Heating · Cooling
Furnace and heat pump repair in the Tri-Cities
A-One checks gas, venting and safety controls first, then finds the exact part that failed in your furnace or heat pump. Emergency service runs 24/7.
Chapter 01
Furnaces and heat pumps tend to fail at the igniter, the flame sensor or the defrost board
A gas furnace that will not start on a cold night usually has a small problem. The hot surface igniter cracks and no longer glows. The flame sensor, a thin rod that sits in the burner flame, gets coated with carbon, and the control board shuts the gas off after a few seconds because it thinks there is no flame. Pressure switches, inducer motors and blower capacitors are the other usual suspects. A cracked heat exchanger is rarer and far more serious.
Heat pumps fail differently. In a Tri-Cities cold snap the outdoor coil frosts, and the defrost board and sensor have to melt it off. When either one fails, the coil turns into a block of ice and the house gets little heat. A reversing valve that sticks, a failed contactor or a low refrigerant charge also leave a heat pump running without warming anything, while the backup heat strips carry the load and the power bill jumps.
Furnace and coil installed in an attic between roof trusses, with A-One service stickers on the cabinet
The tech checks safety first, then finds the exact part that failed
A furnace call begins with safety: the gas supply, the venting, carbon monoxide and the flame rollout switches. Then the tech follows the control board's sequence and watches the inducer, the igniter, the gas valve and the flame sense in order. The flame sensor is cleaned or replaced, the igniter is tested for resistance, the pressure switch and vent path are checked, and the blower and its capacitor are tested under load.
On a heat pump the tech watches a defrost cycle, tests the board and sensor, and reads refrigerant pressures and the temperature split. If a heat exchanger is cracked, or the system is past economical repair, the tech tells you plainly and lays out the options. A-One offers 24/7 emergency service, so a no-heat problem at midnight is a call worth making.
Chapter 03
A heater that fails once usually points at the filter, the clearances or a missed yearly check
Repeat heating failures often trace back to the same few causes: an overdue filter, a blocked return, dust on the flame sensor, or a heat pump outdoor unit buried in snow or leaves. Change the filter on schedule, keep the area around the outdoor unit clear and keep snow and ice off it. Frost that will not melt on its own is a reason to call, not a reason to chip at the coil.
Ask the tech what was found and what was replaced, and keep that note. Signs the problem is coming back include short cycling, a burning smell that lasts past the first start of the season, a flickering yellow flame, or a heat pump that runs its backup strips for hours. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave the house and call. A fall tune-up catches most of these, and A-One service parts carry a 2-Year Warranty.
A-One has repaired Tri-Cities furnaces and heat pumps since 1980. 2-Year Warranty on all service parts, with an optional 10 Year warranty on parts and labor.
Heating & CoolingSince 1980
More from the A-One Heating & Cooling crew
A heating tune-up from A-One follows the furnace or heat pump from thermostat to exhaust, so weak parts are found in the fall and not on the coldest night.
A-One sizes a heat pump or furnace to the house, checks the ducts and installs it with a tested line set and gas connections. Ask about rebates and financing.
A ductless system from A-One heats and cools the rooms your ducts never reached, with a thin line set to the outdoor unit and separate control in each space.