Written by the licensed tech who answers our phone. What the symptom usually means, what's safe to check yourself, and when it's time to book a visit.
A furnace that gets looked at once a year outlives one that doesn't, and it isn't close. Here's the mechanism behind that, what a real tune-up actually includes, and how to tell one from a sales call.
Somebody went in your basement and came back up saying the furnace has to be replaced. Here is what actually ends a furnace, what is just a part, and how to get a second opinion that means something.
Your AC runs but the vents blow warm. Seven checks in order: thermostat, filter, iced coil, breaker, dirty condenser, realistic heat-wave expectations, and the point where it becomes a licensed repair.
Your AC won't turn on at all? Before you call anyone, run these six homeowner-safe checks: thermostat, breaker, outdoor disconnect, float switch, furnace switch, and a listen test. A good chunk of the dead-AC calls I get end here, free.
Your pilot lights, then dies the second you let go of the button. A weak flame sensor is the most common cause by far. Here's how the safety circuit works, what's safe to try once, and when it's time to call a licensed gas tech.
A furnace that fires up, runs a few minutes, then shuts down again is short cycling. Most cases trace to a plugged filter, a thermostat problem, or a blocked vent pipe. Here's what to check yourself and when to call a licensed tech.