Heating and cooling · San Diego, CA
No cooling in August, no heat in January? Get an HVAC tech on the phone.
Heating and cooling failures are rarely convenient and occasionally dangerous. Call, tell us what the system is doing and give us your ZIP, and we will connect you to an independent HVAC company that covers your area.
Connects you to an independent HVAC company. Home Service Lab does not perform the work and does not set the price.
- AC not cooling
- No heat
- Furnace will not ignite
- Frozen unit or coil
- Blowing warm air
- Loud banging or grinding
- Thermostat unresponsive
- Sudden high bills
Before you call anyone
Two of these are safety issues. The rest will save you a call-out fee if it turns out to be something simple.
- If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, leave the building and call 911. Do not open windows and wait to see. CO is odourless and the alarm is the only warning you get. Furnaces and any gas appliance can produce it.
- If you smell gas, leave and call 911 and your gas utility from outside. No light switches, no phones inside, no relighting anything.
- Check the thermostat and the filter first. Flat batteries and a filter clogged solid are two of the most common causes of a system that has "failed", and both are free to rule out.
- Check the breaker and the furnace switch. Most furnaces have a switch that looks exactly like a light switch nearby. They get knocked off surprisingly often.
- If the AC unit is iced up, turn it off and let it thaw. Running a frozen system can destroy the compressor, which turns a repair into a replacement.
If it is genuinely freezing and you have no heat, say so on the call. A house without heat in sub-zero weather is a burst pipe waiting to happen, and that is a bigger bill than the furnace.
What HVAC companies get called for
The jobs that come through this line most.
Written so you know roughly what you are dealing with before anyone arrives. None of this replaces someone looking at it properly.
No heat in freezing weather
Prioritised everywhere, partly for you and partly because the follow-on frozen pipe damage is worse than the furnace fault.
AC out in extreme heat
Genuinely a health issue for older people, infants and anyone with a heart or respiratory condition. Worth saying on the call if that applies to your household.
Furnace will not ignite
Igniter, flame sensor, gas valve or a lockout after repeated failed attempts. Often a cheap part and a short visit, which is why it is worth having looked at rather than replaced.
Frozen evaporator coil
Usually low refrigerant or restricted airflow. The ice is a symptom. If nobody finds the cause, it will freeze again the week after it is thawed.
Blower or capacitor failure
A capacitor is a small, inexpensive part and a very common failure. If you are quoted a full system on the back of one, get a second opinion.
Condensate leaks and musty smells
A blocked condensate drain floods around the air handler, which is a water damage and eventually a mold problem rather than a cooling one.
In San Diego
San Diego's hottest days come late, and a new system needs a permit.
National Weather Service records for San Diego show that over 60 percent of the days at 90 degrees or higher have fallen in September and October, and the humidity on those days often drops below 20 percent. Those are the months a cooling system has to cope with here.
Installing or replacing HVAC equipment in a single-family home or duplex in the City of San Diego needs a Simple MEP permit, though no plans. That covers furnaces, condensing units, heat pump package units and mini-splits. A repair on its own needs no permit.
California licenses heating and air-conditioning contractors through the Contractors State License Board, under the C-20 classification. Ask for the license number before work starts.
Before you agree to work
Six things worth asking on the doorstep.
HVAC has the widest gap in this category between a small repair and a full system sale. These are the questions that keep you on the right side of it.
- Your license number and state, please.HVAC licensing varies more by state than plumbing or electrical, but where it applies it is verifiable.
- Do you hold EPA certification to handle refrigerant?Anyone working with refrigerant in the US is required to hold EPA Section 608 certification. It is a fair and easy question to ask.
- Are you carrying current liability insurance?Ask for the certificate. Gas appliances and roof-mounted units both carry real risk.
- What exactly failed, and what does that part cost?A specific answer is a good sign. "The system is old" is a sales position, not a diagnosis.
- If you are recommending replacement, why not repair?There are legitimate reasons — a cracked heat exchanger, a failed compressor on an old unit, obsolete refrigerant. Ask which one applies.
- Written estimate before you start.Parts, labor, call-out fee, and whether a permit is needed for a replacement. Many jurisdictions require one.
Cost
Why we will not quote you a price.
HVAC pricing swings more than any other trade on this site, because "no cooling" covers both a $20 part and a full system. What moves it:
- A capacitor and a compressor are both "the AC is not working" and are not remotely the same bill.
- Older systems using phased-out refrigerant are expensive to recharge, and that cost tends to push the repair-versus-replace decision on its own.
- Attic air handlers and roof-mounted units cost more in labor than a unit beside the house.
- Obsolete parts mean sourcing time, or no repair path at all.
- Replacements frequently need a permit and inspection. Ask whether that is in the number.
- The first heatwave and the first freeze are when everyone calls at once, and pricing reflects it.
Being straight with you
We route the call. We do not do the HVAC work.
This site is a free service to assist homeowners in connecting with local service contractors. All contractors are independent and this site does not warrant or guarantee any work performed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to verify that the hired contractor furnishes the necessary license and insurance required for the work being performed. All persons depicted in a photo or video are actors or models and not contractors listed on this site.
Questions
HVAC, answered.
How much does it cost to replace an HVAC system in San Diego?
We don't publish a price, because the HVAC company sets it after seeing the system and the house.
One local point to check: a replacement in a single-family home or duplex in the City of San Diego needs a Simple MEP permit, while a repair on its own doesn't. Ask whether the permit is in the quote.
Should I repair it or replace it?
The honest answer depends on the specific failure, the age of the system and what refrigerant it uses — not on a rule of thumb. A cheap part on a ten-year-old system is usually worth fixing; a failed compressor on the same system usually is not.
If someone recommends replacement, ask them to name the failed component and explain why repairing it is not sensible. A straight answer is a good sign.
Why is my AC frozen in the middle of summer?
Almost always either low refrigerant or restricted airflow — a blocked filter, a dirty coil, or a failing blower. Turn it off and let it thaw before anyone looks at it, and expect the visit to be about finding the cause rather than removing the ice.
What is the loud bang when it starts up?
Could be ductwork flexing, a failing compressor, or a loose blower wheel. It is one of the few HVAC symptoms genuinely worth recording on your phone — a technician can often narrow it down from the sound.
How often should the system be serviced?
Common guidance is once a year for a single system, or before each season if you have separate heating and cooling equipment. The filter is the part you should be checking far more often than that.
Is no heat an emergency?
In freezing weather, effectively yes — less for comfort than because an unheated house risks frozen and burst pipes, which is a far larger bill. Say so when you call so it is prioritised correctly.
Do you cover my ZIP code?
HVAC is one of our wider coverage trades. Call and give us the ZIP and we will tell you in under a minute rather than take your details and leave you waiting.
Other trades
Not what you are dealing with?
Still too hot, or too cold?
One call connects you to an independent HVAC company covering your ZIP. Free to connect, no obligation.
(833) 533-1252