A & E Heating & Air Conditioning

On 5/2016, the company installed a new HVAC system at our home for $6850. On 8/2017, the AC unit stopped cooling and was found to be low on refrigerant. Leak suspected in line set, but not detected. Charged $365 for recharge and service visit. On 9/2017, they injected "leak stop" compound into system and charged $322. On 5/2019, the unit had stopped cooling again and was found to be low on refrigerant. They injected dye in the system and still couldn't find leak. Charged $102. On 8/2019, I finally noticed a disintegrating insulation foam and greasy liquid on the outside of the line set just as it exited the compressor unit and was suspicious that this was the location of the leak. I called them to repair. Indeed, that was the site of the leak that they seemed unable to locate previously. Charged $136 for the visit. Seems to me like they were responsible for faulty installation since the leak turned out to be right at the joint between the compressor and the line set. I could have saved ~$900 had they installed the unit correctly to start. A bit disappointing--I would have at least thought that they would not charge for the final visit where it was determined that the leak was from an installation point. When I reviewed the story with Tim, a manager, he listened, but did nothing to indicate that he accepted responsibility for a faulty installation.

I have done business with this company for 4-5 years now and it is great to have a relationship for consistently provided excellent services. I purchased a trane a few years ago and knew the ductwork was in bad shape. The lack of energy efficiency and crumbling condition made this move to top of list. I was wearing out my new trane hvac unit. Tim took the needs of my 2 story house and designed an efficient flow, all sealed and of course I wish that this had been done a long time ago. Local family owned business that cares about its customers. Trance certified specialist also factored in with my decision to use them, The maintenance plan is well worth the money to keep things running a top efficiency and early problem recognition. I am enjoying increase comfort in my home and decrease energy bills. Thanks to Tim and the entire crew.

The price is competitive. I have used them for at least five years. I found them online. We have the service agreement as to what they will do each call. There's two units so they're usually there about an hour.

I have no complaints with the company at all. I'd give their price a B but everything else is an A. We're on an annual contract. You pay a flat fee and they come and service it in spring and fall. There's a discount on parts if you have something fixed. We have two units. I would absolutely use them. We've been using them for a number of years.

Went fine They are willing to come out and look at every detail if you re not happy and correct if a problem

6/14/16 -- called A&E to schedule a/c repair. Tech arrived at scheduled time. First diagnosis was that I needed a new heat pump, verbal estimate $4500- $5000 to replace unit. I asked him to troubleshoot further for any specific problem with the unit. I informed him I would need a second opinion before I would commit to a new heat pump. Second diagnosis approximately 30 minutes later was that the coils needed cleaning and that I likely had a bad thermostatic expansion valve (TXV). This seemed reasonable since a TXV had been replaced under warranty in 2013 at a cost of $400 for labor only. The tech proceeded to clean the coils and phoned the office for an estimate to replace the TXV. He stated that the TXV would cost $1300 to replace. I refused this repair as it seemed unreasonable. I asked that A&E send me an email with the price for labor and material listed separately. I received the email, however it did not break out labor and material. The price remained the same - $1300. I cannot recommend A & E for HVAC work, they appear to be untrustworthy, at least in my specific case. As of 8/24/16 the unit continues to function well, with no further repair needed. The unit was manufactured in Aug 2008 and installed in June 2009. Checking on-line for the price of a new TXV shows a price of $143.75. Followed up with Trimech. They gave a Not to Exceed verbal estimate of $700. Cost to clean coil and service charge from A&E was $205

Technician(Matthew Strouth) came and checked my A/C unit, trouble shot a potential problem, and made needed adjustments to the system. Repaired the potential issue and was very professional.

I had approached three HVAC installers about installing a custom zoned system using remote-controlled dampers. Out of three potential suppliers, A&E was the only one to follow-up my recommendation to investigate use of wireless remote-controlled dampers. Our A&E service rep was very thorough in answering my questions and explaining the ins and outs, dos and don'ts of zoned systems. The work was completed as scheduled within the specified time and included extensive re-working of the ducting. The installers were courteous and professional and left our sealed crawl space completely clean. We are highly pleased with the result. The improvement in airflow due to the re-configured duct work is noticeable. Before installation of the zoned system I would have to go under the house and manually switch a damper to either increase or decrease air flow to the upstairs according to the seasons. With the new system we can adjust flow as needed with a single battery-powered remote control which can individually adjust the airflow from 5 - 100% for each damper. This is especially important in NC since we can have four seasons within 1 month.

Two men showed up to our house at the correct time, and immediately removed the old a.c./heating unit. They were careful and did not damage the trim work or wall. Within 30 minutes, they had the new unit installed and Shawn was demonstrating it and giving us instructions on it's use. They were both friendly and helpful, and informed us of optional accessories, but with no pressure to purchase.

Everything went great - system up and running.

Pleased with fast response from office to tech on site !!

The problem was that the main duct work pulled away from the metal piece that goes into the house. Which means that I didn't have heat in the house. But it was a very simple fix to position the duct tube back into the metal piece and tape it back in place. It took the chap approximately ten minutes to perform this service. I contacted this provider based on reviews here on Angie's List. The person on the telephone, Lisa, was VERY nice and I appreciated that the provider was able to come to my house immediately. Since I didn't have heat, I REALLY appreciated it. The chap, Aaron, arrived promptly. He was very professional and courteous. He got to work right away. But before he did, he informed me that it would cost $95 for the visit plus $121 to tape the duct pipe back in place. I thought that was a lot and I thought it was different than what Lisa had told me on the telephone (that it was $95 for up to 45 minutes of work done at the house). Next, he strongly recommended that I perform the semi-annual maintenance on the system. I agreed to let him do this. The cost was $260 for two units. But then he mentioned that the coils were dirty, which would cost MUCH more to clean them. By this point, the cost was close to $1,000 for the visit. I asked him to not do the maintenance and to only charge me for the duct work fix. He decided to charge me $121 for the duct work fix and be on his way.

The repair was just done today, so we will see. But the service person, Kevin, was prompt and professional. We have had a service agreement with A&E for many years, and we have always been pleased with their service.

I called A&E just before noon and Kevin was here before 1PM. He was very professional and had the problem diagnosed in about 20 minutes. The control board was bad.It is a special order and will be replaced later this week. It will cost $428, labor included.

We had a problem with our HVAC and called these guys as they have worked on the same system a couple month before and did a timely job. However this time technician that came quoted us upward of $2K saying that the compressor has gone bad. The technician's bosses advised him to tell the home owner (us) that its better to change the whole system as it is out of warranty. The expense, we were told was between $5-8K. We had our doubts based on the symptoms, so decided to get a second opinion. The other guys checked out the system and found a bad expansion valve. A cost of about $1K. We are glad we got a second opinion and did not go with the first quote fro

It is now July 15, and Mike still has not communicated. I have called the A&E office at least four times trying to find out what the slowdown is. The only excuse I get is that many people are without AC and they are swamped. I can understand that people without AC have priority over my project, but what is inexcusable for a business is to not communicate well with ALL of their clients. It is frustrating having to initial calls on my end. All they have needed to do is give me an idea of when they can attend to my project and let me know that I have not been forgotten. Their lack of communication tells me that I am not an important potential customer to them. Why did Mike even tell me that he would get back to me in a couple of days if that was not going to be possible?

Our 26-year-old air conditioner worked okay, but every year it leaked some R-22 refrigerant that is bad for the ozone layer. We decided to replace the A/C and gas furnace with more efficient new equipment. We chose A&E because of their good reviews on Angie's List, the equipment they proposed, and their price. Overall we were well pleased with the job A&E did. The job took a little longer than estimated because the correct furnace was not delivered to A&E. They drove to Greensboro to get a furnace, but the delay slowed installation by a day and -- more importantly, to me -- the "substitute" furnace has 30% higher capacity than needed for our home. Although A&E assured me this would not be a problem because of the furnace's 2-stage burner and variable-speed blower, I'll have to wait until winter to see for sure if the over-capacity furnace's run time is okay or too short. Additionally, some materials for the job were not on-site when they were needed, causing minor delays. I didn't consider these serious problems, but they indicated a lack of preparation or planning. Nevertheless, we were happy with the A&E personnel and the job they did. We have been using our new A/C for about two months now, and we enjoy the comfort and the 40% electricity savings of the new, efficient equipment.

My gas furnace stopped working after a storm-related power outage and it was COLD outside. A&E was able to come out the next morning, diagnose and fix the problem and get my house warm again! The repair tech (I don't remember his name) was very friendly and explained everything to me (I ask a lot of questions). I was afraid he would try to talk me into replacing the whole system because it's 15+ years old, but he told me it's in good condition for it's age and doesn't look like it needs replacing just yet.

Our A/C unit stopped blowing cool air which made for an uncomfortable night's sleep. This morning I called A & E Heating & Air Conditioning and they arrived in an hour. The technician performed a diagnostic test and concluded it was a bad motor. He told me the cost for the entire job and then replaced the condensor motor. He also recommended that I swap out the floor vents because the type I purchased (to save a few dollars) were actually blocking air and were noisy. He showed me the type to purchase, and not even from his company. Everyone at A & E is terrific to work with, from the office folks to the technicians. This is the third time in nearly 3 years we've used them for our very old A/C unit. The technicians are prompt, pleasant, and they explain what is wrong before attempting to fix. I highly recommend this company. P.S. They move. Their new address is 1821 Hillandale Rd, Ste 1B-163, Durham NC 27705

Our AC went out for upstairs over the weekend. I called A&E on Monday around 9:30am. Tammy in office was very nice, professional, and got back to me within 20 mins to tell me they could have someone here within a half hour. Mike showed up within that time and was very nice, professional, even put on the shoe covers so he wouldn't get my floors messy, especially since it was raining out. He immediately got to work diagnosing the problem, then came to me with estimate and total explanation of problem. He quickly went to work on outside unit, even tho it was storming, and we could hear thunder coming! Work was completed, start to finish, within 2 hours. Very pleased.

1.) They were asked to repair the system in mid-late June, but didn't get to it for several weeks. This pushed us right up against our closing date. 2.) Because we were so unsure about what we were being told, we called them to verify that they were going to back up their claims of the system being normal. They said, yes, everything is as it should be. When we first moved in, we noted that the AC was a little loud. Since it was our first home, and first time having the AC so close to a wall we were close to, we figured this was normal. This last Sunday, our A/C died after only having been used for a few months. I had recorded the sound it was making and showed it to our repair guy. He said, no, there was something intermittently making contact within the unit and causing it to ground and causing the delayed starting times and the random stopping. And now the damage was permanent and causing a short to ground. We can either replace the compressor, or the unit entirely. Either of which would've cost at least 2x the original repair cost. I don't want to speculate why they lied to us, but in sum, I wouldn't trust this company.

First I called to make sure they gave free estimates. They do! I was able to schedule the appointment within a very reasonable time frame. I had talked with two other hvac company representatives prior to the A&E meeting. I was greeted with a warm smile and firm hand shake. He proceeded to check the old system and house to determine what I would need. Mind you, he put covers on his shoes before entering the house. He was very thorough. When he was done, he explained to me how my old/original hvac system worked (something I never truly understood), and how I had the option of staying with that type of system or go with a new system. He provided information on several brands/options/warranty information for both the old system and the new. He impressed me with his extensive knowledge of heating/A/C systems. He was able to explain them so I understood, like no other hvac person has ever been able to explain it. I can honestly say, I made an informed decision. He had the perfectly detailed estimates emailed to me. I called the office with my decision to proceed. The office team set up the install date and explained how they would proceed, again very professional and knowledgeable. The crew arrived this morning as scheduled. They removed the old system and installed my new system in one day. I am impressed because they were so organized, neat, and worked in 96 degree weather, (which meant the temp in my attic had to be well over 100 degrees) and a severe thunderstorm!! They were very nice to my territorial, protective Chihuahua, too! They took time to explain everything to me about my new system, the thermostat and how it worked. I absolutely LOVE this company and I mean everybody at their office who I talked to on the phone, and all the guys on the install crew. I highly recommend them for any hvac service needs. They provide EXCELLENT service from beginning to end. They also have a maintenance service I will be using. This has been a very positive experience for me. Thank you, A&E Heating and Air Conditioning.

Very pleased with the service. Professional, punctual, knowledgeable. I highly recommend these folks!

The short of it: A & E provided fantastic service. The long of it: I had found out last summer that the condenser coil in the outdoor HVAC unit was cracked. Since the unit was pushing 9 years old and was not under warranty, I decided to replace the entire unit. I got quotes on a new 13 SEER Amana unit from Alpine and A & E. The salesman from A & E who came to my house (Tim) is their lead salesman. He was extremely knowledgeable, professional, and patient, answering all of my questions about every aspect of the installation process. He reviewed my ductwork and made suggestions on changes to improve airflow, explaining the benefits of making each modification. However, he also categorized them into 'ideal modifications' and modifications that would make sense for my personal situation and budget. I felt that he was an excellent listener, and that together we worked to figure out what made sense for me rather than selecting options that made the company more money while I as the consumer reaped small benefit. I received the quote two days later. It was extremely thorough and priced each potential modification we had discussed clearly and individually, covering all labor, permit fees, supplies, and job site cleanup. I hired A & E to perform the installation two weeks after Tim came to my house. I selected a 13 SEER Amana HVAC unit. A & E meticulously inspected the units they received from the manufacturer, sending back two units because they were not up to A & E's quality standards (this delayed the installation by only one day). The two installation team members (David and Jonathan) were punctual, professional, and friendly. They explained the entire installation process and tested the devices and sensors they installed thoroughly. They were efficient and careful in their work, and when they finished at the end of the day, my attic and yard were completely cleaned up. The amount I paid at the end of the day was exactly what I had been quoted. All in all, I had an excellent experience with A & E. The only criticism I can give is that since it is a small company, there can be a small delay of a day or so in responses to voicemail/email if no one is available at that moment to answer the phone. I think this is more a function of the fact that the phone number and email is shared among the employees, and if my question required input from one person in particular, it would take a little bit of time before that person would have time to get and respond to my message. However, the responses were always detailed and professional, so really this criticism is very slight.

The service tech was early, very professional and informative about the work he was doing. I was so impressed with the work I purchased a service contract. I would highly recommended A&E. Best experience I have had with an heating and air company.