Heater Not Working in Chandler? Heat Pump vs. Gas Furnace Fixes and What They Cost

The first cold morning in Chandler is when everyone finds out the heat hasn't run since March. Most of the time it's a small part: an ignitor, a flame sensor, a capacitor. Most heating repairs run $150 to $350. Here's how to figure out what you have, what to check before you call, and what the fixes cost. We do heating and AC repair across Chandler at the same pricing as Tempe.

First: heat pump or gas furnace?

Chandler has both, sometimes in the same house.

• Gas bill from Southwest Gas, and a flue pipe on the unit in the attic or on the roof? Gas furnace.
• All-electric house, and the outdoor unit runs when the heat is on? Heat pump.
• Thermostat has an "Em Heat" or "Aux" setting? Heat pump.

A two-system home can have one of each. Check both thermostats.

Five things to check before you call

1. Thermostat set to Heat, fan on Auto, a few degrees above room temperature. Replace the batteries if it has them. Blank screen? Start here.
2. Filter. A clogged filter overheats a furnace and trips its safety limit. It lights, runs a minute and quits.
3. Breakers. Furnace and air handler in the panel, plus the outdoor unit on a heat pump.
4. Burning-dust smell on the first run is normal and clears in an hour. A smell that stays, or smells electrical, isn't. Burning smell guide.
5. Heat pump blowing cool air for a few minutes with steam off the outdoor unit is a defrost cycle. That's normal. Cool air that never warms up isn't. Heat pump blowing cold air.

Smell gas? Leave the house and call Southwest Gas. Don't reset anything.

Gas furnace: what usually failed

• Clicks but won't light. Ignitor. Most common furnace call of the season.
• Lights, then shuts off in a few seconds. Dirty flame sensor.
• Inducer fan runs, nothing else happens. Pressure switch or a blocked drain or flue.
• Burners run, no air from the vents. Blower motor or its capacitor.

We run a carbon monoxide test on every gas visit and inspect the heat exchanger. A cracked heat exchanger is the one furnace failure that isn't a repair.

Heat pump: what usually failed

• Outdoor unit won't start. Capacitor or contactor, same as in summer.
• Outdoor unit iced over and staying that way. Defrost board or sensor.
• Runs in heat but blows cool. Reversing valve stuck, or low refrigerant.
• Works on mild days, can't keep up on cold nights. A failed heat strip or sequencer in the air handler.

More detail in heat pump not heating.

What heating repairs cost in Chandler

Same price list as our heating repair page. No extra charge for Chandler.

Attic furnaces and air handlers

Most Chandler two-stories have the furnace or air handler in the attic. Winter is the comfortable time to be up there, so it's also the right time to look at the things that cause summer problems: the drain line, the float switch and the duct connections. Ask the tech to check them on the same visit. If the upstairs ran hot last summer, say so.

Catch it before it fails

A fall heating tune-up is $59.95 per system. Gas furnace: ignition, burners, gas pressure, safety controls, heat exchanger inspection and a carbon monoxide test. Heat pump: run in heat mode, forced defrost cycle, each heat strip stage tested. Two-system pricing and what the visit covers are in AC tune-up in Chandler.

Repair or replace

A heat pump is your AC too, so a big heating repair on a 13-year-old unit is really a question about next summer. Past 12 years, with a reversing valve or compressor on the quote, price both. Numbers are in AC replacement cost in Chandler, and most Chandler homes are on SRP, which still pays Cool Cash on a qualifying heat pump.