It will not turn on at all
No response from the thermostat, or the system tries and gives up. The cause sits in the ignition sequence, the controls, or the power supply.
Furnace and Heating Repair in Poway, CA
Heating faults here turn up on the first cold night, after the system has sat unused for ten months. Tell us what it is doing and we will find the fault, show you what failed, and put the price in writing before we touch anything.
Signs Your Furnace Needs Repair
Six things homeowners call us about. None of them is a diagnosis on its own, because the same symptom comes from several different faults.
It runs but blows cold air
The blower is working and the burners are not doing their part. Have it checked before you keep running it.
It starts, runs for a couple of minutes, then shuts off
Something in the safety chain is stopping it. That is the system protecting itself, and resetting it does nothing about whatever tripped it.
There is a smell when you first run it for the season
Dust burning off is normal and passes within an hour. Anything else is not normal, and a burning or sharp smell means shut it off and call.
Some rooms heat and some do not
The equipment may be fine. Uneven heat usually points at airflow and ductwork, which is a different job from a furnace repair.
The gas bill climbed and nothing else changed
A system working harder for the same result shows up on the bill before it shows up as a breakdown.
Problems We Diagnose and Repair
Seven groups of faults, what we check in each, and where a diagnosis can land.
Ignition and flame sensing
Igniters and flame sensors. A large share of no-heat calls come down to a dirty flame sensor or a failed igniter, and both are same-visit fixes.
Gas supply and controls
The gas valve, the supply pressure, and the firing sequence. We confirm the system is being asked to light and is able to.
Safety controls
Limit switches, pressure switches, and rollout switches. When one of these stops the furnace, the switch is usually doing its job and the cause is somewhere else.
Heat exchanger and combustion
We test combustion and check for carbon monoxide on every heating call, whether or not that is why you called. A cracked heat exchanger is the one furnace fault that matters more than money, and it cannot be seen without opening the unit.
Blower and airflow
The blower motor, the wheel, and the restrictions that make the system cycle on its limit switch.
Thermostat and control board
Including systems where the thermostat is the only thing that was ever wrong.
Venting and flue
Blockages, corrosion, and connections, which matter for both performance and safety.
We are a C-20 contractor, so HVAC is the only thing we do. There is no plumbing division to hand you off to.
Where the diagnosis lands depends on what it finds: a repair we can price on the spot, a part we need to source, or a conversation about whether this furnace is worth another repair.
Repair or Replace Your Furnace?
We are on your side on this one. Most heating calls we go out to are worth repairing, and when that is the case, we repair it and say so.
There is a real question worth answering here: is it worth repairing a furnace you run five times a year? Usually yes, and for a reason that is easy to miss. Light use is not gentle use. The system sits idle for ten months, and the parts that fail here are the ones that fail from sitting: igniters, flame sensors, and switches. Those repairs are small. A furnace in Poway can run for a long time on small repairs, and replacing it early rarely pays for itself in fuel savings, because you are not burning much fuel.
Replacement becomes the better answer when the heat exchanger has cracked, when parts for your model have been discontinued, or when the furnace is in the fifteen to twenty year range and the repairs are coming one after another. If you are also replacing the air conditioner, it is worth pricing both together, and worth asking whether a heat pump covers both jobs with one system.
We bring the repair price and the replacement price to the same visit and go through both with you. If replacement is the direction, that continues on our Furnace and Heating Replacement page.
How a Repair Visit Goes
- 1
You tell us what it is doing
Two minutes on the phone so we arrive with the right parts. If there is a burning smell or the system keeps tripping a breaker, say so first.
- 2
We diagnose before we quote
Always in that order. A price named against a symptom is a guess, and you are the one who pays for the guess.
- 3
You see what failed
We photograph the failed component and show it to you, then we talk about price.
- 4
You get the number in writing
Before any work starts. If the repair turns up a second problem, that comes back to you before we go further.
- 5
We repair it and test it
We run the full heating sequence, test combustion, confirm the system performs, and tell you what to watch for.
What Does Furnace Repair Cost?
We price the repair once we know what failed, so the number you get is the number for your fault.
What affects the price
- The component. An igniter and a heat exchanger are different orders of magnitude.
- Parts availability. Current equipment is stocked. Furnaces from the nineties often need parts sourced, and some are no longer made at all.
- Access. Attic and closet installations take longer to work on than a garage unit.
- Whether the fault has a cause behind it. A limit switch that keeps tripping is a symptom, and repairing only the switch means we will be back.
You get the repair price at the end of the diagnostic visit, in writing
- What failed
- Combustion test results
- The condition of the components around it
- Anything optional listed separately
Repair price
A second problem found mid repair comes back to you first.
Schedule a Diagnostic Visit
Why Homeowners Choose GVK for Furnace Repair
Diagnosis before recommendation
We find the cause first. Nothing gets quoted against a symptom, and nothing gets recommended before we know what failed.
Combustion and CO tested on every heating call
This is part of every heating visit, whether or not you asked for it. The one fault that matters more than money is the one you cannot see.
You see what we found
We photograph the failed component and show it to you, along with what happens to the rest of the system if it stays that way.
A written price before approved work
The scope and the number are in writing before anything starts. A second problem found mid repair comes back to you first.
A C-20 contractor since 2003
License #911659, bonded and insured. A 4.9 rating across 300+ reviews on Yelp and Google, and 600+ permitted projects on public record in San Diego County.
What Furnace Repair Looks Like
Furnace Repair Reviews
Dave M.Yelp review
“My impression of George is that he's a very honest person who takes a lot of pride in providing a high quality service.”
Read on YelpScott KanuhaGoogle review
“It was very clear that it was important to him that his service is high quality.”
Read on GoogleTom S.Yelp review
“We live in South Orange County and GVK Heating and Air were recommended to us — specifically Denys at GVK.”
Read on YelpOliver ChiongGoogle review
“They performed the first AC installation on my 30-year-old home.”
Read on GoogleGabe MagassyGoogle review
“He wants to meet your needs at a good price and he is a pleasure to work with.”
Read on GoogleServing All of San Diego County
We are based in Poway and work across all of San Diego County: repairs, replacements, maintenance, and tune-ups.
- Poway
- Rancho Bernardo
- 4S Ranch
- Carmel Mountain
- Sabre Springs
- Rancho Penasquitos
- Scripps Ranch
- Mira Mesa
- Escondido
- Ramona
- San Marcos
- Rancho Santa Fe
- Carmel Valley
- Del Mar
- Solana Beach
- Encinitas
- Carlsbad
- Oceanside
- La Jolla
- Valley Center
- Santee
- Lakeside
- El Cajon
- La Mesa
- Chula Vista
Furnace Repair FAQ
What does the diagnostic visit cost, and when do I find out the repair price?
Ask us what the visit costs when you call and we will tell you before we come out. The repair price comes at the end of that visit, in writing, once we know what failed and have checked the components around it.
How soon can you get here?
Call or send the form and we will tell you the first day we can be there before you commit to anything. Cold nights here arrive in clusters, so the first genuinely cold week of the year is the busiest week of our heating season.
Should I shut the system off before you arrive?
If there is a burning or sharp smell, or the system keeps tripping a breaker, shut it off and leave it off. Otherwise leave it as it is, because a fault we can watch happening is easier to find than one we have to reproduce. If you do not have a working carbon monoxide detector near the bedrooms, get one this week. It costs less than a service call.
Why does it smell when I first turn the heat on?
Dust settling on a heat exchanger over ten idle months burns off the first time you run it, and that smell clears within an hour. A smell that is sharp, burning, or does not clear is a different matter and worth a call the same day.
Is a cracked heat exchanger dangerous?
It is the one furnace fault where we stop and tell you plainly, because a crack can let combustion gases into the air you breathe. It cannot be seen without opening the unit, which is why combustion testing is part of every heating call we go out on.
Is it worth repairing a furnace I only run a few times a year?
Usually yes. In this climate furnaces fail from sitting idle, and light use does not protect them from that. Those repairs are small ones. Replacing early rarely pays for itself in fuel savings when you are not burning much fuel.
When does a repeat problem become a replacement conversation?
When the heat exchanger has cracked, when parts for your model are discontinued, or when the furnace is in the fifteen to twenty year range and repairs are coming one after another. We bring both prices to the same visit.
Related Home Comfort Services
Furnace and Heating Replacement
When the furnace is at the end of its working life and replacement is the question.
Explore Furnace and Heating Replacement
Furnace and Heating Maintenance
A tune-up before the season, which is how most of the faults on this page get caught early.
Explore Furnace and Heating Maintenance
Heat Pump Repair
If your heating comes from a heat pump, the diagnosis is a different job.
Explore Heat Pump Repair
Duct Repair
When some rooms heat and some do not, and the furnace itself is fine.
Explore Duct RepairGet Your Furnace Diagnosed
A diagnosis tells you what failed, what it costs to fix, and whether fixing it is worth it. In writing, with a photo of the part, and with combustion tested.
Call or text(619) 277-6279
Emailgvkhvac@yahoo.com
HoursMonday – Saturday, 9 AM – 5 PM
Office13459 Olive Tree Ln., Poway, CA 92064