Heating Repair in Austin, TX

Home Heater Repair in Austin

A heater that sat idle for months often shows its problems on the first cool night of the season. Meritt HVAC Repair repairs every common type of home heating in the city, and the work covers the heat source, the blower, the controls and the thermostat.

Homes in Austin heat with either electricity or gas. Electric heat means heat pumps and air handlers with electric heat strips, and sometimes a wall heater in an older addition. Gas heat means furnaces, many of them in attics or hall closets, and some homes pair a heat pump with a gas furnace as backup. Each setup has its own controls, safeties and wiring, and the thermostat has to match the equipment it runs.

Heating Systems We Repair in Austin

• Gas furnaces: hot surface igniters, flame sensors, inducers, pressure switches, gas valves, control boards
• Electric furnaces and air handlers with heat strips: elements, sequencers, limit switches and relays
• Heat pumps: reversing valves, defrost boards, sensors and backup heat
• Blower motors and capacitors
• Thermostats and wiring

If the heater blows cold air, short cycles, trips a breaker, makes a new noise or will not come on at all, call (737) 295-1994.

Idle Heating Equipment

Equipment that sits idle for most of the year collects dust on the flame sensor and heat strips, and a burner can fail to light after months off. The first run of the season often brings a short burning smell as dust cooks off the heat exchanger or elements. That should fade quickly. A smell that stays, a heater that shuts off after a few minutes, or one that never warms the house means a part needs attention.

Older houses in Hyde Park and Travis Heights sometimes have small closet furnaces or wall heaters added decades after the house was built. Newer homes are more likely to run on heat pumps with strip heat as backup, and a heat pump stuck on backup heat shows up as a sudden jump in electric use.

Heating Repair Questions

Why does my heater blow cold air?

On a gas furnace, cold air usually means the burners are not lighting or are shutting off early, often from a dirty flame sensor, a failed igniter or a safety switch. On a heat pump, air can feel cool even when it is working, since it heats at a lower temperature than a furnace, but truly cold air points to a defrost or reversing valve problem. Also check that the thermostat fan is not set to on.

Why does my heater not come on?

Start with the thermostat: batteries, mode set to heat, and the set point above room temperature. Then check the breaker and the switch at the furnace or air handler. If those are fine, the cause is often a failed igniter, a tripped limit switch, a blown control fuse, a clogged condensate line on a high efficiency furnace, or a heat pump that is locked out.

Why does my heater keep shutting off?

A heater that starts and quits after a few minutes is usually being shut down by a safety. A dirty flame sensor tells the furnace the flame has gone out. A clogged filter lets the heat exchanger overheat and trips the high limit switch. A failing pressure switch or a blocked vent pipe can also stop the burners. On heat strips, a weak blower can trip the limit in the same way.

Why does my heater make a banging noise?

A bang right as a gas furnace lights usually means delayed ignition: gas builds up for a moment before it catches. Dirty burners or a weak igniter are the usual causes, and it needs a repair. Ducts that pop as they heat and cool make a different, lighter noise. A bang or thump from the blower area can mean a loose blower wheel or a failing motor mount.

Why does my heater keep running?

Check that the thermostat is on auto and the set point is reasonable. A heater that runs and runs on a cold night may simply be working hard, but one that never reaches the set point points to a dirty filter, leaky ducts in the attic, a heat pump running only on backup heat, or a thermostat that has drifted or is mounted near a draft.

Can a dirty furnace filter cause no heat?

Yes. A packed filter starves the furnace of air, and the heat exchanger overheats. The high limit switch then shuts the burners off to protect the furnace, and the blower keeps pushing cool air. Some furnaces lock out after several trips. Replacing the filter often brings the heat back, but if the limit switch keeps tripping, there may be a blower or duct problem as well.

Heating Repair Resources

• ASHRAE heating and cooling engineers
• AHRI heating and cooling manufacturers
• Hyde Park on Wikipedia
• Travis Heights on Wikipedia