Central Heating & Air

Charlie responded the day I called (Saturday morning) and inspected the furnace. Our furnace is old. There was considerable carbon build-up and an open flame had damaged the controller for the thermostat. It took him about one week to locate a replacement for the controller. We scheduled a return appointment for the following Saturday. Charlie arrived on-time (early actually). Charlie cleaned the furnace burner and replaced the control unit. He did a great job. I would not hesitate to call him again if I had a plumbing/heating problem. As a follow-up, Charlie returned to my house one month after he performed the repairs. He wanted to check to see that his repairs still performing satisfactory. I was very impressed and would definitely use his services again!

My experience with Charlie was great. Charlie is very knowledgeable and saved me from a very bad situation. I would highly recommend him to anyone and now he is my heating and A/C go to guy.

As stated above we had an old, inadequate, noisy furnace and hoped to replace it with a furnace that would warm our house properly and do so quietly. Charlie's solution was to move the furnace from the downstairs closet to the attic. What a great idea! Charlie and Jeff, his assistant, installed a new furnace and ductwork in the attic. It was a complicated project, but Charlie is very good at problem solving and was able to find an answer to any problem that they encountered. He installed a 2 stage furnace with dampers in the ducting. This has helped even out the heat in the rooms and now we can watch TV when the heat is on. No more noisy furnace. Charlie took the time to teach us how to use the dampers so that we can adjust the heat if our needs change. Having Charlie and Jeff in our home was so very easy and I would highly recommend them to anyone whether they need a small maintenance job or everything replaced as we did.

After problems with a water heater not venting properly, leaking carbon monoxide into the garage and a furnace that was leaking air I decided to hire Central Heating and Air after researching them on Angie's List. I received a call promptly and was happy to deal directly with Charlie (owner and operator of Central Heating and Air). I found him to be extremely knowledgable, organized and down to earth. He performed the work in a professional manner and took the time to answer all of my questions as well as explain the process. He also took the time to do the job correctly without cutting corners and went above and beyond what I expected. I couldn't be happier with the results. Central Heating and Air gets my highest recommendation.

Charlie gave us good service and at a fair price. I will definately use him again.

Clean, on time and under budget. Charlie has done 2 jobs for us and both turned out excellent.

Charlie returned our call for service the same day and arranged to come by the very next day. He was prompt and very efficient. Our heater is 36 years old. I wanted someone with considerable experience who most likely had seen my type of heater before. And with Charlie that's just what I got. The charge for the repair was extremely reasonable. The heater is now operating well. The whole process from request to completion made us very happy. Charlie and his assistant were very professional and friendly, the kind of workers you enjoy having come to your home.

Charlie arrived for 7 am Saturday morning and had diagnosed the problem within 5 minutes of looking at our HVAC unit, went out to his van, retrieved a replacement, tested the fuse and thought he had retrieved a bad fuse. Turned out his electric test meter needed a 9V battery, that we happened to have in the house. Once the 50amp fuse was replaced, the heater worked fine. Charlie went on to describe what he would do to fix a plugged condensate line for the air conditioner and would top off the freon if it needed it as well. He couldn't do it at the time of his service call, as it was only 34 degrees outside! Charlie wanted to make sure that it was warm enough outside to ensure the air conditioner was functioning properly for us. We want to thank "Angie's List" service for helping us locate Charlie and Central Heating & Cooling. It's nice to know that there are still people and companies out there that don't try and take advantage of people. We say this because another company that had come out previous to Charlie, couldn't figure out what was wrong and recommended they "would replace unit", for only $5821, plus tax! We now know why Charlie gets "A" ratings from all his customers. When the weather warms up again, we'll hope Charlie will come back again. Thanks again Charlie! Mark & Radie

Charlie Collins came to my house and determined that the source of the water leak with my heating and air conditioning unit was a clogged condensation drain pipe which was causing the condensation pan to overflow. He unclogged the pipe, changed the drainage piping from one primary outlet to the other, and installed a condensate safety switch on the unit. He then tested the installation and made an adjustment to the switch to trigger at a good height if there were a clogged pipe in the future. Mr. Collins explained what he was doing at each step and the reason for doing it making the experience educational and enjoyable for me. I would highly recommend him for heating and air conditioning service and repair.

I could not have had a better experience if I had been asked to make one up. Charlie was punctual, neat, clear about what he saw, and did not try to do more work than was necessary. I have permanently put him in my smart phone and would recommend him to anybody at any time. A+++!

My furnace is old so I had a company come out on one of their $89 coupons to inspect, clean, etc. Seeing some rust in the pipe to the roof, they shut it down saying it was "unsafe." They didn't even turn it on. So I took the standard approach and scheduled three contractors to come out and bid. 1st and 2nd bids were for full system (heating/ac/ducts) replacements because they want to do everything at once - $9,000 plus. 3rd contractor, Charlie from Central Air & Heating came out and said, "I don't think you need to replace this furnace, it looks to be in good shape. Let me look at it and see what and if there is a problem." That was yesterday. Today Charlie came out, pulled apart the furnace and found a valve that was plugged, some rust (which he said is in every furnace), it needed oiling, and basic dirt. He cleaned everything thoroughly and put it back together. He will also be replacing the cap on the roof since it is broken. 2 hours and $200.00 later - my furnace is fixed! Charlie did it the good old fashioned way by looking closely, figuring out the problem and fixing it. He didn't simply condemn it without even looking at it and try to sell me something new. If you want an HONEST contractor that cares about saving his clients money, not taking it, call Charlie. I can't sing his praises loud enough.

Charlie couldn't have been nicer. He arrived right as scheduled and rather quickly found the trouble. He installed a new ignition control module and we thought the furnace was good to go. Fortunately, Charlie didn't rush off and soon discovered that the thermostat was. also, malfunctioning. He replaced the old thermostat and now we have heat. Charlie is as other members described, knowledgeable, personable, and cost conscious. He will be our choice for any future heating needs.

Charles is an absolute pleasure to do business with. He has the requisite technical skills and he is personable. As noted above, I believe most other companies would have given up; yet he persisted and was able to find a problem created by an electrician that made "improvements" to our home. We are so grateful to Charles for his efforts and ability to repair our heating system and we will definitely use Central Heating and Air again. We would recommend them to anyone.

!My father's 43 year old gas forced-air furnace would no longer light. Called Charlie on 10/29/12. He came out that day and quickly diagnosed the problem as a faulty pilot safety switch. He tried to replace it with a similar part he had carried in his truck for awhile, but it was not compatible. He said he would check with his parts supplier to see what they might have, but he was pretty sure that type of switch was mo longer made. He called back later that day and confirmed the part was no longer available, but that there was a electronic pilot kit that could be retrofitted for older furnaces. He scheduled an appointment to fix the furnace on 10/31 at 2:00 PM. On 10/31 around 10:00 AM, I called Charlie to see if I could reschedule due to a change to my my work schedule. He was understanding and rescheduled for 2:00 on 11/1. On 11/1, Charlie arrived with the electronic pilot kit/ with the toughest part of the process already done - since the kit is generic, it has to be custom fit to one of the parts from the old furnace. He then got to work - he said it might take 1 to 1 1/2 hours so I went to the grocery store and was back within the hour. By the time I was back, Charlie was already done and ready to test the repair out. He showed me where on the furnace the repairs were made and asked me to watch while he turned the furnace on with the thermostat. I observed how it electronically lit a pilot flame immediately. After a few more seconds, the main flame lit. Then after another minute the blower came on. Total success! My father is happy with the results knowing he will be warm for the winter. He appreciates that Charlie was able to keep his old furnace going and not needing to spend anywhere from $3000 - $10,000 for a new furnace. Charlie is a pleasure to work with. He is very personable, listens well, and is cost conscious. He was flexible with rescheduling on short notice. He explained what he would be doing in detail, and even offered to let me watch. I felt very confident in the quality of his work which came with a one year parts and labor guarantee. I plan on getting an estimate for a wall-furnace replacement in my own home.

I have to agree with everyone else -- Charlie is wonderful. My furnace decided to start acting up just when the nighttime temperatures started dropping into the 40's. I had been using the HVAC company that installed my system for any repairs that it needed, but they're big and have a fairly high turnover in technicians, and I never know how good they're going to be, or whether they'll play games to try to get me to buy something I don't need. My system is now old enough it's no longer under warranty, so I figured I'd check out reviews on the web and find someone new for a change -- preferably a small enough company that the person who comes here is actually the person who's been reviewed. I called Charlie at 9:30am, and he answered on the third ring. He promised to be here before noon, and he was. He had the problem diagnosed and fixed in minutes -- a corroded flame sensor -- and cleaned the electronic air cleaner cells and prefilters for me, and checked to make sure everything was running correctly. I asked if he had time to check out my air conditioner while he was here, because it hasn't been serviced in a while, so he very agreeably did that, too. He noted that the system is old enough that it doesn't have a condensate overflow safety switch, and should the condensate back up, the overflow would pour right into the closet where the furnace is. However, given that the furnace is on a wooden mounting about a foot above the floor and my house has ceramic tile throughout, little damage would be done if there was a flood, so I might not need the safety switch. I asked whether it might develop a slow drip instead, one that I wouldn't notice but that could cause some sort of damage, and he agreed that was a possibility, and could, e.g., cause a mold problem. My "usual" HVAC company had told me failure to have a safety switch was in violation of the building codes -- without explaining what it does -- and gave me a quote (three years ago) of $279 to install one. Charlie charged me $70, and did the work on the spot. Together with the $75 for fixing the furnace, cleaning the cells/prefilters, and checking out the AC, that made the total bill come to $145. He also told me that the HVAC system I have is a really good, reliable one, and only needs to be checked out once every couple of years -- not twice a year, the way my now- very-ex "usual" HVAC company claims. He says it wouldn't be surprising if the electronic air cleaner conks out soon, since they typically last about 10 years and mine is 13 years old. They're next to impossible to work on -- the entire furnace would have to be taken out. However, he says when the cleaner goes, I can just use paper filters that will fit inside the space where the cells are now. Not only will they work just as well and I won't have any humongous repair bill, the filters will only have to be replaced instead of cleaned, which is a major pain with the electronic air cleaner cells -- literally. I nearly sliced off a finger the last time I tried to clean them, and I always skin my knuckles trying to get them in and out. He even offered to run home and pick some paper filters up for me, if I want to start using them right away. It is true what he says: Whereas most other companies think, "How much money can I get from this job", Charlie goes to a job thinking, "How much money can I save my customer." Big difference, indeed. And, on top of all that, he is every bit as personable as everyone else says. Highly recommended!!!

I called him this morning and had no problem find it. He was very professional and pleased with the service. Told I needed a replacement because of a crack but the gentleman came out and explained I didn't need one.

I received bids from two larger contractors, a contractor recommended by a friend, then Central Air, a smaller company which had very favorable reviews on Angies List. Charlie Collins from Central Air arrived on time and completed a thorough analysis of my existing heating system and ductwork (more thorough than any other contractor I might add) - He presented a proposal to make some modifications to our ductwork, and add the A/C system. His proposal was considerably less than the larger contractors, and Charlie said he would do the work himself. The job went extremely well. All work was completed on schedule and was expertly performed. The completed system works way better than I expected considering our cathederal cielings and the back of the house being exposed to the sun all afternoon. All things considered, I would rank Central Air "Excellent". Actually maybe "Extraordinary" would be a better word.

Charlie was very professional and we will be happy to call him again should the need arise Great job!

We were very pleased with the service. Highly recommended.

Home air conditioner stopped working Sunday night. I went to a big box store and bought some new fuses since that had been the problem previously. That didn't do the trick so I called Charlie at Central Heating and Air. He was at my home about 2 hours later. He was able to quickly identify the problem (dual run capacitor had blown). He had a replacement part in his truck so he got my system back up and running right away. I couldn't have been happier about the whole process. Charlie is very friendly and obviously knows what he is doing, and he does his work at a fair price. Update: I wrote the above review three years ago in 2012. A few weeks ago on a hot September 2015 day, the A/C went out again. I called Charlie and he was pretty busy but he came out two days later. It took him 5 minutes to determine that the dual run capacitor had blown again. He was surprised since it should last much longer than that. He replaced it again and got things working right away. He also refused any payment although I would have been happy to pay him. It's nice to work with someone with such competence and integrity.

Charlie did a great job on replacing what would normally be considered a simple install but had a few glictches. 1) I am an engineer myself and ask a lot of questions, get a lot of quotes, do a lot of research etc. I got 5 different quotes all based on number of A ratings on Angie's list. I chose Charlie primarily for the value of the quote he provided. (best price on combined equipment and installation). Secondarily however, he worked with me to ensure all my questions were answered to my satisfaction including some technical issues i was concerned with. 2) Scheduling and the HOA. since i own a townhouse in a community, i had to deal with the HOA, all the and the possibility that lines might have to be run outside the building. Charlie was very flexible on scheduling leak test, providing information to me for the HOA etc. prior to start of work. 3) The work went relatively well. Charlie hit a glitch because i wanted to ensure the lines were well cleaned/purged of old refrigerant prior to installing new unit since we were using old line in converting to new R410 refrigerant. Charlie bent over backwards and worked late on a Sunday to get the cleaning/purging and installation done right so we could get the installation finished on time for me to get back to work the following day. Secondarily, Charlie noted that the interior ductwork was routed poorly. He replaced some and rerouted others and adjusted airflow to maximize cooling in the master BR. 4) Charlie returned several times to make sure everything was working correctly and meet the inspector to approve the installation permit. Charlie is a very easy going person and easy to deal with. I would use him again, and recommend him to anyone needed AC/heating and or duct work. Great value, service, attitude, work ethic.

Our AC had stopped working and thermostat was off. Called Central Heating & Air and Charlie came to do the service call. He was awesome. I thought we may have to replace some parts, but he diagnosed the problem fairly quickly to let us know that we were low on freon and took care of the problem. He also spotted some other minor gaps in the main AC/Heating until that were not patched and took care of that for us. He did a really good job explaining to us what went wrong. He was very professional and knowledgeable. We would definitely use him again.

House AC broke down Sunday. I called Central Heating (Charlie) Monday morning around 8AM. He came over around 9:30AM i.e. right away. He checked out the system. Replaced the blown fuse and added coolant. He was very pleasant to deal with and got us up and running right away.

For the HVAC job, Charlie came to the house on 12/30 to get the install done before the December 31st cutoff for the tax rebates on high efficiency units, which worked out great. He did a thorough job, and was the least expensive by far of the three bids I received. One thing I liked about Charlie was his willingness to work with me on solving issues of placement of the units and system setup. I can talk coherently on pretty much anything related to home improvement, so having a contractor who knows his stuff and is willing to take the time to come up with real solutions is awesome. Some guys just want to come it, sell you new stuff, and be on their way. Charlie was more interested in putting in something I wanted rather than just something he sells, and I appreciate that. He finished the work over 2 days (one of the units required relocation to an attic space per my request), and even came back when the weather warmed up to test the charge on the A/C system. For the gas line, Charlie was 1/3 the cost of the other bid I received, and again he and I stepped through the whole job to find the best route and valve placement for the line. The attic space he had to go through was no fun, but still he got in done in half a day, whereas another company quoted me two days for the work. I have since recommended Charlie to two of my coworkers, who have both used his services.

After speaking to Charlie the morning of 7/14/12 and describing the problem with our A/C over the telephone, he concluded that we needed a new capacitor and gave us a quote of $180. Charle also informed me that he had the part in his van. He came out that same morning and within half an hour had everything up and running again. He also made sure that the vents were pumping out cold air at 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Charlie was friendly, patient, professional and answered all my questions. This is my second time using Charlie and I owe him an Angie's List review (I don't know if I can write two reviews, so I am combining both service calls) from fixing our A/C almost a year ago to the day on 7/11/11. And is this a story! So please read it. Several days before Charlie came out on 7/11/11 our A/C stopped working. I initially called Anderson Heating and Air and after WAITING FIVE DAYS in the sweltering heat of Ramona, two guys came out and told me that I needed a new blower motor and ignition control module for my A/C blower (the unit in the garage) and it would cost $1,400!! They would be back out the next day. On a whim I called Charlie after seeing his great reviews on Angie's List and he came out late afternoon the same day instead of making me wait five days. He tested the motor SEPARATELY from the control module and determined that the motor was still good as he informed that the motor and the control module rarely go out at the same time. He offered to replace the control module for $600, including parts and labor (I then cancelled with Anderson) and came back the next day with a new control module. He also gave me an A/C tune up (including a freon check) which Anderson wanted an extra $85 for. After fixing the A/C and tuning it up, he came inside the house and made sure that the vents were pumping out cold air at 54 degrees Fahrenheit (just like he did on 7/14/12). So not only did Charlie come out on the same day both times and fix one of the problems on the same day and the other one the next day, but on 7/11/11 he saved me $885 over Anderson Heating and Air by not replacing a working motor, and giving me a free A/C tune up!! It's amazing how honest and competent a small company is over a large company who can bombard our TVs with fancy commercials. I cannot recommend Charlie highly enough - especially with his honesty, friendlyness, professionalism, patience and competence. Any heating or cooling job, big or small, do yourself a favor and call Charlie first. Jason Wood