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Heating Repair in San Antonio

San Antonio doesn't get cold often — but when it does, it hits fast. A broken furnace during a Texas cold snap is dangerous, not just uncomfortable. We repair all heating systems same-day, 7 days a week.

Schedule Heating Repair Call (210) 561-COOL

San Antonio's heating season is short but unpredictable. You might not touch your furnace from March to November — then a cold front drops overnight lows into the 20s and suddenly your heating system is the only thing between your family and a miserable (or dangerous) night. Systems that sit idle for 8 months have a habit of failing the first time you need them.

We repair every type of heating system — gas furnaces, electric furnaces, heat pumps in heat mode, and dual fuel systems. We've been doing this across San Antonio for over 24 years, and we understand the specific ways heating systems fail here. It's not the same as a city where furnaces run all winter. In San Antonio, the biggest killer is disuse: dust accumulates on burners, ignitors crack from thermal cycling, and gas valves stick from months of inactivity. We know where to look first.

Every heating repair includes a safety inspection at no extra charge — carbon monoxide testing, gas leak detection, and heat exchanger visual inspection. Heating systems involve combustion. We don't leave your house until we've confirmed it's safe.

Why Choose Our Heating Repair Service

Same-day service, 7 days a week. When your furnace dies during a cold snap, waiting until Monday isn't an option. We prioritize no-heat calls and carry the most common furnace parts on every truck.

All heating system types: gas furnaces, electric furnaces, heat pumps, and dual fuel systems. We're brand-agnostic — Trane, Carrier, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, York, and everything else installed in San Antonio homes.

Carbon monoxide and gas safety testing included with every repair. Not an upsell, not optional. CO is odorless and kills — we test for it every time we touch a gas appliance. Period.

Upfront pricing before any work starts. We diagnose the problem, explain what we found, and tell you the cost. You approve, or we don't touch it. Diagnostic fee applies toward the repair if you move forward.

1-year warranty on all heating repairs. If the same component fails within 12 months, we come back and fix it at no charge. Parts and labor.

Emergency after-hours service available. Cold snaps don't wait for business hours. After-hours surcharge of $134–$200 applies, but your heat will be running before morning.

Heating Problems We See in San Antonio

San Antonio heating failures follow a pattern: systems sit idle for 8 months, then get hit with sudden demand during a cold snap. Here are the calls we run most often between November and February.

Ignitor Failure

The most common furnace failure in San Antonio. Hot surface ignitors are fragile — they crack from thermal shock, especially when a system fires up for the first time after months of inactivity. Your furnace clicks, tries to light, then locks out after 3 failed attempts. Replacement is straightforward: $300–$450 with the part and labor.

Dirty or Stuck Gas Valve

Gas valves that sit closed for 8 months can stick or fail to open fully when heating season starts. Symptoms: furnace fires but produces weak heat, or it won't ignite at all despite the ignitor glowing. We test gas valve operation and pressure to determine if it needs cleaning, adjustment, or replacement.

Clogged Burners

Dust, spider webs, and debris accumulate on furnace burners during the long idle season. When the furnace fires, dirty burners produce uneven flames, delayed ignition (that "boom" sound), or incomplete combustion that raises carbon monoxide levels. We clean burners and inspect flame patterns to ensure clean, safe operation.

Cracked Heat Exchanger

The most serious furnace issue. The heat exchanger separates combustion gases from your breathable air. Cracks allow carbon monoxide into your home. Common in furnaces over 15 years old, especially those with a history of overheating from dirty filters or restricted airflow. If we find a crack, we'll recommend replacement — this is not a component you repair.

Blower Motor Failure

The blower motor pushes heated air through your ducts. When it fails, the furnace fires but no warm air reaches your rooms. You might hear the furnace running and feel nothing at the registers. Motors fail from bearing wear, dust accumulation, or electrical issues. Replacement runs $400–$800 depending on motor type.

Thermostat Issues

Before you call for a furnace repair, check your thermostat. Dead batteries, accidental mode changes (set to "cool" instead of "heat"), and programmed schedules that override your manual setting cause about 10% of our "no heat" calls. It's not a wasted trip — we'll verify the rest of the system while we're there — but it's worth checking first.

Flame Sensor Fouling

The flame sensor is a small metal rod that sits in the burner flame and confirms ignition. Over time, carbon builds up on the sensor and it can't detect the flame — so the furnace lights, runs for 3–5 seconds, then shuts off as a safety precaution. You'll see the ignition cycle repeat 3 times before the system locks out. Cleaning or replacing the flame sensor is a quick, inexpensive fix ($150–$250), but it's one of the most misdiagnosed furnace problems — we see homeowners told they need a new control board when they really just need a $5 sensor cleaning.

Draft Inducer Motor Failure

The draft inducer motor pulls combustion gases through the heat exchanger and out the flue. When it fails, the pressure switch won't close and the furnace refuses to ignite — a safety feature that prevents CO from building up in your home. You'll hear the motor hum or make grinding sounds before it quits completely. Replacement runs $400–$700. In San Antonio, these motors often fail from dust and debris that accumulate during the long idle summer months — another reason fall maintenance catches problems early.

What to Expect

You call, we schedule. No-heat calls during cold weather get same-day priority. We give you a 2-hour arrival window. If it's an emergency (gas smell, CO alarm, no heat with vulnerable occupants), we dispatch immediately.

Our technician starts with a safety check: carbon monoxide readings in the living space, gas leak detection around the furnace and gas line, and a visual inspection of the heat exchanger. Safety comes before the repair diagnosis — always.

Full system diagnostic: ignition sequence, burner flame pattern, gas pressure, blower motor amperage, temperature rise across the heat exchanger, thermostat operation, and ductwork airflow. We're identifying everything that's wrong, not just the first problem we find.

We explain the diagnosis in plain terms: what failed, why it likely failed, and what it costs to fix. If multiple components are failing and the system is old, we'll give you an honest comparison of repair cost vs. replacement cost. No pressure either way — it's your decision.

We complete the repair, test the full heating cycle (ignition through shutdown), and verify the temperature rise is within manufacturer spec. Then we recheck CO levels in the living space with the system running to confirm safe operation.

Before we leave, we document everything — what we found, what we fixed, and what we recommend watching. If your system is aging and likely to need more work, we'll tell you so you can plan instead of getting blindsided by another failure next cold snap.

Heating repair typically costs $300–$800 in San Antonio.

Diagnostic fee of $89–$250 is applied toward the repair if you move forward the same day. Safety inspection included at no extra charge.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Most heating repairs fall between $300 and $800. An ignitor replacement is on the lower end ($300–$450). Blower motor replacement runs $400–$800. Gas valve replacement is $350–$700. A cracked heat exchanger usually means full system replacement ($10,000–$15,000) because the part cost alone exceeds the value of repairing an old furnace. We charge a diagnostic fee of $89–$250 that applies toward the repair if you move forward.

Three things: First, check your thermostat — make sure it's set to "heat" (not "cool" or "off"), the temperature is set above room temp, and the batteries aren't dead. Second, check your air filter — a severely clogged filter can trigger a safety shutdown. Third, check the furnace switch (looks like a light switch, usually on the side of the unit or on a nearby wall) and the circuit breaker. If all three check out and it still won't start, call us.

Leave the house immediately. Don't flip any switches, don't use your phone inside, don't try to find the leak. Get everyone out, then call CPS Energy's gas emergency line (210-353-4357) from outside. They'll send someone to check. After the gas company clears the immediate danger, call us to inspect and repair the furnace. A gas smell near a furnace can be a cracked heat exchanger, a failed gas valve, or a loose gas connection — all of which need professional repair.

If your furnace is under 12 years old and the repair is under $500, repair is almost always the right call. Over 15 years old with a major component failure (heat exchanger, gas valve, control board), replacement usually makes more sense — you're putting expensive parts into a system where everything else is the same age. Between 12 and 15 years, it depends on repair history: if this is the first significant repair, fix it. If it's the second or third in two years, the system is telling you something.

Yes. Heat pumps use the same components for heating and cooling — they just reverse the refrigerant flow. Common heating-mode problems include stuck reversing valves (system blows cold instead of warm), defrost cycle failures (outdoor unit ices over), and low refrigerant (system runs but doesn't heat well). We diagnose and repair heat pumps in both modes.

That's dust burning off the heat exchanger and burners — totally normal after months of inactivity. It should clear within 20–30 minutes. If the burning smell persists beyond that, or if it smells like burning plastic or electrical insulation rather than dust, shut the system off and call us. Persistent burning smells can indicate a wiring issue, a failing motor, or something in contact with the heat exchanger that shouldn't be.

Extremely. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless — you can't detect it without a monitor. Low-level exposure causes headaches, dizziness, and nausea (often mistaken for flu). High-level exposure is fatal. The source in a furnace is almost always a cracked heat exchanger, which allows combustion gases into your ductwork. This is why every heating repair we do includes a CO safety check, and why we strongly recommend CO detectors on every level of your home, especially near bedrooms.

Annual maintenance in fall (October or November) catches most problems before heating season. Beyond that: change your filter before you start using heat for the season, run your furnace for 30 minutes on a mild day in October so it doesn't cold-start during a freeze, and make sure nothing is stored against or on top of your furnace (fire hazard). If you have a heat pump, keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves and debris. And install CO detectors if you don't have them.

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