Wall and floor furnaces are simple heaters, which is why so many installed decades ago are still running in older houses that never got ductwork. Simple also means the failures follow a pattern.
Most calls come down to a handful of parts: the pilot assembly, the thermocouple or thermopile, the gas valve, and the thin wire running to the thermostat. We check the safety side first, then find which one it is.
Older units are gravity models: warm air rises out of the top grille and cool air is drawn in at the bottom, with no blower at all. That simplicity is why so many are still running, and why the failures follow a short list.
Why people call us for wall and floor furnace repair
- Pilot will not stay lit
- Gas smell
- Grille too hot or discolored
- No heat in one room
- Thermostat not responding
$69 diagnostic, credited toward the work
- Gas valve and pilot inspection
- Thermocouple and burner service
- Venting and safety check
- Written repair or replacement options
How a wall or floor furnace visit goes
An owner answers the phone, 6am to 10pm, seven days, and we usually get to you within a few hours. Tell us what the system is doing and where it is. If it is not safe to run, we say so before anyone drives out.
The safety side comes first: the heat exchanger, the vent and the gas connections, and whether the house has working carbon monoxide alarms. Then the pilot, the thermocouple or thermopile, the gas valve and the thermostat wire, in that order. If a part is no longer available for the model, you hear that before any work starts.
Before any work starts you see a written price. Go ahead and the $69 diagnostic is credited toward it. Our labor carries a one-year warranty on top of the manufacturer's. The heater runs a full cycle before we leave.
We repair, maintain and install these brands. Logos identify the equipment we work on and do not imply endorsement by the manufacturer.
Before you call
Pilot will not stay lit
Usually the thermocouple. It sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it is safe to stay open. When it wears out, the valve shuts the gas off as soon as you release the button. Read more
Pilot lit, no main burner
On a thermopile model the thin wire to the thermostat and the thermostat itself are the usual suspects, then the gas valve. All of it can be narrowed down from the hallway before anyone opens a panel. Read more
A floor furnace is fine if it is looked after
Inspected, a clean burner, a sound heat exchanger and working carbon monoxide alarms in the house: that is a reasonable way to heat a small older home. One that has not been looked at in years is a question mark. Read more
When to move on
The decision is rarely urgent. It comes down to condition, whether parts are still available for the model, and whether you also want cooling, which a mini split adds in one unit. Read more
If it is time to move on from it
Common questions
Usually the thermocouple. It sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it is safe to stay open. When it wears out, the valve shuts the gas off as soon as you release the button. It is a small part. Read more
One that has been inspected, has a clean burner and a sound heat exchanger, and lives in a house with working carbon monoxide alarms is a reasonable way to heat a small older home. One that has not been looked at in years is a question mark. Read more
For many models, yes: pilots, thermocouples and thermopiles are common parts. Gas valves and anything specific to a discontinued model can be harder. We tell you before work starts if a part is a problem.
In a house with no ducts, usually a mini split, which also gives you cooling. The decision is rarely urgent. It depends on the heater's condition and whether you want air conditioning too. Read more
$69, told to you before you book. It covers the visit and a written quote, and it is credited toward the work if you go ahead.
Usually within a few hours. We are open 6am to 10pm, seven days.
Following the instructions on the unit's label, yes, once. If it will not stay lit after that, stop: the thermocouple or the valve needs a technician, and repeatedly holding the button open is not a fix.
Schedule service
Fill in the form or call. We are on the phones 6am–10pm.
818-277-5056Licensed #1119892 · Veteran-owned · Pasadena & Reseda