Heat pump or furnace? That is the first thing that matters when the heat quits in Palo Alto, CA, because the two fail in completely different ways. Heat pumps tend to ice over 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.
Signs You Need Heating Repair in Palo Alto
Spotting the early warning signs lets you act before the problem gets expensive. These are the signals our technicians see most often:
- No warm air at the registers even with the heat turned up
- Thick ice or frost covering the heat pump outside
- A furnace that tries to light, clicks, and then quits
- The system starting and stopping every few minutes without warming the house
- Burning, musty, or rotten-egg odors when the heat runs
- A loud boom when the burners light, which points to delayed ignition
- Uneven heat, with certain rooms that never warm up
- Higher heating bills with less comfort to show for them
Early Action Saves Money
What seems like a minor issue today can take out a compressor or heat exchanger tomorrow. Call (650) 220-0821 at the first sign of trouble.
