for a few weeks when my pipes backed up and all my bathroom drains were ready to overflow at 9 pm. Phil was the only person to return my emergency call. He arrived within the hour and worked until midnight to resolve what would have otherwise been a disaster on so many fronts. I am eternally grateful for his quick response and skillful resolution of the problem! I have since called on Gruber plumbing for simpler problems and have always been impressed and pleased with the service.

  • Jul 17, 2023 by Phil Gruber

    Good job

  • Jun 30, 2023 by Wolfgang Brenner

    excellent service

  • Jun 30, 2023 by Kevin James

    Replumb it was awesome. Did a great job replacing my water heater. I couldn’t be happier.

  • Nov 12, 2021 by Noranin Infu

  • Sep 03, 2019 by David R.

    We've been having weekly problems with our water heater going out since installed in December 2018. After numerous calls with the manufacturer and suggested "fixes," the manufacturer provided us with a list of 3 plumbing companies that do business in San Francisco. Phil was by far the most responsive. He showed up on time and, because he understands not just water heaters, but other factors like venting, combustion, etc. required for optimal operation, he was able to quickly figure-out the burner issue and fix our water heater plus show me the pages of the manufacturer's guide where I needed to make additional changes. Thanks Phil!

  • Jul 16, 2019 by Jon P.

    Phil is great and was a pleasure to work with. After my Whirlpool gas water heater broke, first burning with a loud roar, and eventually failing to re-ignite after the insulation on the ignition wire failed; I called their support line and learned the burner/ignition issue was covered under an open recall. They shipped me a replacement burner unit, and referred me to Gruber Plumbing. Having called Phil on a Saturday and left a voicemail, he returned my weekend call an hour or two later and confirmed his availability to install the burner once it arrived. When to my surprise the burner arrived a day early, on Monday morning, Phil was able to fit me into his schedule and replaced the bad burner and the gas controller in the early afternoon, restoring hot water to our home. Thanks for the rapid replies, and quick turnaround in fixing our water heater!

  • Mar 23, 2019 by Claudia L.

    This post is over a month over due. During one of the heavy rain/wind storm last month, our water heater would not heat up. We were forced to take cold showers that day as we could not get a plubmer to come in on such short notice.  On one of our last calls, we called  Gruber Plumbing and talked to Phil. He too, could not come on the same day to see us due to his schedule, but he was kind enough to troubleshoot the problem.  Phil knew exactly what was wrong, our burner was not turning on due to a problem caused by the heavy winds.  We were afraid of turning off the very dim pilot at the time for fear of not being able to ignite it again.  He instructed for us turn off the pilot for at least 10 to 15 min and then restarting it. It worked and I was thankful to be able to take a hot shower on that very cold day Thank you Phil, we will be calling you with any future plumbing problems.

  • Oct 23, 2018 by Stefanie D

    Needed a quick water heater repair. Phil came out the same day. We wanted a green water heater. Pil installed a temp water heater and ordered the one we wanted. Phil came out 2 days later and installed the new energy efficient water heater. VERY HAPPY

  • Aug 20, 2018 by Phil Gruber

    Install a new electric water heater

  • Aug 20, 2018 by Janice Porter

    Electric Water Heater installed

  • Aug 20, 2018 by Tom Chase

  • Aug 20, 2018 by Janice P.

    Electric Water Heater installed, old one was leaking and couldn't be repaired. Everything was done right and in a timely manner.

  • Feb 07, 2018 by Joseph and Jayne Jackowitz

    George was very helpful and we called him and within 30 minutes he was here at our home to help us. Although we are local, George was professional and got the job done quickly. We will definitely call him again when we need him.

  • Jan 10, 2018 by Janice H

    Very professional and friendly team. Called and set up an appointment the same day. The quote was reasonable and the project started and completed on time. Thank you!

  • Sep 07, 2017 by Ill C.

    My water heater manufacturer referred me to Gruber Plumber for an issue I had with my water heater.  I talked to Gruber at 8:30am and he was able to come in on the same day.  He was able to identify my problem right away and fixed my problem within 20-30 minutes.  Really happy that the manufacturer referred Gruber Plumbing!

  • Feb 27, 2017 by Paul S.

    Phil Gruber is like a medical doctor when it comes to plumbing.  Seriously.  He just used a stethoscope to solve an annoying noise-related problem for our condo building's hot water heater.  If you want a thinking man's scientific approach to plumbing troubleshooting, Phil Gruber is your doctor... er... plumber.

  • Oct 25, 2016 by Jaina S.

    Our water heater stopped working AGAIN, after another plumbing company (recommended by our HOA management company) had been out to fix it THREE times.  The manufacturer doesn't make this model anymore, and it's weird, and has weird parts that need to be ordered, and no one seemed to be able to fix it.   I couldn't bear the idea of having the management company's recommended plumber come out a fourth time, so I called another plumber I'd used in the past, explained the problem, and they assured me someone would call me on Monday to set up a time to look at it and figure out what's going on.  When I didn't get a call back from those people ... I figured if they're too busy to call me, they're probably too busy to come fix it right away, and I was getting tired of cold showers.  I decided to call the manufacturer of the water heater to see if they could tell me someone who can actually work on this thing.  They gave me Gruber Plumbing's name and I left a voice mail.   Phil called me back within a half hour, I explained the problem -- he said he could look at it that same day, he'd be there between 12 and 2 -- he arrived about 12:10 [I was expecting 1:55  at best, so that was Pleasant Surprise #1]. He wanted me to sign the estimate ($350 for the first hour, for diagnostics) before he could get started, and I got the impression that he, like many small business owners, has encountered people who don't think they should have to pay for someone's time -- this is how they make a living, people!!  But also note that he's in Moss Beach, so depending on traffic, a 30-60 minute drive each way, and he did not charge me for driving time, as did the plumber who didn't fix it properly THREE times (paid for six driving hours for a local guy) [that was Pleasant Surprise #2].   Once he got in there, Phil patiently explained what he thought the problem was, and he had the part in his van!  He got the part changed out -- the water heater restarted -- yay!  Now this is where Management Company's plumber packed up his things and left.  Phil said, "I'm going to hang around here for a few minutes to make sure it STAYS lit ... "  [that was Pleasant Surprise #3] -- and sure enough, the silly thing went out AGAIN.  So here's where Phil kicks into high gear and FIGURES OUT the problem.  He worked through various possibilities, then landed on a possibility -- went back out to the van to get another piece of equipment -- made a couple phone calls (evidently to the factory?) -- identified another problem, and THE SOLUTION.   In the end, I paid him a non-trivial sum, however it was literally hundreds of dollars less than I had paid to the other plumber who had kept fixing the WRONG THING ... and I took a lovely hot shower that evening [and that is Pleasant Surprise #4 because i was SURE i had a week or two of cold showers while we waited for parts].   I would highly recommend Gruber Plumbing -- there's a certain truth to that old saying that "you get what you pay for."

  • Sep 09, 2016 by Devan Cahill

    I appreciated Gruber Plumbings professionalism throughout the entire course of the project. We couldn't have solved our problem without Gruber Plumbing. I was impressed from start to finish, Gruber Plumbings service is 5 star! Thanks again!

  • Sep 09, 2016 by Phil

  • Apr 22, 2016 by Joel G.

    I have hired Gruber Plumbing on multiple occasions and am completely satisfied with the service I was provided. They are true problem solvers and know how to get things fixed. I would highly recommend Gruber Plumbing to anyone in need of a plumber.

  • Apr 17, 2013 by Janice P.

    I called Gruber Plumbing for a drain that needed cleaning.  It was Saturday afternoon and they responded right away with this special machine that they had on the truck.  Drain was cleared and I was able to use our kitchen right away.  The one thing that impressed me was they cleaned up the area - no mess for me.  And the guy was very nice.  I recommend Gruber Plumbing!

  • Jul 30, 2012 by Carrie Z.

    12 hours ago, my drains weren't draining and i couldn't run any water for fear of bad things emerging from my kitchen sink. [Shudder.] Flash forward to this morning and a phone call to Gruber Plumbing and now I'm skipping throughout the house madly flushing toilets and turning on faucets. Well, that might be an over-statement, but I've been able to take a shower and I'm still darned giddy about being able to wash dishes again. Phil answered the phone and got to my house in under an hour first thing on a Monday morning. He accurately diagnosed the problem, fixed it, cleaned up his workspace and was done in under an hour . . .  all for a very reasonable flat rate. He was nice to work with and listened to my concerns about my plumbing woes. Thanks, Phil! You are my new plumber!

  • Jun 24, 2012 by Craig G.

    A really good resource who I learned of as he was the 'go to' plumber I was referred to when our regular plumber was overbooked for the morning.  Phil was prompt, attentive to keeping the worksite spotless and, above all, executed the repairs quickly and efficiently - just a great experience all around.  As plumbing and plumbers go, what's not to like?

  • Jun 16, 2012 by Wendy A.

    Okay, there are times when you need a plumber. Then there are times when you NEED a plumber!!! Unfortunately, today was one of those times. FORTUNATELY for us, Phil Gruber saved the day! A little background: My husband and I always said we should find a plumber we trust so we can have their number on hand, just in case. The reality is that, like most procrastinators, we never got around to it. But a friend of our's who was out of town, called me to say that they noticed a leak in their shower, before leaving to head out on vacation and could I find a plumber to come over and make the repair? Great. Another procrastinator needing a good plumber. Guess it was time to scratch this off my list. So after an hour or so of searching, I found Phil Gruber on a prescreened service website. No reviews yet but I saw he'd completed a few jobs so figured if he was bad news, there would have been someone saying so. He was close by so I contacted him to ask for an estimate. Literally, within minutes, he was emailing me back to set up a time to  give the estimate. Finished just a day later and totally quick and painless. As much as plumbing repairs get, anyway. Fast forward to tonight... when the small leak my husband thought he had taken care of with our washer ended up spilling water into our entire room. Faced with the possibility of wet laundry and damp carpets the rest of the weekend, I figured I had no choice but to seek professional help. Mind you, I was hoping -but NOT expecting- any help with this on a Saturday night, I found the Gruber Plumbing business card and tried Phil's cell phone, Figuring I'd probably just get a voicemail. (It was nearly 6:30 PM-TONITE- Again: ON A SATURDAY NIGHT)! Well, I did get his voicemail but he called me back in under 5 minutes and spoke to my husband for several minutes about what was going on. Clearly, we needed this to be taken care of ASAP- especially with Father's day tomorrow. My husband knew he didn't want to spend the day wringing out mildew scented towels and emptying Drano into our plumbing system! I had visions of the repair cost wiping out our son's college fund, here people. This was a BIG, big clog and the water was everywhere! But Phil said not to worry and that he would NOT charge us for any additional cost for an "after hour's or emergency appt."  HUH???? Is this guy for real? Not only that, but he was at our house within minutes. Turned out we did have a MAJOR clog in our plumbing, affecting the whole house. It took the better part of 2.5 hours or so to fix and I could tell it was not easy work. he had tyo bring in some serious equipment to clear those nasty pipes. He gave us a flat rate for the service, had all the tools needed, worked incredibly hard and got it all fixed up like new. My husband also noticed how clean all of his equipment was- very well taken care of, along with a very well equipped van which has all his business info clearly marked on the side. (No worries about any wanna be plumbers showing up in unmarked/ skeezy vehicles that make you wonder...) I was actually pretty amazed at how organized he was- he has a binder that has every possible part shown and a price right next to it, so you can see what it'll cost up front. And he can do credit cards on the spot. I am still not a fan of NEEDING to hire a plumber. But when the need arises, I am happy to say that I have found our go-to guy for all jobs of the plumbing sort and would not hesitate to refer him to ANYONE who needs a plumbing contractor that they can trust AND afford! And I am letting Phil know, he can use me as a referral if anyone would like a personal reference, so feel free to ask if you call him for service. After what he just did for us, how could I not?! THANKS A MILLION PHIL!