Heating Services in San Antonio, TX
San Antonio winters are mild by most standards, but "mild" doesn't mean predictable. A cold front can drop temperatures 40 degrees in an afternoon and hold them there for a week. When that happens, a heating system that hasn't been touched in two years becomes the most important thing in the house.
Above & Beyond Air Conditioning & Heating services, repairs, maintains, and installs heating systems across San Antonio and the surrounding area — furnaces, heat pumps, and boilers. Whatever your system is, we work on it.
We serve San Antonio, Helotes, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, Schertz, and Cibolo.
Heating Repair
A heating system that isn't working right in San Antonio usually gets ignored longer than it should — because most of the year, it doesn't matter. Then a cold front arrives and suddenly it matters a great deal.
The most common mistake homeowners make is waiting until the system stops completely before calling. By that point, what might have been a minor repair has often become a larger one. A furnace running on a failing ignitor, a heat pump limping through on a stuck reversing valve, a blower motor that's been noisy for months — these are fixable problems that become expensive ones when they're left alone.
We diagnose the actual cause of the problem, not just the symptom, and give you a straight answer on what it will take to fix it. We work on all makes and models of gas furnaces, electric furnaces, and heat pumps — and we carry common parts on our service vehicles.
Signs your heating system needs repair:
- The system runs but the house isn't getting warmer
- Heating cycles are shorter or longer than usual
- Unusual sounds — banging, rattling, screeching, or grinding
- A burning smell when the heat runs, especially persistent beyond the first cycle of the season
- The blower runs constantly but produces little heat
- Uneven temperatures — some rooms heat fine, others don't
- The system short-cycles — turns on and off rapidly without reaching temperature
- Your gas or electric bill jumped without a change in usage
Don't wait for a full breakdown. A repair call now is almost always cheaper than an emergency call in February.
Emergency Heating Repair
When the heat goes out during a San Antonio cold snap — especially with children, elderly family members, or anyone medically vulnerable in the home — that's not a situation to wait out. We provide emergency heating repair service and respond as fast as we can.
If you smell gas or your carbon monoxide detector is alarming, leave the house first, then call.
→ Emergency Heating Repair — what qualifies, what to do while you wait, and how we respond
Heating Maintenance
Most heating systems in San Antonio sit unused for six or seven months out of the year. That's not inherently a problem — but it does mean that when you flip the heat on for the first time in October or November, you're asking a system that's been idle since March to perform on demand.
Annual maintenance is how you find out whether it can — before you need it to.
What our heating maintenance covers:
- Burner inspection and cleaning (gas furnaces)
- Heat exchanger inspection for cracks or damage
- Ignitor and flame sensor testing
- Blower motor and belt inspection
- Electrical connections check and tightening
- Refrigerant level check (heat pumps)
- Coil cleaning (heat pumps)
- Filter inspection and replacement
- Thermostat calibration and accuracy check
- Flue and venting inspection
- Full system run and performance test
Why it matters in San Antonio specifically: Because the heating season is short, problems that develop over the summer often don't show up until the first cold night when the system actually runs. Maintenance catches those problems before they strand you without heat.
We recommend scheduling in the fall, before temperatures drop. We offer maintenance plans that include priority scheduling, service documentation for warranty purposes, and discounts on any repairs identified during the visit.
Furnace Installation & Replacement
Installation
When it's time for a new furnace — whether you're replacing an aging system or installing in a home that didn't have one — the single most important factor is getting the sizing right. An undersized furnace runs constantly and never quite heats the home. An oversized one short-cycles, wears out faster, and creates uneven temperatures. Neither is comfortable and neither is efficient.
We perform a proper load calculation before recommending equipment — accounting for your home's square footage, insulation, windows, ceiling height, and local climate. Then we match that to the right system and install it correctly.
We install gas furnaces, electric furnaces, and dual-fuel systems. Financing is available at 0% interest for qualified applicants.
What to expect from a new furnace:
- Quieter operation than systems more than 10 years old
- Significantly better efficiency — modern high-efficiency furnaces achieve 95%+ AFUE ratings
- More consistent temperatures throughout the home
- Warranty coverage — most manufacturers include 10-year parts warranties
Installation typically takes one to two days. We handle removal of the old system, connection to existing ductwork, and a full performance test before we leave.
When to Replace Instead of Repair
The honest answer most homeowners want: if your furnace is over 15 years old and the repair cost exceeds $800–$1,000, replacement is usually the smarter financial decision. You're paying to extend the life of a system that's already near the end of it. A new system comes with a warranty, better efficiency, and years of reliable service.
If your furnace is under 10 years old and the repair is straightforward, fix it. If it's in the gray zone, we'll give you both numbers and let you decide.
Heat Pump Services
Heat pumps are the most practical all-in-one comfort system for San Antonio's climate. They cool in summer and heat in winter using the same equipment — by moving heat rather than generating it. In a city where you need both functions and heating demand is relatively low, a heat pump often makes more financial sense than separate AC and furnace systems.
Why Heat Pumps Work Well in San Antonio
San Antonio rarely sees sustained temperatures below freezing, which is exactly the conditions where heat pumps are most efficient. Older heat pump technology struggled in extreme cold, but modern systems — especially variable-speed units — maintain strong efficiency well below freezing. In San Antonio's climate, a properly sized heat pump can handle heating duty reliably without a backup system in most years.
Additional benefits:
- One system for both heating and cooling — one maintenance visit covers both
- Lower operating costs than electric resistance heating
- Eligible for federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (25C) — currently up to $2,000 for qualifying high-efficiency heat pumps
- Variable-speed models provide more consistent comfort and better humidity control than single-stage systems
Heat Pump Installation
We assess your home's heating and cooling needs, recommend the right system size and type, and handle the full installation — outdoor unit placement, indoor air handler, refrigerant charge, electrical connections, and thermostat setup. We install ducted and ductless (mini-split) heat pump systems.
Heat Pump Repair
Heat pumps have a few failure modes specific to how they work — problems you won't encounter with a standard furnace or AC.
Reversing valve failure — The reversing valve is what allows the heat pump to switch between heating and cooling modes. When it fails or sticks, the system may be locked into one mode, blow lukewarm air in both modes, or produce a hissing sound near the outdoor unit. Reversing valve replacement requires refrigerant recovery and brazing — not a DIY repair.
Defrost cycle issues — Heat pumps periodically go into a defrost cycle in cold weather to prevent ice buildup on the outdoor coil. A system that ices over and doesn't defrost, or one that seems to be constantly defrosting, has a control issue that needs diagnosis.
Refrigerant problems — Like AC systems, heat pumps can develop refrigerant leaks that reduce both heating and cooling capacity. Signs include reduced output in both modes and ice formation on the coils.
Compressor issues — The compressor in a heat pump handles both heating and cooling load year-round. Signs of compressor trouble include the system running but not heating or cooling, loud mechanical sounds from the outdoor unit, or the breaker tripping repeatedly.
We diagnose and repair all heat pump issues — reversing valves, defrost controls, refrigerant leaks, compressor problems, and electrical faults.
Heat Pump Maintenance
Heat pumps benefit from maintenance twice a year — once before cooling season and once before heating season — because they're doing two different jobs and the components supporting each should be verified before demand peaks. A single annual visit in the fall covers the basics, but twice-yearly service extends equipment life and keeps efficiency high.
What We Service: Heating Components
Furnace Ignitor & Ignition System
The ignitor is what starts the combustion process in a gas furnace. Most modern furnaces use an electronic ignitor — a hot surface or spark type — that activates only when heat is called for. Older systems use a standing pilot light with a thermocouple safety device. When ignition fails, the furnace attempts to start, fails, and locks out — leaving you with a blower running but no heat. Common causes include a cracked ignitor, a dirty or failed flame sensor, or a gas supply problem. A yellow or flickering pilot flame instead of a steady blue one also signals a problem. Ignitor and flame sensor replacement is typically a fast, affordable repair — usually completed in under an hour.
Furnace Limit Switch
The limit switch monitors the furnace's internal temperature and shuts the burners off if the system overheats — it's a critical safety device. A furnace that repeatedly shuts off before the house reaches temperature, runs the blower nonstop without producing heat, or emits a burning smell may have a tripping limit switch. More often than not, the limit switch itself is fine and something else is causing the furnace to overheat — a clogged filter, blocked vents, or a failing blower. We diagnose the root cause rather than just replacing the switch and sending you on your way.
Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger separates combustion gases from the air circulating through your home. A crack in the heat exchanger is a genuine safety hazard — it can allow carbon monoxide to enter the living space without triggering any visible symptoms until CO levels build up. Signs include persistent burning smells when the heat runs, soot or discoloration around the furnace cabinet, or a CO detector alarming during heating cycles. Heat exchanger inspection is included in our annual maintenance visit. A cracked heat exchanger in an aging furnace almost always makes replacement the right call — the repair cost is high and the risk of continued operation is not worth it.
Blower Motor
The blower motor is what pushes heated air from the furnace through your ductwork into the living space. A failing blower produces weak or uneven airflow, makes grinding or squealing sounds, or fails outright — leaving the furnace generating heat with nowhere to put it. The limit switch will eventually shut the burners down to prevent overheating when the blower isn't doing its job. Blower motor replacement runs $400–$900 depending on the system.
Boiler Services
Boilers are uncommon in San Antonio residential homes — most houses here were built around forced-air systems — but they do appear in some older homes with radiant floor or baseboard heating. More commonly in this area, boilers are found in light commercial settings: dry cleaners, laundromats, and some food service operations where steam or continuous hot water is part of the operation.
A boiler heats water and distributes it as hot water or steam through radiators, baseboard units, or radiant floor systems rather than through ductwork. They're quiet, efficient, and long-lasting when properly maintained. Common issues include leaks from corroded pipes or fittings, pressure problems, pilot light failures, circulation pump wear, and mineral scale buildup that reduces efficiency over time.
Our boiler maintenance covers system draining and flushing, scale removal, burner and gauge inspection and cleaning, leak checks, lubrication of pumps and fans, and ventilation and combustion verification. If your home or business runs a boiler and it needs service, repair, or replacement, we handle it.
Thermostats
The thermostat is the control center for your entire heating system. An inaccurate or failing thermostat causes short-cycling, uneven heating, and wasted energy — even when the furnace or heat pump itself is perfectly healthy. We repair and replace all thermostat types and install smart and programmable models that can reduce heating and cooling costs by 20–30% through automated scheduling. See full thermostat services on our Air Conditioning page.
Why Above & Beyond?
We work on everything. Gas furnaces, electric furnaces, heat pumps, boilers — all makes and models. We don't turn you away because of your brand.
Honest repair-vs-replace guidance. We'll tell you when a repair makes sense and when it doesn't. You'll get real numbers, not a sales pitch.
Licensed, insured, and EPA-certified. All work is done to code by properly credentialed technicians.
No hidden fees. The price we quote is the price you pay.
Serving San Antonio, Helotes, Bulverde, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, Schertz, Cibolo, and surrounding communities.
Ready to schedule? Call Above & Beyond Air Conditioning & Heating at (210) 897-8658.