Emergency service · San Francisco
Furnace repair and installation in San Francisco.
Lutz Plumbing Inc., in business in San Francisco since 1929, repairs, services, and installs furnaces across the city. We troubleshoot a furnace that will not light or will not heat, service blower motors, inspect heat exchangers, check for carbon monoxide, and install a high-efficiency replacement when a furnace is past repair.
What this service includes
- No-heat troubleshooting and pilot light repair
- Blower motor service and heat exchanger inspection
- High-efficiency system installation with smart thermostat integration
- Zoning solutions and ductwork modification
- Annual tune-ups, filter replacement, and safety inspections
- Carbon monoxide checks and performance testing
Furnace repair in San Francisco, diagnosed before anything is replaced.
A furnace that will not light, will not stay lit, or moves air that never gets warm usually has one failed part rather than a failed system. Lutz Plumbing troubleshoots furnaces in San Francisco houses and flats, including the older homes we work in across Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, and the Richmond District.
We find out why the furnace stopped heating before we replace anything, and you get a written quote before the work starts. If the heat in your building comes from a boiler and radiators instead of ducts, see our boiler repair page or hydronic heating systems. If the furnace has just failed and the house is cold, start with emergency heating and HVAC service.
- No heat at all: we follow the call from the thermostat to the furnace, then check power, the gas supply, and the safety controls that shut a furnace down on purpose.
- A pilot light or ignition that will not stay lit: we service the pilot or ignition assembly and the safety controls that cut the gas when the flame drops out.
- Air moving but never warming: we check the burners, the filter, and the limit controls that make a furnace short-cycle before it reaches temperature.
- A blower that will not run, or runs and moves little air: we service the blower motor and replace the filter that is starving it.
- A cracked or suspect heat exchanger: we inspect the exchanger and test for carbon monoxide, because a failed exchanger is a safety problem rather than a comfort problem.
- Uneven heat from room to room: we look at the duct layout as well as the furnace, and we handle ductwork modification and zoning where the ducts are the real cause.
Furnace tune-ups, replacement, and high-efficiency installation
An annual tune-up is what keeps a furnace from failing on the first cold night of the year. Lutz Plumbing services furnaces on that yearly schedule: filter replacement, a safety inspection, a carbon monoxide check, and performance testing, so the system is verified rather than assumed.
When a furnace is past economical repair, we install the replacement and set it up for the house it heats: a high-efficiency system, smart thermostat integration, and zoning where separate floors or an addition need their own control. If you want warm air and domestic hot water from one system, a hydro furnace feeds a coil in the air handler from a boiler or water heater, and Lutz Plumbing designs, installs, and services those as well.
- Annual tune-ups: filter replacement, safety inspection, and performance testing before the heating season.
- Carbon monoxide checks: combustion and heat exchanger testing as part of furnace service.
- High-efficiency installation: a replacement furnace set up for the house, with smart thermostat integration.
- Zoning and ductwork modification: separate control where one thermostat cannot keep the whole building comfortable.
- Hydro furnace design and service: coils, pumps, and air handlers where the warm air comes from hot water.
Why neighbors call Lutz
We've been doing this in San Francisco since 1929. Over the decades we've learned that the best plumbing service has less to do with clever marketing and more to do with showing up on time, diagnosing honestly, and doing the work right the first time.
Every Furnaces job we take on comes with our craftsmanship warranty, fully licensed technicians, and transparent pricing. If you've been burned by the industry before, we hope we'll be the company that restores your faith in it.
Our process
- 1Diagnose
We inspect the actual problem with camera or thermal tools where it matters, before we quote anything.
- 2Quote
Written quote before any work starts. Simple jobs get a fixed price; complex ones get a clear scope plus how we'll handle anything we discover along the way. No surprise invoicing.
- 3Fix
Permitted, licensed, and to code. Tidy site management. Done in the smallest number of visits possible.
- 4Warranty
We sign off on our own work. If it's not right, we come back.
Common questions
Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
Air that moves but never warms usually means the burners are not firing, or are shutting down shortly after they light. Common causes are a failed ignition or pilot assembly, a safety control cutting the gas, or a clogged filter that lets the furnace overheat and stop. Lutz Plumbing checks the ignition, the gas supply, the filter, and the safety controls before replacing any part.
Why will my furnace not turn on at all?
A furnace that does nothing when the thermostat calls for heat is usually losing power, losing the thermostat signal, or being held off by a safety control that has done its job. Lutz Plumbing traces the call from the thermostat to the furnace, checks the switches and controls that shut a furnace down, and repairs the part that failed rather than replacing the system.
How often should a furnace be serviced?
Once a year, before the heating season, is the usual schedule for a gas furnace. A tune-up covers filter replacement, a safety inspection, a carbon monoxide check, and performance testing, which is how most no-heat failures are caught while they are still small. Lutz Plumbing services furnaces in San Francisco on that annual schedule.
Should I repair or replace my furnace?
Repair is usually the right call when one part has failed and the heat exchanger is sound, because ignition assemblies, blower motors, filters, and controls can each be replaced. Replacement makes more sense when the heat exchanger has failed, when the furnace is the wrong size for the house, or when repairs have become routine. Lutz Plumbing diagnoses the furnace first and gives you a written quote before the work starts, so the choice is yours.
Is a cracked heat exchanger dangerous?
Yes. The heat exchanger is what keeps combustion gases out of the air the furnace circulates, so a crack is a safety problem rather than a comfort problem and the furnace should not keep running. Lutz Plumbing inspects the heat exchanger and tests for carbon monoxide as part of furnace service, and a failed exchanger is a reason to replace the furnace rather than repair it.
What is the difference between a furnace and a boiler?
A furnace heats air and moves it through ducts. A boiler heats water and sends it to radiators, baseboards, or radiant floors. Plenty of San Francisco buildings have one or the other, and some have both. Lutz Plumbing works on both, so a no-heat call gets to the right system instead of the wrong technician.