Furnace Repair in Redwood City

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Redwood City winters are mild enough that many homes still rely on the heater they were built with: a wall furnace in the hallway, a floor furnace under a grille, or a forced-air unit in the garage or attic. Cool Aid repairs all three, working from our Santa Clara shop with licensed technicians and the same family ownership we have had since 1966.

The heaters we see in Redwood City homes

The city's housing ranges from older bungalows and postwar houses to newer townhomes along El Camino Real and near Downtown. Each generation of home tends to have its own kind of heat:

Wall and floor furnaces

These gravity or fan-assisted gas heaters warm one area directly with no ductwork. They are simple, but they are also often old, and parts can be hard to find. Common calls involve pilot assemblies, thermocouples, gas valves and blocked venting. Because they sit in living spaces, a cracked heat exchanger or venting problem deserves prompt attention.

Forced-air gas furnaces

Central furnaces with ductwork are the most common setup in houses built or remodeled over the past few decades. Typical repairs include igniters, flame sensors, pressure switches, inducer motors, blower motors and control boards.

Heat pumps

A growing number of homes heat with an electric heat pump. Heat pump repair covers the reversing valve, defrost controls, outdoor fan and refrigerant circuit as well as the indoor air handler.

Common no-heat problems

• Furnace clicks but never lights: often a failed igniter, dirty flame sensor or a pressure switch fault.
• Burners light, then shut off: frequently a flame sensor or venting issue, and occasionally an overheating limit caused by a clogged filter.
• Wall heater pilot will not stay lit: usually a thermocouple or gas valve problem.
• Blower runs constantly or not at all: a relay, control board, or motor failure.
• Uneven heat between rooms: duct leaks or undersized returns, common in homes where ducts were added later.

Since heaters in Redwood City may sit unused from spring until the first cold nights, dust on burners and weak igniters tend to show up all at once in fall. For a broader look at heating systems across the region, see our Bay Area furnace and heating guide.

Safety first: gas and carbon monoxide

Our technicians check burner operation, venting and combustion safety on every furnace call, not just the part that failed. Where we find a cracked heat exchanger or unsafe venting, we will tell you plainly and shut the appliance off if it is not safe to run.

Repair, or move to a heat pump?

An old wall furnace or a forced-air furnace near the end of its life raises a fair question: fix it, or replace it with an electric heat pump that also provides cooling? For Redwood City homeowners that choice has a local incentive attached. WestLight Energy, formerly Peninsula Clean Energy and San Mateo County's community electricity provider, offers a heat pump HVAC rebate of up to $2,500 that can be combined with other incentives (source). Check the program terms before signing a contract, since incentive rules change. Our Bay Area heat pump rebates page summarizes the programs we track.

Replacement is permitted work. Redwood City takes permit submittals online only, and an HVAC replacement needs a mechanical permit, plus an electrical permit for new circuits or panel upgrades (source). Heat pumps often need a new circuit, which is worth planning for. HERS verification may also be required (source). Our AC and heat pump installation page for Redwood City explains how we handle a changeout.

What to expect from a repair visit

We confirm the thermostat and power, test the ignition sequence and safeties, identify the failed component, and explain the fix before starting. Every repair carries our 1-year parts and labor warranty. We work on equipment from Daikin, Amana, Goodman, York, Trane and Carrier, among others. Our 24/7 emergency service covers no-heat calls outside business hours; see our emergency HVAC repair page for what to do in the meantime.

Keep the heater ready

A fall tune-up clears dust from burners, tests the igniter and flame sensor, and checks the venting before you need heat. Our yearly maintenance plan pairs that with a spring cooling check. If cooling is the issue instead, see AC repair in Redwood City.

For the full range of services we offer locally, visit our Redwood City HVAC and refrigeration page or our residential HVAC repair services. Comparing contractors? Our list of HVAC companies in Redwood City includes several local firms. Content is reviewed by owner Jim McKinny.

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Written and reviewed by Jim McKinny, owner of Cool Aid Air Conditioning & Refrigeration — California C-20 and C-38 licensed, EPA Universal certified, second generation of a family business serving the Bay Area since 1966. Every job we complete is backed by our 1-year parts & labor warranty.