Heating and cooling services for Triangle homes
Everything we do starts with measuring. Temperatures, pressures, airflow, humidity. Then we tell you what's wrong, what it costs to fix and whether fixing it still makes sense.
How we price
Flat-rate and upfront. We'll tell you the diagnostic fee when you call. After testing, the tech gives you a written price for each option before any work starts, and the price doesn't change for nights or weekends. For replacements, you'll get a written proposal with the equipment, the scope and the timeline spelled out. Financing is available on approved credit.
AC repair & no-cool calls
Signs
- Warm or barely cool air from the vents
- Ice on the copper line at the outdoor unit or on the indoor coil
- Outdoor unit humming, clicking or not starting
- Water on the floor near the air handler, or a stain on the ceiling below an attic unit
- Breaker tripping when the AC kicks on
What we check and fix
- Electrical: capacitors, contactors, fan motors, wiring. A weak capacitor is one of the most common summer failures here.
- Refrigerant: we find and repair leaks instead of just adding refrigerant. When we do charge a system, we weigh it in to the manufacturer's spec.
- Coils: pollen-clogged outdoor coils and dirty indoor coils cleaned.
- Condensate: clogged drain lines flushed, float switches and secondary pans checked. Algae in drain lines loves Raleigh humidity.
- Airflow: filters, blower speed and duct restrictions that freeze coils.
Good to know
Older systems that use R-22 refrigerant are expensive to recharge because R-22 is no longer produced. If yours has a leak, we'll price the repair and a replacement side by side so you can decide.
Heat pumps
Most homes in Wake County use a heat pump for both heating and cooling. They're efficient here because our winters are mild, but they need to be set up right.
Signs your heat pump needs service
- Stuck in "aux" or "emergency heat" most of the winter, with high electric bills
- Outdoor unit iced solid and not defrosting
- Cool air from the vents in heat mode
- Short cycling, loud starts, or the reversing valve not switching
What we do
- Repair: defrost boards and sensors, reversing valves, compressors, outdoor fan motors, heat strips and sequencers
- Setup fixes: thermostat staging and aux heat lockout set correctly so heat strips only run when they're needed
- Replacement: single-stage, two-stage and variable-speed heat pumps, matched to a new air handler and sized to your house
- Cold-climate models for homeowners who want more output on the coldest nights
Rebates
Rebates, tax credits and utility programs for heat pumps change often. Ask us which rebates or utility programs may apply, and we'll give you what you need for the paperwork.
Gas furnaces & dual fuel
Some Triangle homes, especially older ones inside the Beltline and larger homes in North Raleigh and Cary, heat with gas.
What we do
- Furnace repair: igniters, flame sensors, inducer motors, pressure switches, control boards, blower motors
- Safety checks: heat exchanger inspection, venting, combustion and carbon monoxide checks. If we find a cracked heat exchanger, we'll shut the furnace off and show you why.
- Furnace replacement with high-efficiency or standard models
- Dual fuel: a heat pump does most of the heating and the gas furnace takes over on the coldest days. It's a strong option where gas is already in the house.
- Oil-to-heat-pump conversions in older homes, including coordinating removal of the old oil tank with a specialist
Smell gas? Leave the house now, don't flip switches, and call 911 or your gas utility's emergency number from outside.
System replacement & right-sizing
A lot of homes in the Triangle have systems that were oversized when the house was built. They cool fast and leave the air damp.
How we size and quote
- Load calculation based on your home's square footage, windows, insulation, orientation and ductwork, not the old unit's label
- Duct check: static pressure and a look at the ducts in the crawl space or attic. New equipment on bad ducts won't perform.
- Options side by side: usually a straight replacement, a higher-efficiency option and a heat pump or dual-fuel option, each with a flat-rate price
- Written proposal with equipment, scope, permits and timeline
Install day
Floor protection, careful removal of the old equipment, new line set or line-set flush as needed, new pad if the old one has sunk into the clay, permits pulled where required, startup and testing, and a walkthrough of your new thermostat.
Ductwork, crawl spaces & attics
In a lot of Raleigh homes, the ducts are the problem.
What we find
- Flex duct sagging, crushed or disconnected in vented crawl spaces
- Ducts and boots sweating in summer, dripping onto insulation and wood
- Leaky return ducts pulling in humid crawl-space or hot attic air
- Air handlers in attics with rusted pans and clogged secondary drains
- Too few returns, causing noisy vents and hot rooms
What we do
- Duct repair, sealing and re-strapping
- Full or partial duct replacement with properly sized, insulated ductwork
- Added returns and balancing dampers
- Crawl-space dehumidifiers for sealed or encapsulated crawl spaces. We work with encapsulation companies when the job needs both.
- Attic air handler pans, float switches and drain line upgrades
We take photos under the house and in the attic and show you everything before we quote.
Humidity control & indoor air
Humidity first
Indoor humidity above about 60% feels sticky and invites mold and dust mites. Before adding equipment, we fix the basics: right-sized equipment, fan set to auto, duct leaks sealed, airflow set for dehumidification. If that's not enough, we install whole-house dehumidifiers tied into your ductwork.
Filtration for pollen season
Media filter cabinets and higher-efficiency filters matched to what your blower can handle. We'll be honest about what air cleaners can and can't do.
Musty smells
A musty smell when the system starts usually points to a wet coil, a clogged drain pan or ducts in a damp crawl space. We find the cause and fix it, then talk about cleaning.
Ductless mini-splits
- Older homes in Oakwood, Five Points and Glenwood-Brooklyn without room for ducts, or with radiators and no AC
- Bonus rooms over the garage that never get cool enough
- Additions, sunrooms, garages and workshops
- Single-zone and multi-zone systems, wall, ceiling cassette or ducted mini units
Zoning & thermostats
Two-story homes in Cary, Apex and Wake Forest often have one system trying to cool both floors. Upstairs bakes, downstairs is a fridge.
- Two-system balancing and setup
- Zoning dampers and controls for single-system homes
- Smart and communicating thermostats installed and set up properly, including heat pump staging
- Airflow balancing between floors
Fernway Comfort Club
Two visits a year
- Spring cooling tune-up (after pollen season): coil cleaning, condensate line flush, refrigerant and electrical checks, capacitor test, temperature split and airflow
- Fall heating tune-up (before the first cold snap): defrost and aux heat test, furnace safety and combustion check if you have gas, heat strip check, thermostat staging
Member benefits
- Priority scheduling during heat waves and cold snaps
- A discount on repairs
- Written report with readings from every visit
Ask us what membership costs when you call. Cancel any time.
Service questions
How often should I change my filter?
For a standard one-inch filter, check it monthly and change it every one to three months, more often during spring pollen season or if you have pets. Thicker media filters can last longer. A clogged filter is one of the most common reasons we see frozen coils and no-cool calls in May.
Should I repair or replace my system?
It depends on the age, the repair and the condition of the rest of the system. As a rough rule, if the system is past fifteen years old and needs a major part like a compressor, replacement often makes more sense. We'll give you both prices and an honest opinion, then let you decide.
Why is water leaking from my AC?
Most often it's a clogged condensate drain line, which is very common in our humid climate. It can also be a rusted drain pan, a failed condensate pump or a frozen coil thawing. Turn the system off if water is reaching a ceiling, and call us. We'll clear it and add a float switch if you don't have one.
Do you work on crawl-space ducts?
Yes, and we're not shy about crawling under houses. We inspect, repair, seal and replace ductwork in crawl spaces and attics, add returns, and install crawl-space dehumidifiers. You'll see photos of everything we find before we give you a price, so you know exactly what's down there.