Heating & Cooling

It's the full range of home comfort systems — furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, central air conditioning, ductless mini-splits, thermostats, and the ductwork that ties them together. Technicians repair, replace, install, and maintain these systems and the components inside them. Many local plumbing companies also handle heating and cooling, so you can often find one pro for both.

A lot of them do. Heating and cooling work overlaps with plumbing on gas lines, condensate drains, and whole-home systems, so many local plumbing companies also employ heating and cooling technicians or run a combined operation. Each profile shows whether a company covers HVAC alongside plumbing, so you can tell at a glance.

Common causes include a thermostat set or wired wrong, a tripped breaker, a clogged air filter choking airflow, a pilot or ignition fault on a gas furnace, or a blower motor problem. Some of these you can check yourself — the thermostat setting, the breaker, and a dirty filter. If the furnace still won't fire, a technician can diagnose the ignition, gas valve, or electrical fault behind it.

Age is the biggest factor. Most furnaces last 15 to 20 years; if yours is near the end of that range and needs a major part like a heat exchanger, replacing it is often the sounder long-term choice. Newer units, or smaller issues like an igniter or flame sensor, are usually worth repairing. A technician can inspect it and lay out the options honestly.

A heat pump both heats and cools — it moves heat rather than burning fuel, pulling warmth from outside air into the home in winter and reversing to cool in summer. A furnace only heats, by burning gas or using electric heat. Heat pumps are efficient in mild-to-moderate climates and are often paired with backup heat for cold snaps. A technician can tell you whether one suits your climate and home.

Frequent causes are a thermostat set to the wrong mode, a dirty air filter, a frozen evaporator coil, low refrigerant from a leak, or a failing compressor or capacitor. Start by checking the thermostat and filter and making sure the outdoor unit is clear of debris. If it still won't cool, a technician can check the refrigerant charge and the electrical and mechanical parts.

It comes down to age, the size of the fix, and how well it's been running. Most central AC systems last 12 to 15 years; an older unit needing a compressor or one that still uses phased-out refrigerant often makes more sense to replace. A newer unit with a bad capacitor or fan motor is usually an easy repair. A technician can weigh the condition and give you a straight recommendation.

A ductless mini-split is a heating and cooling system that skips ductwork — an outdoor unit connects to one or more wall or ceiling units that condition individual rooms. They're a strong fit for additions, converted spaces, older homes without ducts, or rooms that are always too hot or too cold. A technician can tell you how many indoor units your layout needs and where to place them.

Most often it's a clogged condensate drain line backing up, a full or cracked drain pan, or a frozen evaporator coil that melts and overflows. A dirty filter or low refrigerant can cause the coil to freeze in the first place. Clearing a blocked drain line is sometimes a simple task, but if the coil keeps freezing, a technician should find out why.

A seasonal tune-up typically covers cleaning or replacing the filter, checking refrigerant levels, inspecting and cleaning coils, testing the thermostat and electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, and confirming the system cycles correctly and safely. For gas heat, it also includes checking the burner and heat exchanger. The point is to catch small problems and keep the system running efficiently. A technician performs this as routine maintenance.

A good rhythm is once a year for each function — the cooling system checked in spring and the heating system in fall, before you lean on either. Changing the air filter every one to three months between visits keeps airflow healthy and eases the load on the equipment. Regular maintenance extends the system's life and helps head off breakdowns. A technician can set up a maintenance visit and show you how to change the filter yourself.

A blank or unresponsive thermostat often comes down to dead batteries, a tripped breaker, or a wiring fault, though sometimes the thermostat itself has failed. Upgrading to a programmable or smart thermostat can improve comfort and efficiency, but some models need a common wire that older setups lack. A technician can confirm your wiring and install a thermostat that works with your system.

Rooms that never reach the set temperature, weak airflow from some vents, rising energy use, and visible dust around registers can all point to leaky, disconnected, or undersized ducts. Air escaping through gaps means the system works harder to condition your home. A technician can inspect the ductwork, seal leaks, and confirm the ducts are sized and routed correctly.

Uneven temperatures usually trace back to duct problems, poor insulation, blocked or closed vents, an undersized system, or a home layout the ductwork was never balanced for. Sometimes it's as simple as a closed damper or furniture blocking a return. A technician can diagnose whether the fix is balancing the ducts, sealing leaks, or adding a zone or a mini-split for the trouble spot.

Sizing depends on your home's square footage, insulation, windows, ceiling height, and climate — not just the size of your old unit. An oversized system short-cycles and cools or heats unevenly, while an undersized one runs constantly and struggles on extreme days. A technician performs a load calculation to size the equipment properly rather than guessing from the old unit.

Boilers can lose heat from low water pressure, trapped air in the radiators, a faulty thermostat or circulator pump, or a pilot and ignition problem. Banging, gurgling, or whistling noises often mean trapped air, low pressure, or sediment buildup. Bleeding radiators sometimes helps, but persistent noise or no heat is worth having a technician inspect the pressure, pump, and controls.

Some situations go beyond comfort. If you smell gas, leave and call your gas utility from outside before anything else. If your carbon monoxide detector sounds, or a gas furnace shows soot, a persistent yellow burner flame, or a cracked heat exchanger, treat it as a hazard — shut the system down and get outside. Have a licensed technician inspect it before running it again; a combustion system that isn't venting properly is not something to run through.

Start with licensed, insured technicians near you who list the systems you have — furnace, boiler, heat pump, central air, or mini-split. Compare their listed services, service areas, and reviews, and favor a pro who sizes equipment with a load calculation rather than swapping like for like. Each profile lays out what a company covers, including whether they handle both plumbing and HVAC, so you can match one to the job.

Yes. Licensing shows a technician has met your state or local requirements, and insurance protects you if something goes wrong during the work. Heating and cooling work often involves gas, refrigerant, and electrical connections that carry real safety and code implications. Many local companies show their license and insurance details on their profile.