Carini Home Services - El Cajon
Company Overview
Since 2006, we have delivered reliable HVAC, plumbing, and electrical services to San Diego County. Our family-run company aims to deliver professional plumbing, HVAC, and electrical repair services with exceptional support. We cater to both commercial and residential clients, provided the commercial systems are 5 tons or smaller. All our technicians hold licenses, insurance, and factory training. We handle installation, upgrades, retrofitting, and repairs of HVAC systems, with a focus on vintage and historic homes in San Diego. We are Southern California's premier contractor for Mitsubishi Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioning Systems, providing heating and AC services for trusted brands. Reach out to Carini now!
The company was established by Gabriel Carini in 2006, after he spent 15 years developing his HVAC installation, service, and sales skills with other San Diego firms. He has experience with leading furnace and air conditioning brands such as Bryant, Carrier, Lennox, Trane, York, Rheem, Mitsubishi, and Fujitsu. Carini is recognized as an Elite Diamond Contractor by Mitsubishi and is the largest Mitsubishi mini split contractor in Southern California.
In 2023, we transitioned from Carini Heating, Air, Plumbing & Electrical to Carini Home Services. As we mark our 18th year, we take pride in serving San Diego home and business owners with quality craftsmanship, honest pricing, and a strong emphasis on customer service.
Our company has received the Angie's List Super Service Award every year from 2011 to 2017 and holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, along with a 4.9 rating on Google. With extensive experience in the Heating, Air Conditioning, and Plumbing industry, Gabriel Carini worked with other prominent HVAC companies in San Diego before becoming the owner of Carini Home Services in 2005. We have established ourselves as one of the most reliable HVAC companies in San Diego, focusing on integrity, technical expertise, innovation, and value for homeowners, contractors, property managers, and businesses. Our business is fully family-owned and operated.
At Carini Home Services, all employees are required to pass drug tests and background checks, giving you peace of mind that we will honor your home, family, and belongings.
Business Services
- Bathtub repair
- Circuit breaker installation
- Doorbell installation
- Drain installation
- Drain repair
- Electric inspection
- Electric installation or replacement
- Electric panel installation
- Electric panel repair
- Electric repair
- Wire installation
- Wire repair
- Electric vehicle charging station installation
- Electric vehicle charging station repair
- Faucet installation
- Faucet repair
- Garbage disposal installation
- Garbage disposal repair
- Gas line installation
- Gas line repair
- Hot water recirculation pump installation
- Hot water recirculation pump repair
- Light fixture installation
- Light fixture repair
- Outdoor lighting installation
- Outlet installation
- Outlet repair
- Plumbing inspection
- Plumbing installation or replacement
- Plumbing repair
- Sewer installation
- Sewer repair
- Shower repair
- Sink installation
- Sink repair
- Switch installation
- Switch repair
- Toilet installation
- Toilet repair
- Water heater installation
- Water heater repair
- Water pipe installation
- Water pipe repair
Business Location & Hours
| Mon: | 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Tue: | 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Wed: | 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Thu: | 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Fri: | 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Sat: | 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Sun: | 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
Recommended Customer Reviews
Reasonable response time. Quick diagnosis. Very competent tech. It wasn't cheap, but they got the job done.
My conclusions:
1. Ask the cost of the part and agree to wait to save some $. (I'm a DIYer)
2. Look for the part online and consider replacing it yourself.
3. Get competitive estimates.
These guys are pros.
It was a big job, and to get it done, they worked late on a Friday that also happened to be Valentine's Day. They were out there digging with headlamps. And when they weren't able to get it done as planned, they came right back Saturday, and finished it up.
Never fun spending that much money, but if you have to do it, at least spend to get it done right.
Our sewer backed up into our toilet and shower/tub. We read reviews on Carini and gave them a call, which they came out that very day.
Ramon and Fernando were the best. Both were extremely professional, extremely courteous and explained in detail what needed to be done.
Carini is very blessed to have them on board. It was a very big job which they worked very hard
We highly recommend them.
J W.20Feb20
JW says ""SALES AND SERVICE WITH INTEGRITY""
Carini installed a whole new hi efficiency HVAC system and ductwork as part of a SDGE energy retrofit program in 2025 meeting the highest SDGE & CA T-24 standards, maintaining the system since.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago..
We Discovered water damage to walls & ceiling below HVAV FAU. Called Carini & they sent a tech out who discovered a kink in the condensing fau drain.
Whoa.. They stepped up and took over.. Sent out drywall demo crew, realigned & reinstalled the condensate line. Replaced, patched & paint drywall.
Made sure the system was functioning properly. Hats off to Nalani, Betsy & Cathy in the office who coordinated and kept me informed of schedule as well as following up. Jesse, Kevin and above all Anthony the warranty service Mgr who made outstanding effort to make sure everything was safe and proper. In short, They honored their warranty...
After spending 45 yrs in the construction biz, I can honestly say sales and service with this firm far exceeded the standard.
I will share my experiences and offer my personal reference thru this Yelp post.
Thank you to Gabriel Carini and crew..
I purchased a water filtration system on my own. I sent out bids for plumbers to assist me as I'm not very handy nor did I trust myself on a new home that was also a new build. The system required no electricity and the only parts needed were 4 corrugated water connectors and some copper piping and maybe some smaller items. I paid ~$2100 for the system, which consisted of a pre-filter, carbon tank and salt-free softening tank. The company I bought the system from said 1-2 hours of work by an experienced plumber and maybe longer depending on depth of work and setup. This company (Carini) quoted me over $2700 to install the system and that quote/estimate automatically cost me $45 just to have them come out to see it. I wholeheartedly rejected it and contacted the company I purchased the tanks through. They were of the opinion that they (Carini) were taking advantage of me. Long story, short...I got another company to do the job for $688 and it took less than 4 hours.
Because of this experience I cannot recommend nor will I ever use this plumbing company.
Follow up post response- this response is not accurate. The system is installed and the water pressure is 100% unaffected negatively. The directions for the provided system I purchased that was on site and the directions spelled that out. I literally explained what needed to happen so if the quote was for bigger piping then that was not explained nor shown to me. The plumbing company that did the install even called them to confirm everything before quoting me. I do get what I pay for and I'm not stupid. This house completed construction brand new 1 month ago.
Not sure how to rate Carini. I had a Mitsubishi mini split installed last year. I absolutely love it. Carini said they would give me a year maintenance one at 6 months a one at year. Six months they said everything was great. One year said very dirty needed super cleaning. ""Looks like a petri dish."" Wanted $600. + to clean. Advised installation of uv bulb would be additional $800.+. Carini called back said they did some research and could actually do cleaning for $400. I called Mitsubishi and asked if they had other certified technicians in my area, they gave me three others. I called one, they came out totally cleaned the unit (took the blower wheel out) and charged me $89. Said they would not recommend a uv bulb.
Sherry S.Donald arrived on time and ready to work as promised to identify the source of our air conditioner not performing as it had previously. He assessed the problem thoroughly and provided a cost effective solution resulting in our A/C unit running up to par. Excellent service!
Marge M.Today Carlos Esquivel came out to access a Freon leak in our AC system that Carini Air installed in 2014. This is not first time we have had issues with the Freon (last year) and the last technician that came out said there was nothing wrong (not sure he even checked). So when the issues came up again this year, I was hesitant to call Carini air , as I had lost trust in their assessment. I did call another company, they came out, called Gabriel Carini personally and Gabe did authorize this company to repair an air leak on the system in the house and checked for another leak. The unit was out of Freon, so a leak was found. I decided to call Carini and give them a chance to make it right. Carlos came out, explained what he had to do and the cost. We spoke for awhile on my feelings about the repair/cost and how come Carini did not stand behind their install. I was going to go with the other company to fix the problem, until Carlos said he understood my frustration and that Carini air should stand behind their work and customer service. He did the job for no charge and restored my faith in a company that not only says they are there for the customer, but actually follows thru on that promise. Carini was a day away from losing a customer, if Carlos had not stepped in to fix the wrong. You now have a customer for life and will recommend Carini Air to anyone looking for an honest company to deal with.
Thank you again Carlos for your integrity, honesty and customer service skills. Carini Air should be happy to have you as an employee.
I had a leaking pipe in my rental condo in Lakeside. I called about 6 places, all advertising as 24/7 emergency service. Only 2 were able to offer to send someone out that evening. I needed that day since it was in a condo complex and multiple units get shut down if the water is shut off. I called their 24/7 line and they told me the tech would be calling me soon. He called within 10 minutes and said he could be there within 30-45 minutes!! Technician named Joe showed up. He was very polite and accommodating. He took a look at the job and gave me a quick price and went to work. He had everything he needed in his truck and he finished up in less than an hour. Great technician!
Only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 was the cost. They were pricey (I am in the contractor industry) for the work that needed to be done, but due to other companies not even giving me a callback on their ""24/7"" service, I didn't have many other options.
Thanks Joe for your promptness and quick work!
Sandra E.Jacquin was fabulous with a block drain and replacement of parts this last Saturday. He kept me updated until he arrived and was a pleasure to have in my house. He respected my home, was extremely courteous and timely and represents Carini in all the ways they would want him to be. This young man will go far. Sandra E

























