Residential only
Furnaces around here sit idle most of the year and then get leaned on hard from November through February. That's when a marginal ignitor or a dirty flame sensor finally becomes a cold house. We repair and replace gas and electric furnaces in homes across Tacoma, Parkland, Spanaway, Lakewood, Puyallup and University Place. We do not promote oil furnace work.
Hot-surface ignitors, flame sensors, pressure switches, inducer and blower motors, limit switches and control boards account for most winter no-heat calls. We test the sequence of operation rather than swapping parts hopefully, then explain what failed and why it failed — because a part that failed early usually has a reason behind it, like restricted airflow or a plugged filter cabinet.
On gas equipment we check combustion, venting and the heat exchanger condition as part of the diagnosis. If something is genuinely unsafe you'll hear it plainly, with the evidence, and we'll walk through the options. If it's fine, you'll hear that too — a furnace being old is not by itself a reason to replace it.
We weigh the repair cost against the age, the condition of the heat exchanger and blower, and how the rest of the system is performing. Sometimes the honest answer is a $200 part and another five years. When replacement is genuinely the better call, you get practical equipment and price choices instead of one giant proposal.
If the furnace is at the end of its life, it's worth looking at what else the ductwork could support. Converting to a ducted heat pump adds real cooling and cuts heating cost for many Pierce County homes, and a dual-fuel setup keeps the furnace as backup where that fits better. We'll also flag utility or state incentives you may qualify for — eligibility varies, so we won't quote a rebate dollar figure.
Replacement pricing follows an on-site evaluation of the equipment, ductwork and airflow, gas and electrical requirements, access and layout. Permitting handled as required for the project; when other trades are needed we use trusted licensed, bonded and insured subcontractors.
Common questions
Start with the safe, obvious things: confirm the thermostat is set to heat and is calling, check that the breaker and the furnace switch (the light switch near the unit) are on, and change the filter if it's plugged — a badly restricted filter can trip a high-limit or keep the blower from moving enough air. If the house still isn't warming, or you smell gas, hear an unusual noise, or see soot or discoloration around the equipment, stop and call rather than keep cycling it. We diagnose the sequence of operation rather than swapping parts hopefully, so the call finds the actual cause.
It depends on the failure, the age of the unit, and the condition of the heat exchanger and blower. A hot-surface ignitor, flame sensor, pressure switch, inducer or blower motor, limit or control board is usually worth repairing. A cracked heat exchanger, a failed secondary on an older high-efficiency unit, or a string of repairs on a furnace past its useful life usually points toward replacement. You'll get the findings and the realistic options, including what happens if you wait — there's no replacement quota on our side of the table.
Yes, we repair and replace gas and electric furnaces in Pierce County homes. Gas work includes the combustion side — burners, flame sensor, ignitor, venting and the heat exchanger — which is also where the safety checks happen. Electric furnaces and electric air handlers have their own failure points (elements, sequencers, limit and fan controls) and no combustion or venting concerns, but airflow and filter condition matter just as much. We do not promote oil furnace work.
When the furnace is at the end of its life and the existing ductwork is in usable shape, a ducted heat pump is often worth looking at — it adds real cooling and cuts heating cost for many Tacoma and Pierce County homes, and cold-climate models hold useful capacity through the temperatures we typically see. A dual-fuel setup keeps a good furnace as backup where that fits better. The decision follows a look at the house — envelope, ducts, electrical service and outdoor placement — not a rule of thumb, and we'll flag any utility or state incentives you may qualify for without quoting a guaranteed rebate dollar.
Yes. Furnaces around here sit idle most of the year and then run hard from November through February, and a fall tune-up tends to catch the ignitor, flame sensor, burners, venting, heat exchanger, pressure switch and blower before they become a January no-heat call. Maintenance is scheduled work, not emergency service — if you have no heat right now, call instead of waiting on a form.