Eichler Radiant Heat & Cooling in Greenmeadow
About 300 Eichlers built in the mid-1950s around a shared community center and pool. Radiant floors, walls of glass and post-and-beam ceilings make these homes beautiful and a little tricky to heat and cool.
Call 650-460-3483438 Cambridge Ave, 94306
Greenmeadow is a historic Eichler neighborhood in south Palo Alto with roughly 300 homes built between 1954 and 1957, most originally heated by radiant pipes in the concrete slab. ComfortFlow repairs radiant boilers and pumps, diagnoses slab leaks, and adds ductless heat pump cooling designed around Eichler architecture.
Greenmeadow is one of Palo Alto’s best-known Eichler tracts and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Joseph Eichler’s homes here were built with radiant heating in the slab, open plans, glass walls facing private courtyards, and almost no attic. Those features are why people love them, and why they need an HVAC contractor who understands them.
A Greenmeadow
homeowner checklist
Five things that make the first conversation faster and the recommendation more accurate.
- Check the boiler pressure gauge monthly in winter
- Note any floor spots that stay warm with the heat off
- Watch your water bill for unexplained increases
- List which rooms get hottest on summer afternoons
- Photograph exterior walls for line set planning
The Greenmeadow comfort puzzle
- Radiant slabs at 70 years old. Original pipes can corrode and leak. A falling boiler pressure gauge or warm spots that never cool are warning signs.
- Glass walls and summer heat. Big windows bring in afternoon sun, and flat roofs with little insulation add heat. Cooling is the most requested upgrade we see in Eichlers.
- No attic. Traditional ducts have nowhere to go, which is why ductless mini-splits are the standard cooling solution.
- Architecture comes first. Owners care about sightlines, ceiling beams and exterior siding. We plan head placement and line set routes with that in mind.
Upgrade paths for Greenmeadow homes
- Keep radiant, add ductless cooling. The most popular option when the slab loops are healthy.
- Convert the heat source. An air-to-water heat pump can replace a gas boiler and keep the radiant floors.
- Switch to ductless for heating and cooling. When slab loops are failing, ductless heat pumps can take over completely.
Read more on our Eichler radiant heating page and in our guide, Eichler radiant heat: repair or replace.
What Greenmeadow homes ask us for most
Greenmeadow
HVAC questions.
Answers specific to Greenmeadow homes.
Can you fix a leak in my Eichler’s radiant slab?
Sometimes. We pressure test to isolate the leaking loop and use thermal imaging to locate it. Isolated leaks can be repaired; widespread corrosion usually calls for a different heating approach.
What’s the best way to cool a Greenmeadow Eichler?
Ductless mini-splits are the most common choice because there’s no attic for ducts. We place heads to respect the beams and sightlines.
Can I keep radiant heat and add a heat pump?
Yes. You can keep radiant floors and add ductless cooling, or replace the gas boiler with an air-to-water heat pump that feeds the radiant system.
Are there rebates for converting an Eichler?
Replacing a gas heater with a heat pump can qualify for the CPAU Heat Pump HVAC rebate. We confirm eligibility for your exact system.
Is Greenmeadow a historic district?
Yes, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We plan exterior equipment placement with the neighborhood’s character in mind.
Do you also work in nearby Eichler tracts?
Yes, including Fairmeadow and other Eichler neighborhoods across south Palo Alto.
Also serving near Greenmeadow
ComfortFlow is headquartered in Palo Alto. Read our main HVAC Palo Alto page for an overview of everything we do.
Comfort for your
Greenmeadow home.
Tell us what’s happening with your heating or cooling, and we’ll start with the right questions.