HVAC Repair in San Jose, CA
Homes here need heat from November through May and cooling from July through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Santa Clara County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of work a year, most of it in the cold
Your furnace is the workhorse here. Heat runs from November through May, and on nights that average 39°F it cycles on and off for hours at a stretch. Each start puts the load on the igniter and the burner assembly. When one of those wears out, the furnace either won't light or won't stay lit, and you feel it fastest at night.
Summer is shorter but not gentle. Afternoons average 82°F for three months, and the air conditioner has to answer for it. Most homes here heat with gas, so the two systems rarely fail together, but Santa Clara County has logged 257 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Wind like that can knock the power out, and 17% of California households went at least 24 hours without it last year. Gas furnaces need electricity to run the blower and controls, so when the power drops, so does your heat, even with the gas still on.
- 7 months
- November through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- July through September, it cools
- 39°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $100 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Santa Clara County home.
Estimates for a typical Santa Clara County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, California fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when one part has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the furnace's heat exchanger is cracked, the air conditioner's compressor has failed, or repairs keep coming.
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the Contractors State License Board. It means the state tested this contractor and keeps a record of them, not just their business name. It covers the contractor as a whole, not the specific repair being done on your system.
For a repair like this, that license is what stands behind the work. Whoever shows up to fix your heating and cooling system is licensed as a contractor in California, and that license is the thing you can trace back if the work is done wrong.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Why is my heat not working?
- Check your thermostat first. Make sure it is set to heat and set a few degrees above room temperature, and check that the batteries are not dead. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel for a tripped breaker, since a furnace that lost power will not ignite. Gas furnaces also need a clear intake and exhaust vent, so if you have not had those checked in a while, that is worth a look before you call anyone. If none of that explains it, a licensed contractor can tell you whether the igniter, the flame sensor, or something else is the problem.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter blocking airflow, so check that first and replace it if it looks gray or clogged. If the filter is clean, look at the outdoor unit and clear away any leaves, grass clippings, or debris packed against the coil, since that blocks the heat exchange the system needs to cool the air. A system that runs constantly on an 82 degree afternoon without cooling the house may be low on refrigerant, and that is not something to add yourself. A licensed contractor can check refrigerant levels and find a leak if there is one.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm it is set to the mode you want, the temperature is set past room temperature, and the display is lit. Next check the breaker panel for anything tripped, and check that any furnace or air handler switch nearby is flipped on. Look at the air filter and replace it if it is dirty, since a blocked filter causes both heating and cooling problems. If your system is outside, clear leaves or debris away from it. If you have gone through all of that and the problem is still there, a licensed contractor can diagnose what the checks will not catch.