The short answer
PrimeAir repairs furnaces and heat pumps in East Palo Alto homes, with 24/7 emergency service when your heat goes out. Bay Area Air District rules do not require replacing a working furnace, so repair is often a reasonable choice for equipment in good overall shape.
When your furnace or heat pump quits on a cold, damp East Palo Alto evening, you want a clear answer about what's wrong and what it will take to fix it. PrimeAir HVAC Repair Service handles heating repair for homes throughout East Palo Alto, traveling about 8 miles across the Bay from our base in Fremont. Winters here are mild compared with much of the country. Many heating systems sit unused for months and then run hard during a string of chilly, wet days. That on-and-off pattern tends to expose worn parts, dirty components, and ignition problems all at once. Our job is to find the actual cause, explain it in plain terms, and get your home warm again without pushing work you don't need.
Heating problems we commonly fix in East Palo Alto homes
Because heating systems near the Bay often go long stretches without running, the first cold snap of the season is when many problems show up. Dust settles on burners and sensors, filters get overlooked, and small electrical issues that went unnoticed in fall suddenly keep the system from starting. Damp winter air can also add to wear on some components over time.
These are the symptoms that most often lead East Palo Alto homeowners to call us:
- The furnace runs, but the air coming from the vents is cool or lukewarm
- The system won't start, or it starts and shuts off after a few minutes
- A burning-dust smell that lingers well past the first few minutes of the season
- Clicking, banging, squealing, or rattling from the furnace or air handler
- A heat pump that blows cold air in heating mode or ices up and stays iced
- Some rooms stay cold while others get too warm
- A thermostat that doesn't respond or doesn't match the actual room temperature
What happens during a heating repair visit
We start by asking what you've noticed: when the problem began, what sounds or smells came with it, and whether anything changed recently, such as a new thermostat or a tripped breaker. Then we check the system step by step. That includes the thermostat and wiring, the air filter, the ignition and flame sensor, the blower motor, the safety switches, and the airflow through your ducts. On a heat pump, we also check the outdoor unit, the refrigerant circuit, and the defrost controls.
Once we find the cause, we explain it and tell you what the repair involves before any work begins. If a part is near the end of its life but still working, we'll say so and let you decide whether to deal with it now or later. If the system has a safety issue, such as signs of a cracked heat exchanger or a gas smell, we'll explain the risk clearly and won't leave it running in an unsafe condition.
Repair or replace? What the Air District rules mean for you
Many East Palo Alto homeowners have heard that gas furnaces are being phased out and wonder whether they should repair at all. The Bay Area Air District's appliance rules do not require you to replace working equipment. They apply only when an existing furnace or water heater fails or is replaced. If your furnace can be repaired safely and is otherwise in decent shape, fixing it remains a legitimate choice.
Planning ahead still makes sense. Under the Air District's furnace rule, natural gas furnaces manufactured from 2029 on must meet a zero-NOx emission standard. In practice, that points homeowners toward heat pumps when a furnace is replaced after that date. If your furnace is older and needs frequent repairs, it can help to think now about whether a heat pump fits your home. That way you aren't making the decision in a hurry on a cold night.
Water heaters follow a separate rule. The zero-NOx date for small water heaters was set for 2027. The Air District Board is considering amendments in November 2026 that could delay it, so check the current rule before planning a water heater replacement.
Heat pumps and current incentives
If you're weighing a heat pump instead of another round of furnace repairs, it's worth knowing where incentives stand. The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit covered qualifying heat pumps placed in service before December 31, 2025. It is not available for new installations after that date.
Bay Area homeowners can still check BayREN and their local clean energy provider for current heat pump and electrification incentives. Amounts and availability change with each funding cycle, so we confirm the current offer before including it in any quote. We also repair existing heat pumps, so if you already have one, we can diagnose and fix it rather than replace it.
Emergency heating repair, day or night
Heating failures don't wait for business hours, and a cold house is especially hard on young children, older adults, and anyone with health concerns. PrimeAir offers 24/7 emergency service for East Palo Alto homes. If you smell gas, leave the house first and contact your gas utility or emergency services before calling us.
Besides East Palo Alto, we provide heating repair in nearby Menlo Park, Atherton, Redwood City, Mountain View, and Newark.
More services in East Palo Alto
- AC Repair in East Palo Alto
- Heat Pump Installation in East Palo Alto
- AC Installation in East Palo Alto
- Furnace Repair in East Palo Alto
