A & D Heating & AC

bad

unknown

satisfactory

unknown

James came to inspect our two units which we knew for the last several years were on their last legs. One unit was in more serious shape than the other and required us to immediately replace it. The other unit could have waited but we knew its life was short lived so we decided to replace both at the same time. James spent a lot of time going over our options and based on our cooling needs offered multiple system combinations for us to consider. At the conclusion of our initial visit he suggested we take some time to think about it and also get several other estimates. He also invited us to call or visit his office with further questions. We took advantage of both and found James and his staff more than willing to spend plenty of time explaining the systems to us as well as show and discuss with us the units used in their shop. Installation was done efficiently and professionally. All techs were very cool to work with. After installation was complete we had two issues. The first was a problem with one of the thermostats which a tech came out the same day and stayed late into the evening to get it resolved. The other issue was a non-critical issue which was also addressed within a reasonable amount of time. James and his crew also re-directed and replaced some of the duct work during the install which assists in air flow efficiency which leads to cooler rooms which is what one wants when turning the a/c on! The office staff handled all of the warranty and rebate paperwork. After the install, without prompting from me, James phoned to tell me that the paperwork was being worked on. Within a couple of weeks we received a packet of this paperwork. We signed for the utility company rebate and received that check 4/29/2011. Our experience was pleasant and non stressful. We experienced personal old time customer service. A rare commodity these days.

Work was executed timely and professionally.

HORRIBLE! Technician was rude/loud/yelled when I refused to sign the decline sheet and they are a bunch of con artists. First, they sent "two" technicians - one to block my view and the other was moving things around in my furnace. When I asked what he was doing the one blocking my view said that my capacitor needed to be moved to another location because it was in a bad spot?? I told them to leave it where it was because they could null and void my warranty and it has never been a problem for anyone else over the last 6 years of my new unit. So then he said, "Oh, ok we'll move it back." They didn't even clean their area and decided to wipe their fingers on my trim around the door (picture taken) and didn't even vacuum the area as the others normally have done. At any rate, he wrote me an estimate for over $1100, YES $1100! I told him that I would be getting a second opinion as my furnace is pretty well new (6 yrs) and nothing was wrong with it a few months ago. The technician then got irate and told me I needed to sign where it says "Decline" in case anything happens to my unit, then they're not responsible. I told him I wasn't signing anything and then he told me I needed to call the office then as he would lose his job. I laughed and told him he would certainly not lose his job and I didn't need to do anything, but get a second opinion. When I went to pay the tech the $69 (which I shouldn't have paid them anything as I think they were taking off my capacitor and put on a bad one - I will check with my normal guy as this is my original unit and if it isn't the one that came with it, then guess what) he said "I'm done talkin to you" and told me the other guy has my paperwork. The owner then calls me shortly thereafter and asked me who I would be using for a 2nd opinion. I laughed and told him that he would not be privy to that information and that I would be doing a full report on Angie's List if they didn't come up with the same findings. He then tells me that he's allowed, by law, to charge the prices he's charging. At this point, I pretty much knew I was being taken for a ride. Then he ALSO wanted me to report back to him so he could "remedy" the situation if need be. I told him he would read about it on Angie's List. My 2nd opinion came and inspected my entire unit and I needed a $45 part... guess what it was... a CAPACITOR - the same one they were moving around. SOOOOOOOOOO - $1100 vs. $45 - you tell me if you would EVER trust this company. I cannot believe the length some crooks will go to. People like this should not even be allowed to be in business. Oh well, karma will catch them sooner or later. I think everyone should start installing cameras in their homes...just move them to that area when you're having work done if it's someone new. OH and one more thing... the $45 new capacitor... this company was trying to charge me $189 for that part.. plus, an inducer motor, ignitor, capacitor, etc.. totaling over $1100. Unbelievable!

Five Star Heating & Cooling did a great job with the install. There were a couple of electrical issues but they came out and fixed it right away and everything was fantastic. They basically stole money from us and we had to track it down. We paid them with a credit card for a deposit but they took out the full amount. We then had a loan approved and they waited two months after getting the loan payments to refund our credit card payment. It is a mom and pop company and I'm not sure if they knew about it but eventually we got the money back. But the job was great, they came out and gave an estimate. They came out the next day and had it up and running within a week. I cannot complain at all about the work that was done, it was just a problem with their financial department.

These guys were fabulous from start to finish! James came to do the estimate personally. Great guy and someone you knew would get the job done right. We discussed options instead of trying to 'sell' me on a single solution. They set proper expectations on how the job would be done. The team that came to work on the job were all very courteous and went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with what they were doing. We ran into some issues with the existing duct work that caused them to stay late but they were happy to do it and did not charge us anything extra. When they say they guarantee your satisfaction they stand behind it! Since we have had the work done they have helped 2 of our friends with the same result. If you need any work done on your HVAC these are the guys to call!

Everyone at this company from the owner, James, to his installtion crews and the office staff are a pleasure to work with. We've been working with Five Star for a little over a year for all of our rental properties. They understand that when a tenants heater fails in the middle of winter or the A/C goes out in the middle of a heat wave we need it serviced immediately. They always come through. Their professionalism and responsiveness coupled with the quality of their work simply can't be beat. Their pricing is fair and competitive. Best yet, when there is a less expensive method to correct a problem they will recommend it. We've used many other HVAC companies in Charlotte but after finding Five Star they are the only company we'll use.

Although our old system was not broken, it was approximately 22 years old. We thought we should be proactive in replacing it, and wanted the benefits and better efficiency offered in newer units. James, the owner explained the products and install process well, provided a reasonable quote with no pressure, and guided us into making the right choices. Crew of 3 employees arrived on time (not contracted out) installed, with work performed like a well practiced team. Very little noise or disruption during their work. Subsequent service checks by their technicians were all done under warranty, with prompt friendly response. System significantly improved the AC comfort level of our home, particularly on the second floor. They took care of all paperwork for the tax credit, making the whole process smooth and painless. We are quite happy with our choice.

Didn't go at all, no call or response

I had a heating unit that was not working. I called a few friends and neighbors and a common referral was Five Star Heating and Cooling. I gave them a call and told them my situation. They told me their schedule was very full but they would try and fit me in. About 5 minutes after I got off the phone with them, the secretary (Julie I think) called back and told me that due to their workload, the Owner of the company (James Ritchie) would be coming to fix my heat, and scheduled a time for him to come. He called when he was on his way, just to let me know he was still on schedule. When he arrived he was VERY polite. He showed and explained everything he was doing to me and my 6 year old, who of course was with us every step we took. He even offered to teach him the trade when he got older (which he is now convinced is his life's calling). After an hour or so, and a few replaced parts later, my heat was working better than it was when I bought the house 3 years ago. James even called to follow up with me a few days after the repair, to make sure everything is working to my satisfaction. I will definitely use Five Star again, and refer them to all who ask.

Upstairs was done in two days. We had no heat upstairs for that night so we were going to sleep downstairs, but it wasn't that cold and it was not an issue. JT and the team did a fine job of relocating the ducting so that we could get the center of the attic back. We will eventually finish this as a bonus room. Most everything went as planned with a couple of exceptions. The new return in the master bedroom made noise most of the night and the heat strips did not kick in properly. Both issues where addressed promptly the following day. They ran a new gas line outside the house and hid it inside a new gutter tube. The outside unit was substantially larger than the old Bryant and I had to trim back some bushes. We were originally told that there would be enough space, but it did not take into account maintenance and inspection access. The new thermostat is now located in the master bedroom and makes clicking noises. After some research, James ordered a sensor to place in the room and move the thermostat out to the hallway. The downstairs system went in a week later. We kept the old ducting in place. Except for more tree trimming, there was no additional issues with this one. Overall the experience was very positive. I didn't expect such and installation to have zero issues. My concern is how the vendor handles issues as they arise. The excellent rating above comes from the fast and professional manner in which they took care of my concerns. They also did a few things which I thought where above and beyond. Such as moving storage containers in the attic as needed. The price was a little better than some competitors but not the cheapest. The important thing is that I feel I got good value from my purchase. The system is in place and I am sitting in 69 F on a 30 F day. I won't know how much savings I will see on my electric bill so I will update that later.

James Richie was very professional and was very professional. What I like best is that I didn?t have to be at the house in order for his company to install the HVAC system. I could trust them to go inside my house and install the thermostat without any hesitation. After the work was done, he went over how to operate the system. The only thing I didn't approved of is they had to create a new hole on the side of my house for the drainage. I would've wanted to know that the structure of my house would be modified. It doesn?t look bad, but I would have wanted to know before hand. I would highly recommend James to all my buddies and friends.

They arrived when they said they would and installed both units in one day. Installation was smooth and they were very professional. Cleaned up after job and took old system away.

I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of a good, honest, responsibly priced company.

He came a few minutes late, but aplogized for that before he left. He gave me some hints to keep the a/c clean in the summer too. Very nice and was not bothered by my dogs in his way while he was here.

We selected Five Star over another company we were talking with because their warranty seemed better. Mr. Ritchie was very nice and told us he would be in touch with us every step of the way. We set an installation date about a month out and I took vacation time from work in order to be home for the installation. On the day of installation, when no one had shown up by 7:30 a.m., my husband called Mr. Ritchie, only to be asked if they could begin the work on the next day - I believe another job had run longer than expected. As we were leaving to go out of town on Thursday, we were not able to reschedule. The job did begin on that day, and I will say the workers were hard working, courteous, and competent. There was some damage made to the wall when the attic stairs and framework were being reinstalled; however, they sent someone to repair the sheetrock damage and you cannot even tell where it was repaired. My husband was not as pleased about how the attic stairs were reinstalled, but he said he would rather do it himself correctly than to have any more caulk applied to hide the gaps. The first night that the unit was running, there was a vibration that rattled the dishes in my kitchen cabinet and also rattled the light fixture in the laundry room, both of which were underneath the location of the unit in the attic. We were told by one of Mr. Ritchie's employees the next morning that it was common with these high efficiency units and he was going to install some type of rubber mat under the unit to help with the vibration. My husband knew that wasn't right and asked that someone else come out and look at it. When the second person came out, a problem was discovered and the blower unit or something was replaced. It has worked like a charm ever since! We are pleased with the unit that was installed and with most of the workers who installed the unit; however, we never saw Mr. Ritchie again after he first visited with us about the project, and we had a very difficult time trying to contact him. We also were not able to take advantage of a Piedmont Natural Gas rebate program because of the time it took to get the warranty information to us after the installation.

They did a great job. I had not used them before this experience. They were recommended to me. They were able to get to me to do the job fairly quickly. I was satisfied with the price.

On time, excellent service and the owner stopped by for a spot check on our unit, (checking on his employee).

They were a little difficult to schedule with, but when we finally got an appointment, they came when scheduled and were very reasonably priced.

Our air conditioning unit was losing fuel quickly and was not functioning for more than a few weeks. We had called another well known company who couldn't come out that day, and when they did, we were charged $194 for 2 lbs. of freon, and given a huge quote for new units. "We didn't have cool air in our house" that night! A few weeks later we called Dave for the same problem. He was here within 2 hrs. with more refrigerant, and an excellent quote on new units. We contracted with him and weren't charged extra for the freon or the larger concrete pad. He and his men were courteous, extremely conscientious, worked quickly, and were willing to go the extra mile to do the job well. We are honored to recommend this company to our neighbors.

DRIP PAN IS OVERFLOWING DOWN INTERIOR WALL AND PRIMARY DRAIN LINE IS DRAINING VERY LITTLE WATER, NUMEROUS CALLS AND EXCUSES, HE STILL HASN'T SHOWN UP. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HOPE THIS ISN'T THE TYPE OF COMPANY'S ON YOUR LIST.

Dave was fantastic. He was at my house about 2 hours after I phoned, which was on December 30th. He repaired the leak and tested the logs and connections. He also talked to me extensively about safety in operating the log set; he is doubly qualified to do so as he is also a firefighter.