HVAC Repair in San Mateo, CA
If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers San Mateo County will get in touch.
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San Mateo County asks more of your furnace than your air conditioner
Your furnace runs from November through May here, seven months of the year. Winter nights average 43°F, mild compared to colder parts of the country, but the burner still cycles on and off through those months, and each start puts wear on the igniter and the ignition control board. Most homes here heat with gas, so when the igniter finally gives out, the furnace won't light at all.
Summer afternoons average 73°F, mild enough that cooling barely factors in. The bigger risk to your system here is the power itself. Wind events are common in this county, and close to a fifth of California households lost power for a full day or more last year. When the power drops and comes back, most furnaces and air conditioners restart on their own, but a system already struggling with a worn part may not recover the same way.
- 7 months
- November through May, your system heats
- 43°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 73°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $80 a year off heating and cooling for a typical San Mateo County home.
Estimates for a typical San Mateo 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.
That license comes from the Contractors State License Board. The board tests the contractor and keeps a record of them, and the license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so the same license stands behind whatever work they take on.
For a repair on a heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. It is not tied to this specific repair. It covers the contractor doing it.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and the setpoint is above the room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is more common than people expect. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker for the furnace and the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit, since that shuts it off for service. A furnace that still will not fire likely has an igniter, flame sensor, or gas supply problem, and those need a licensed contractor to diagnose. With winter lows here averaging 43°F, this is not something to leave for long.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, and when that happens the coil can ice over and the air coming out feels weak or warm even though the system is running. Check that the outdoor unit is not blocked by plants or debris, since it needs open air around it to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, the system may be low on refrigerant or have a failing part, and that calls for a licensed contractor to check pressures and find the cause.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings and batteries, since a dead battery or a setting changed by accident causes more no-heat and no-cool calls than people expect. Check the breaker box for a tripped breaker and look for a shutoff switch near the indoor or outdoor unit that may have been bumped off. Check the air filter and replace it if it looks gray or clogged, since restricted airflow causes problems on both the heating and cooling side. If the system still is not working after that, a licensed contractor will need to look at it, since anything involving the gas valve, refrigerant, or electrical components needs a license to work on in California.