A senior tech, a 2-hour arrival window, and a written quote before any work starts.
A senior tech, a 2-hour arrival window, and a written quote before any work starts.
Furnace and heat pump repair across the Triangle, including the few hard-freeze nights North Carolina throws at us. Written pricing, senior techs, and no after-hours surcharge.
Three fields. Or just call — it is faster.
Heating faults split fairly cleanly between ignition problems on a gas furnace and refrigerant-side problems on a heat pump. Knowing which you have narrows it a long way.
| What is happening | Usual cause | How soon |
|---|---|---|
| Furnace will not ignite | Ignitor, flame sensor or gas valve. A furnace that clicks and then gives up is usually the ignitor. | Same day |
| Heat pump blowing cool air in heat mode | Reversing valve or a refrigerant problem — though see the note below, because some of this is normal. | Same day |
| Cycling on and off every few minutes | Short-cycling from a blocked filter, a badly sited thermostat, or an overheating limit switch tripping. | Within 24h |
| Auxiliary heat running constantly | The heat pump is not keeping up — low charge, a defrost fault, or controls set wrong. Expensive to leave alone. | Within 24h |
| Burning or acrid smell | Dust burn-off on the first cold night is normal and passes. A persistent acrid smell is not — shut it down and call. | Immediately |
| Cold rooms while the system runs | Duct leakage or an unbalanced zone rather than the heating equipment itself. | Within a few days |
Worth two minutes before booking a visit, particularly on the first genuinely cold night of the year when everyone calls at once.
A gas smell is not a service call. Leave the house, then call the gas utility from outside.
Plenty of Triangle homes heat with a gas furnace, plenty with a heat pump, and a fair number with both in a dual-fuel arrangement. They fail in completely different ways, which is why the first question on a no-heat call is which one you have.
A gas furnace fails at ignition — ignitor, flame sensor, gas valve, control board. The faults are electrical and mechanical, and the parts are mostly same-day.
A heat pump is an air conditioner running backwards, so it fails on the refrigerant side — reversing valve, defrost board, charge. If you have a heat pump, our heat pump page goes into what is normal winter behaviour and what is not.
The EM HEAT setting on a heat pump thermostat is the single most expensive button in most Triangle homes, and the name invites people to press it on the coldest night of the year.
It does not make the house warm faster. It shuts the heat pump off entirely and heats with electric resistance strips instead — the same technology as a toaster, and several times the running cost of the heat pump it just switched off.
It has exactly one legitimate use: the heat pump has actually failed and you need heat until someone can get to you. On a normal cold night, leave the thermostat on HEAT and let the system bring the auxiliary strips in by itself when it needs them. If auxiliary heat is running constantly on a mild day, that is a fault worth a call — it is quietly expensive.
Published ranges for the heating repairs we do most, across both furnaces and heat pumps.
| Repair | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic fee (waived if you proceed) | $159 |
| Furnace ignitor replacement | $295–$445 |
| Gas valve replacement | $445–$795 |
| Heat pump defrost board | $345–$595 |
| Furnace control board | $395–$695 |
| Heat exchanger replacement (major) | $1,400–$3,500 |
| Heat pump compressor (major) | $1,800–$3,500 |
No after-hours surcharge and no weekend surcharge, including on the nights everyone needs us at once.
Pick your city for local detail, response times and the neighbourhoods we cover most:
No. The price is the price whether it is a Tuesday morning or 2am on a Saturday during a hard freeze.
Air off a heat pump is warm rather than hot — typically well below what a gas furnace produces, so it can feel cool against your hand while still heating the house. If it is genuinely cold, that is a fault.
No. It switches the heat pump off and heats with resistance strips at several times the running cost. Leave it on HEAT and let the system stage the auxiliary heat in when it needs to.
Dust settling on the heat exchanger over summer burns off on the first few runs and passes within an hour or so. A persistent or acrid smell is different — shut it down and call.
Annually, before the heating season. Most manufacturer warranties require documented annual professional service to stay valid.
Yes — gas furnaces, electric furnaces, heat pumps and dual-fuel systems.
Call and we will get a senior tech to you. No overnight surcharge, no weekend surcharge.
A senior tech, a 2-hour arrival window, and a written quote before any work starts.
or call (919) 335-9030
One offer per visit. Not combinable with other discounts. Repairs only.
