For your house.
Victorians, Craftsman bungalows and post-war houses. Old systems replaced, new ones repaired and tuned up — heat pumps, furnaces, air conditioning and ductless.
Home services
Heating & cooling · Alameda
Old houses. Old buildings. Modern comfort.
ForgeLine repairs, maintains and replaces heating and air conditioning for Alameda and Oakland homes and businesses — and specialises in the old systems still hiding in basements and walls: gravity furnaces, floor furnaces and wall heaters.
- Gravity furnacesThe "octopus" in the basement.
- Floor furnacesA grate in the hallway floor.
- Wall heatersRoom by room, no cooling.
Who we work for
Homes and businesses on the island and across the estuary.
For your building.
Shops on Park and Webster Streets, offices, restaurants, and converted warehouses and hangars at Alameda Point. Rooftop and split systems, exposed ductwork done neatly, and old heaters replaced.
Business services
Why old systems need care
They still run. That's not the same as safe.
Old gravity and floor furnaces can keep going for decades, which is exactly why they get forgotten. Their heat exchangers age, their venting was built for a different era, and their duct wrap may contain asbestos. A careful look now is cheaper than a surprise in January.
- Combustion and venting checked on every old gas appliance
- Suspect duct wrap tested before anyone disturbs it
- Original floor registers kept where they can be
- Permits handled for every replacement
Where we work
Alameda and the inner East Bay.
Based on Webster Street. We cover the island, Bay Farm, and the East Bay cities close by.
- Alameda
- Bay Farm Island
- Oakland
- Emeryville
- Berkeley
- Piedmont
- San Leandro
- Castro Valley
Questions
About old systems, and new ones.
What is an octopus furnace?
A gravity furnace: a large, rounded firebox in the basement with thick ducts rising from it like arms. It has no blower; warm air rises through the ducts on its own. Many were installed in older Bay Area houses and some still run.
Is the wrap on my old ducts asbestos?
It may be. Many old gravity-furnace ducts were wrapped in asbestos insulation. Do not disturb it. We arrange testing, and if it contains asbestos a licensed abatement contractor removes it before we start.
What replaces a gravity or floor furnace?
Usually a high-efficiency gas furnace or a heat pump with new, smaller sealed ducts, or ductless heads where new ducts will not fit. A heat pump also adds cooling.
Do you work on businesses as well as homes?
Yes. Shops, offices, restaurants, workshops and converted industrial buildings: rooftop and split systems, exposed ductwork and old heater replacement.
Does ForgeLine do design or metalwork?
No. Designs is part of the business name, not the trade. ForgeLine does heating, ventilation and air conditioning only.
Which areas do you cover?
Alameda, Bay Farm Island, Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, Piedmont, San Leandro and Castro Valley.
Homes or businesses
Book an inspection.
Old system or new — we'll tell you what you've got and what it needs.