Heat pump or furnace? That is the first thing that matters when the heat quits in West Sacramento, CA, because the two fail in completely different ways. Heat pumps tend to freeze up when defrost stops working, get stuck in cooling when a reversing valve fails, or quietly lean on the electric backup strips, at several times the normal operating cost, when the outdoor unit dies. Gas furnaces typically come down to the flame sensor: once oxide coats it, the burners light but the flame cannot be proven, so the board cuts the gas and locks out after three tries. After that, the usual suspects are cracked hot surface igniters, stuck pressure switches, clogged condensate traps on high-efficiency models, and blower motors at the end of their life.
The repair homeowners call us about most is Furnace Repair. Start there if your system isn't running right.
Warning Signs for Heating Repair
The sooner you notice these red flags, the easier and cheaper the fix. These are the signals our technicians see most often:
- An outdoor heat pump coil that stays iced over
- Cold air, or no air at all, when the thermostat calls for heat
- Strange smells from the vents, especially rotten egg or burning
- A furnace that tries to light, clicks, and then quits
- Higher heating bills with less comfort to show for them
- A loud boom when the burners light, which points to delayed ignition
- Cold rooms in one part of the house while others are comfortable
- The system starting and stopping every few minutes without warming the house
Don't Wait for a Total Failure
Most HVAC failures start small, a weak capacitor, a squealing blower, a system that runs a little longer each week. At the first hint of a problem, call (279) 236-7605 for a fast inspection.
