The short answer
Heating repair starts with knowing what type of system you have: a gas furnace, a heat pump, a wall heater or a ductless unit. Each has its own common faults, and a technician narrows the cause by testing ignition, airflow, refrigerant and controls rather than guessing.
Heating in Campbell is not one kind of system. Walk down a single street in 95008 and you might find a gas forced-air furnace in one garage, a wall heater in the next house's hallway, a ductless heat pump on the back wall of a remodel, and an older floor furnace under a grille in the living room. They all fail in their own ways. ReliableAir HVAC Services repairs each of these heating types, driving about nine miles south from San Jose to reach Campbell. Instead of a general list of furnace problems, this page sorts common complaints by the kind of system you have, so you can describe what is happening and know what to expect from the visit.
If you have a gas forced-air furnace
This is the most common setup in Campbell. Typical calls involve burners that will not light, a blower that runs without heat, or heat that cuts out after a few minutes. Ignition parts, flame sensors, pressure switches and overheated limit switches account for much of it. Leaky ducts and blocked returns also make a working furnace feel weak, so we check airflow as part of the diagnosis.
If the furnace is older, we will also look at the heat exchanger and venting for any sign of combustion trouble.
If you have a heat pump
Heat pumps heat by moving warmth from outdoor air indoors. When one stops heating well, the cause is often a stuck reversing valve, a defrost control that is not cycling, low refrigerant from a leak, or a thermostat set up for the wrong equipment. Some homeowners call because the outdoor unit is steaming on a cold, damp morning. That is usually a normal defrost cycle, and we are glad to confirm it.
Electric backup strips, if your system has them, can also fail quietly, so a heat pump may keep the house warm on a mild day and fall behind on a colder night.
If you have a wall heater or floor furnace
Many older Campbell homes still rely on a gas wall heater in the hallway or a floor furnace beneath a metal grate. These simple units can last a long time, but they have pilot assemblies, thermocouples and gas valves that wear out. Dust and debris collect around the burners and grilles, which can cause odors and poor flame quality.
We repair these where it is safe and practical. When a unit has deteriorated past that point, we explain the options, which may include a ductless heat pump for the main living space.
Warning signs worth a call
Whatever system you have, a few symptoms deserve attention sooner rather than later.
- A gas smell: leave the house and call your gas utility from outside first.
- A carbon monoxide alarm: get everyone outside and call for emergency help.
- Heat that comes on and shuts off every few minutes.
- Grinding, banging or squealing from the blower or outdoor unit.
- Rooms at very different temperatures from each other.
- Utility bills climbing without a change in how you use the house.
Repairing older equipment under current rules
Some owners hesitate to repair an aging furnace or water heater because they have heard about new Air District rules. Those rules do not require replacing working equipment. They apply only when an existing furnace or water heater fails or is replaced. Repairing what you have remains a reasonable option.
If a repair is close to the value of the equipment, we will say so, and we can sketch out what a heat pump would involve so you can compare. For water heaters specifically, the zero-NOx date under Rule 9-6 was set for 2027, and the Air District Board is considering amendments in November 2026 that could delay it, so check the current rule before planning that replacement.
Our visit, step by step
We ask what you have noticed, look at the equipment and thermostat, and then test. For gas systems, that covers ignition, flame, gas pressure, venting and safety controls. For heat pumps, it covers refrigerant pressures, defrost operation and electrical components. You get a plain explanation and a clear scope before we start any repair, and afterward we run the system through a full heating cycle with you.
More services in Campbell
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- Furnace Repair in Campbell