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Austin Heating
Austin Winters Are Short, Sudden and Hard on Equipment
Heating in Austin is a different problem than heating in Minneapolis. A furnace here might run 300 hours a year instead of 3,000, but it is asked to start cold, without warning, after sitting in a dusty attic through a 100-degree summer. A blue norther can drop the temperature 40 degrees in an afternoon, and the first real freeze of the season is when every furnace in Travis County gets its first test at the same time. February 2021 showed what happens when heat fails during a hard freeze: burst pipes, cold houses and a lot of families who wished the system had been checked in November.
The equipment varies by neighborhood. Older central Austin homes tend to have gas furnaces, some of them decades old, in closets or attics. The 1990s and 2000s subdivisions north and south often have gas furnaces paired with the AC, while a growing share of newer builds in Leander, Hutto, Manor and Kyle are all-electric with heat pumps. Hill Country homes past Dripping Springs may be on propane. We work on all of it, and we have since 1999.
The complete guide to our heating services for both markets is on the heating and air page. This one is about Austin.
- Fall tune-ups, before the freeze Care Club includes two HVAC tune-ups a year, one of them ahead of heating season.
- Quote before work, honored 72 hours Part of the Home Comfort Guarantee, with no hidden fees.
- Bonded, background-checked The technician in your attic is licensed, trained and vetted.
Before the First Freeze
Signs an Austin Heating System Will Not Make It Through the Cold
Most of these show up on the first cool night in November. Do not wait for the freeze in January to deal with them.
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A burning-dust smell the first time it runs
A few minutes of it is normal after an Austin summer in the attic. If it lasts, or smells electrical or like gas, shut it off and call.
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The heat pump runs but the air feels cool
Heat pump air is warm, not hot, which is normal. Air that is actually cold means a refrigerant or reversing-valve problem, or the auxiliary heat is not engaging.
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Furnace lights, runs a minute, shuts off
Short cycling. Commonly a dirty flame sensor, a clogged filter or an overheating limit switch. Cheap now, a no-heat call at midnight later.
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Booming or rumbling at startup
Delayed ignition on a gas furnace. Gas builds up before it lights. It is a safety issue, not a quirk.
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The electric bill spikes during a cold snap
A heat pump stuck on auxiliary strip heat. It keeps the house warm at several times the cost. Common after a freeze and easy to miss.
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The thermostat says heat, nothing happens
Could be the thermostat, a tripped safety, a failed igniter or a control board. Diagnosis first, then the part.
Heating Services
Heating Work We Do Across the Austin Area
Gas, electric, propane and heat pump systems, in attics, closets and garages from Georgetown to Buda.
- Furnace repair Igniters, flame sensors, blowers, limit switches and boards. 24/7 during freezes, at the same price as a weekday.
- Heat pump service Repair, maintenance and installation of the system that heats and cools most newer Austin homes.
- Fall heating tune-ups Burners, heat exchanger, safeties and airflow checked before the first cold front, not after.
- Furnace replacement When a heat exchanger is cracked or the unit is decades old. Sized for a short Austin winter, not oversized for a long one.
- Ductless heating Mini-splits heat as well as cool, a practical answer for a converted garage or a room the furnace never reached.
- Thermostats and controls Smart thermostats set up so heat pump auxiliary heat runs when it should and not when it should not.
- Attic insulation The same insulation that cuts summer cooling load keeps heat in during a January freeze.
- Emergency heating No heat during a hard freeze is an emergency for the pipes as much as the people. We answer around the clock.
How It Works
A Heating Call in Austin, Step by Step
Whether it is a fall tune-up or a no-heat call at midnight during a freeze.
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Call any hour
During a freeze, call volume across Austin spikes. Call early and tell us if anyone in the house is vulnerable to cold.
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Safety check and diagnosis
On gas furnaces, that includes the heat exchanger and combustion. We do not restart a furnace we would not run in our own home.
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Price first, in writing
Honored for 72 hours. If the furnace is worth replacing instead, we say so and show the numbers.
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Repair and verify
Full heating cycle tested before we leave, with the Home Comfort Guarantee behind the work.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
No Heat in Austin Tonight?
We answer 24/7, freeze or no freeze, and the quote comes before the work.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Our 18 year old HVAC system finally gave out this past week, so we reached out to Radiant to see what could be done. They sent a tech out named Bryan the same day, and he did a great job looking over the entire HVAC system. He was friendly and helpful in explaining everything that he saw, and our options moving forward. We decided to replace the entire system, so we met with Jacob (same day thankfully) to find the best HVAC system for our needs. Jacob was friendly, professional, and did a great job explaining the different options on offer. Radiant was able to set-up next day install, which was much appreciated, because the temps were still going to be cold in the coming days.
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
★★★★★
This is the first time I’ve used radiant my neighbor recommended them…. I called them today and they set me up an appointment on the same day. I was totally shocked at that and the service call was only $39!!…. Highly recommend them Danielle showed up and he was a great guy and he put up with all my wishy-washiness and I had to hurry him because I was heading to church and he got caught in a lot of traffic getting here he even would’ve installed the part that broke but I Didn’t have the time tonight….. He was patient with me and just told me to call the office first thing in the morning and get a service call set up…. Thank you so much Radiant!!….
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
★★★★★
My unit had been acting funky for a bit and then decided it would shed its mortal coil and go to the next life. I called an another company lets call them company A since I had a warranty with them thinking I could save a few bucks. They showed up 2 hours late of given window. Warranty didnt cover any of the perceived issues ( not really their fault, maybe). Double billed me (why pay 700 for a service call when you can pay 1400!!! ie: they ran my card twice) and then even though issue still wasnt fixed wanted to upsell me some more for close to 3k or get another sweet unit for an overpriced amount.
I'll admit I was getting desperate. Do I let the giant commercial bad guys win? Give them all my money I could be using on fishing gear? My neighbor happens to work at Schmidt Mechanical Group (shout out to Jared) and got me in touch with their service technicians for a 2nd opinion. ENTER Richard Moreno. Showed up at the beginning of time window. Diagnosed the multiple issues in a timely manner. Explained to me what was going on and why and hand held me through what needed to be done now and what to expect in the future. Worked on both of my units. My bill came to a FRACTION of what was recommended by company A. Mr. Moreno was very professional, kind, and honest. As a first time home owner whos been bamboozled by companies like company A, Schmidt Mechanical Group just gained a customer for life. Look forward to doing more business with them and their techs are awesome. Dont be like me and use company A first. Use this company.
I'll admit I was getting desperate. Do I let the giant commercial bad guys win? Give them all my money I could be using on fishing gear? My neighbor happens to work at Schmidt Mechanical Group (shout out to Jared) and got me in touch with their service technicians for a 2nd opinion. ENTER Richard Moreno. Showed up at the beginning of time window. Diagnosed the multiple issues in a timely manner. Explained to me what was going on and why and hand held me through what needed to be done now and what to expect in the future. Worked on both of my units. My bill came to a FRACTION of what was recommended by company A. Mr. Moreno was very professional, kind, and honest. As a first time home owner whos been bamboozled by companies like company A, Schmidt Mechanical Group just gained a customer for life. Look forward to doing more business with them and their techs are awesome. Dont be like me and use company A first. Use this company.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Austin Heating Questions
Do I really need a heating tune-up in a climate as mild as Austin’s?
Yes, and arguably more than in a cold climate, because your system spends nine months idle in a hot, dusty attic and then has to start under load on the first cold night. Dust settles on burners and flame sensors, insects nest in flues, rubber and plastic parts dry out in the heat, and none of it is discovered until the thermostat calls for heat. A fall tune-up checks combustion and safeties on gas furnaces, tests the reversing valve and auxiliary heat on heat pumps, and cleans what summer left behind. Care Club includes this visit along with the spring AC tune-up, for $9.99 a month.
What should I do about my heating system before a hard freeze like February 2021?
Test it a week ahead, not the night before. Turn the thermostat up several degrees and confirm warm air arrives at the vents within a few minutes; on a heat pump, check that the auxiliary heat engages if the outdoor unit ices up. Replace the filter. Make sure the outdoor unit of a heat pump is clear of leaves and debris so it can defrost. Then think about the plumbing, which is what failed in so many Austin homes in 2021: know where your main shutoff is, insulate exposed pipes and hose bibs, and open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls. Our frozen pipe page covers the rest.
Is a heat pump or a gas furnace better for an Austin home?
For most Austin homes built or renovated today, a heat pump is the efficient choice, because it handles the five-month cooling season as an air conditioner and the mild winter as a heater with the same equipment. Gas furnaces make sense when the house already has gas service and a furnace cabinet, when you want the hotter supply air a furnace produces, or when you want a backup that does not depend on the electric grid. Plenty of Austin homes do both: a heat pump with a gas furnace as the backup stage. We will lay out the options for your house on the Austin heat pumps page and in person.
How old is too old for a furnace in an Austin attic?
Age alone does not decide it, but an attic furnace in Austin lives a hard life: extreme heat all summer, dust, and starts under load every winter. Once a furnace is well past its expected life, the questions are whether the heat exchanger is sound, whether parts are still available and whether the repair in front of you costs a large fraction of a new unit. A cracked heat exchanger on a gas furnace is always a replacement; it cannot be safely repaired. For everything else we give you the repair price and the replacement price in writing and let you decide. Financing is available for replacements, subject to credit approval.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
