Questions We Get Asked
59 answers on repairs, replacements, mini splits, financing and where we work. Anything not covered here, call 760-715-0523.
Working With CrossBreeze
Is CrossBreeze a Filipino owned HVAC company?
Yes. CrossBreeze Heating and Air is a Filipino owned heating and air conditioning company in San Diego County. Eddie Layola founded it in 2018 and still runs it, and the company greets customers with Mabuhay, the Filipino welcome. CrossBreeze holds California contractor license CSLB #1055889 and serves every home in San Diego County.
Where can I find a Filipino owned HVAC contractor in San Diego?
CrossBreeze Heating and Air is a Filipino owned HVAC contractor serving San Diego, Chula Vista, National City, El Cajon and the South Bay, including the Filipino community in Mira Mesa, Rancho Peñasquitos, Scripps Ranch and Paradise Hills. They install, repair and maintain air conditioning, furnaces, ducting, mini splits and heat pumps. Call 760-715-0523.
What does Mabuhay mean?
Mabuhay is a Filipino greeting that literally means long life. It is used to welcome somebody in, the way you would welcome a guest into your home. CrossBreeze Heating and Air uses it because the company is Filipino owned and treats every customer like a guest.
What does a new HVAC system cost to install?
It depends on the size of the system your home needs and the shape your ducting is in, so CrossBreeze does not quote a price sight unseen. Eddie comes out, looks at what you have, and gives you a straight number before any work starts. Financing is available at 2.99% through Housecall Pro, or you can put half down and take one to three years to pay the rest.
Does CrossBreeze offer financing?
Yes. CrossBreeze Heating and Air offers financing at 2.99% through Housecall Pro. They also offer an installment plan where you pay 50% up front and pay off the balance over one to three years.
Who is the owner of CrossBreeze Heating and Air?
Eddie Layola, legally Eduardo Sunga Layola, is the owner and founder of CrossBreeze Heating and Air. He founded the company in 2018, holds the California C20 heating and air conditioning license, and personally handles most estimates and service calls.
How long has CrossBreeze Heating and Air been in business?
CrossBreeze Heating and Air has been in business since 2018 and has held California contractor license CSLB #1055889 since 2019. The company has a 5.0 star rating from 29 Google reviews.
General Heating And Air Questions
See the full pageWhat areas of San Diego does CrossBreeze serve?
We work out of Mira Mesa at 9014 Flanders Dr and cover San Diego city, Chula Vista, National City, Bonita, Spring Valley, La Mesa, El Cajon, Bostonia, Santee, Lakeside, Poway, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. CrossBreeze holds California CSLB licence #1055889, a C20 heating and air classification held since 2019, and carries a $25,000 bond and active workers compensation. Eddie founded the company in 2018.
What are your hours, and do you offer emergency service?
We are open seven days a week, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm. We are not a 24 hour emergency service. We would rather tell you that up front than have you waiting on a call back at midnight.
What equipment brands do you install and service?
Goodman, Daikin, Trane, Carrier, Bryant, Day and Night, York, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Samsung, Innovair and AC Pro. We service systems regardless of who installed them.
Do you offer financing?
Yes, at 2.99% through Housecall Pro, or a 50% down installment plan paid over one to three years.
What does it mean that CrossBreeze is Filipino owned?
Mabuhay is how we answer the door. It is a Filipino greeting that means long life, and it is how you welcome somebody into your home. In practice it means we take our shoes off, we clean up, and we tell you the truth about your system even when it costs us the sale. Many of our customers are kababayan who found us the way Filipino families find everybody, through someone they trust.
AC Repair
See the full pageHow quickly can you get out for an AC repair in San Diego?
We are open seven days a week, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm and weekends 9am to 4pm, and we book same or next day where the schedule allows. We are not a 24 hour emergency service, so if your system quits at 11pm the honest answer is that we will see you in the morning.
Will you work on a system another company installed?
Yes. Most of the systems we repair were put in by somebody else. We service Goodman, Daikin, Trane, Carrier, Bryant, Day and Night, York, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Samsung, Innovair and AC Pro equipment, and we do not require that we installed it before we will touch it.
How do I know I am being told the truth about what is wrong?
Eddie does the diagnosis himself rather than sending a commissioned salesperson, and you hear the actual fault before anybody quotes a part. Read the 29 reviews and the same line keeps coming up: he found what the last company missed, or he said the repair someone else was selling was not needed.
My AC runs but the house never gets cold. Is that a repair or a replacement?
Usually a repair. That symptom points at a low refrigerant charge, a dirty condenser coil, a failing capacitor or a duct problem, and none of those need a new system. We measure the temperature split and the charge before anyone talks about replacing anything.
Does it matter that CrossBreeze is Filipino owned when I just need the AC fixed?
For the repair itself, no. Where it shows up is in how the visit goes. Eddie takes his shoes off, cleans up after himself, and tells you the truth about your system even when the truth costs him the sale. A lot of our repair work comes from a neighbour who was treated that way.
Mini Split Installation
See the full pageCan I put a mini split in a garage conversion or ADU?
That is the most common reason people call us about them. A ductless mini split needs no ductwork at all, just a small line set through the wall to an outdoor unit, which is why it is usually the only practical option for a converted garage, an ADU or a bonus room that was never on the main system.
How many indoor heads do I need?
One per area you want to control separately. A single room takes one head. A converted garage with a bathroom might take two. We size to the room rather than to a rule of thumb, because an oversized head short cycles, never pulls humidity out, and wears itself out early.
Do mini splits heat as well as cool?
Yes. They run as heat pumps, so the same unit covers the handful of genuinely cold weeks San Diego gets. For most homes here that means one system instead of two, and no gas line into the room.
Which mini split brands do you install?
Mitsubishi, Fujitsu, Daikin and Samsung are the ductless lines we work with most, and we also install Goodman, Innovair and AC Pro. Sizing and the quality of the install matter more to how it performs than the badge on the front does.
Is a mini split cheaper than extending my existing ducts?
Often, yes, especially if the run is long or the attic access is bad. We will price both honestly. If extending the ductwork is genuinely the better answer for your house we will say so rather than sell you the job we would rather do.
AC Installation & Replacement
See the full pageHow do you decide what size system my house needs?
We measure the house rather than matching whatever was there before. Square footage, ceiling height, insulation, window exposure and your ducting all feed into it. Replacing like for like is how houses end up with an oversized system that short cycles and never pulls the humidity down.
Do you offer financing on a new system?
Yes. Financing is available at 2.99% through Housecall Pro, or you can put 50% down and pay the balance over one to three years. A new system should not mean draining your savings in a single afternoon.
How long does a changeout take?
A straight residential changeout is usually a single day. It runs longer if the ducting needs work, the electrical has to be brought up to what the new equipment needs, or the unit is going somewhere awkward like a tight attic or a roof.
Do you handle new construction and commercial work?
We do new construction and light commercial alongside existing homes. We do not take on big commercial jobs, and we do not do water source heating, so if that is what you need you are better off with a specialist.
Who actually shows up to do the install?
Eddie founded CrossBreeze in 2018 and has held the California C20 licence since 2019. He is not a dispatcher. On most jobs he is the one who comes out, and the company is licensed, bonded and insured under CSLB #1055889.
Furnace & Heating Repair
See the full pageWhy did my furnace fail on the first cold night?
Because it sat unused for eight or nine months. San Diego furnaces almost always fail on first use, and the cause is usually a dirty flame sensor, a failed igniter, a stuck pressure switch or a filter that clogged while the system was standing still. Those are inexpensive parts and normally a same visit fix.
My furnace blows but the air is never warm. What is that?
The blower is running while the burners are not lighting or not staying lit. That is typically an ignition fault, a flame sensor that has fouled, or a safety limit shutting the burners down. It is a diagnosis job, and it is usually not expensive.
What happens if the heat exchanger is cracked?
We treat that as a safety issue and explain it plainly. A cracked heat exchanger is not something to patch, and we will tell you so rather than sell you a repair that leaves the problem in your house. We inspect the exchanger and the venting before signing anything off.
Can you come out at night if the heat goes out?
No, and we would rather say that clearly than imply otherwise. We are open seven days a week but we are not a 24 hour emergency service. Call during business hours, Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm or weekends 9am to 4pm, and we will get to you.
Is it worth repairing an old furnace in San Diego?
Often, yes, precisely because it runs so few hours a year here. A furnace that would be worn out in a cold climate can have plenty of life left in San Diego. We will give you the straight answer on repair against replace rather than defaulting to the bigger ticket.
HVAC Maintenance & Tune Ups
See the full pageHow often should I have the system serviced?
Twice a year is ideal, before the cooling season and before the short heating one. Once a year covers most San Diego homes, since the heating side does so few hours. What matters more than the interval is that the coils actually get cleaned and the charge actually gets measured.
What does a tune up actually include?
We measure the temperature split and amp draw to see what the system is doing now, clean the condenser and evaporator coils, clear the condensate drain, replace the filter, and check the capacitor, contactor and refrigerant charge against spec. You get written findings on what is worn and what can wait.
My system is working fine. Why would I pay for maintenance?
Because a dirty coil or a low charge makes the system run longer for the same result, so you are already paying for it on the monthly bill whether or not anything has broken. A tune up finds the worn capacitor and the drifting charge while they are still small.
Will skipping maintenance void my warranty?
It can. Most manufacturer warranties require documented annual service, and people usually discover that at the point they need to make a claim. We service any brand regardless of who installed it, so keeping the paperwork straight is not a reason to go back to the original company.
What is different about how CrossBreeze does a maintenance visit?
We are a small Filipino owned company and Eddie is usually the one in your house, which means nobody is working a quota. If the system genuinely needs nothing, we tell you it needs nothing. That is the whole reason most of our work arrives by referral.
Whole House Fan
See the full pageWhat is a whole house fan and how does it work?
A whole house fan is a ceiling mounted fan that pulls cool outside air in through your open windows and pushes the hot air trapped in the house out through the attic vents. You open a few windows, run it for fifteen or twenty minutes, and the house dumps the heat it has been holding since the afternoon.
Does a whole house fan replace air conditioning?
No, and anyone who tells you it does is selling. It takes load off the air conditioning during the hours when San Diego evenings are already cooler than the inside of your house, which here is most of the year. On a genuinely hot afternoon you still want the AC.
How much does a whole house fan cost to run?
A fraction of what the compressor costs, because it is moving air rather than refrigerant. That is the whole economic case: on the many evenings when outside air is already cool enough, you are paying fan wattage instead of air conditioning wattage.
Will a whole house fan work in my house?
It depends on attic vent area more than anything else. The fan has to be able to exhaust what it moves or it just fights itself, so we measure existing vent area and ceiling joist spacing before quoting. Some houses need vent area added as part of the job.
What size whole house fan do I need?
Sizing is done by the airflow the house needs, calculated against square footage and ceiling height, not by counting rooms. Undersize it and it never clears the heat. Oversize it and you are pulling more air than the attic can vent.
Do you install whole house fans across San Diego?
Yes. We work out of Mira Mesa and install whole house fans across San Diego, including Rancho Peñasquitos, Scripps Ranch, Poway, Chula Vista and the South Bay. CrossBreeze is Filipino owned, licensed under CSLB #1055889, and rated 5.0 from 29 Google reviews.
Heat Pump Installation
See the full pageDoes a heat pump work in San Diego?
San Diego is close to the ideal climate for one. Heat pumps lose efficiency in genuine cold and we do not really get any, so the weakness that makes people hesitate in other parts of the country barely applies here.
Should I replace both my AC and furnace with one heat pump?
If both are aging, often yes. One heat pump frequently costs less than replacing two systems, and it takes gas combustion out of the house entirely. If only one of the two is failing, keeping the other and pairing a straight AC or furnace can be the better value, and we will say so.
Do heat pumps work with solar?
They pair naturally with it, because the heating side runs on electricity rather than gas. If you already have panels or are planning them, that shifts the maths noticeably in favour of a heat pump.
Ducted heat pump or a ductless one?
If you have serviceable ductwork, ducted usually makes sense. If the ducts are poor, or you are conditioning an addition or ADU, a ductless heat pump mini split avoids the cost of fixing or running ducts. We install both and size for the cooling load first, then check it against the heating requirement.
Will you tell me if a heat pump is the wrong choice for my house?
Yes. Eddie has been doing this since 2018 and the business runs almost entirely on referral, which only works if the advice is straight. If a conventional AC and furnace pairing is the better value for your particular house, that is what we will recommend.
Attic Fan Installation
See the full pageWhat is the difference between an attic fan and a whole house fan?
An attic fan exhausts hot air out of the attic itself. A whole house fan moves air through your living space. They solve different problems, and plenty of San Diego homes benefit from both. If someone quotes you one without asking which problem you have, get another opinion.
Why are my upstairs rooms still hot after the sun goes down?
Because your attic is still hot. A San Diego attic can sit far above outside air temperature on a summer afternoon, and that heat radiates down through the ceiling for hours after sunset. Venting it is what stops the ceiling acting like a radiator all evening.
Do I need more intake venting as well as the fan?
Usually, and it is the step that gets skipped. Exhaust without intake does very little, because the fan cannot pull air it has no path to. We audit soffit and eave intake area before we cut anything, and sometimes intake is the real fix.
Will an attic fan lower my energy bill?
It reduces standing load on the air conditioning by lowering the ceiling temperature the system is fighting. We are not going to put a percentage on it, because it depends on your insulation, your roof and how you run the house. The comfort difference upstairs is the part people notice first.
Does an attic fan help with anything besides heat?
It helps the attic dry out, which matters for insulation performance and for anything you store up there. Damp compressed insulation stops doing its job, and that shows up on the bill long before it shows up as a visible problem.
Ducting & Zoning
See the full pageOne bedroom is always hotter than the rest of the house. Why?
Almost always the ducting rather than the equipment. A crushed, leaking, disconnected or undersized run to that room means it never gets its share of the air, while the thermostat in the hallway reports that everything is fine. We measure airflow at each register to find which run is starving.
Should I fix the ducts before replacing the system?
Yes, or at least at the same time. Ducting is the delivery system, and a large share of the money spent on conditioned air is lost before it reaches a room. Putting new equipment on bad ducts usually just moves the same complaint onto newer hardware.
What is zoning and do I need it?
Zoning splits the house into separately controlled areas with dampers so each one gets what it needs. It is the real fix for a two storey home where upstairs and downstairs will never agree on a temperature, and it can be retrofitted onto a system you already have.
Do I need a full re-duct or can you replace individual runs?
Either. If the trunk is sound and two runs are bad, we replace those two. If the whole system is failing, undersized or full of old material, a full re-duct is the honest answer. We inspect and tell you which one you are actually looking at.
How do you know the ducting work actually fixed it?
We measure at every register before and after, then balance the system across rooms. Duct work that is not verified with numbers is guesswork, and the room that was hot before is the one you will notice if it was not really fixed.
Still Have A Question?
Eddie answers the phone himself. Tell him what the system is doing and he will tell you what it needs.