HVAC service, AC repair & heating repair in Santa Rosa, CA
HVAC Pros is a heating and air conditioning company on 4th Street in downtown Santa Rosa. We fix central air conditioners, gas furnaces, heat pumps, and ductless mini-splits, and install new ones when repair stops making sense. The phone is answered day and night, holidays included.
- Emergency calls at any hour
- Repairs explained before work starts
- Furnaces, AC, heat pumps & mini-splits
Call right away if:
These problems shouldn't wait until morning.
- The AC is out during a heat wave and someone at home is elderly, an infant, pregnant, or has a heart or lung condition.
- The furnace or heat pump quits on a cold night.
- Water is dripping through a ceiling or pooling around the furnace or air handler.
- You smell burning wiring or hot plastic, or a breaker keeps tripping.
Gas smell or carbon monoxide alarm? Get everyone outside first, then call 911 or PG&E. Call us once the gas utility or fire department says it's safe.
What we do
Heating and air conditioning services for Santa Rosa homes
HVAC service covers everything that heats, cools, and moves air through your house: the furnace or heat pump, the outdoor AC or heat pump unit, the indoor coil, the blower, the ductwork, the thermostat, and the filter. In most Santa Rosa homes that means a gas furnace paired with a central air conditioner. Homes built more recently, and homes that have already converted, often have a heat pump instead.
Older houses near downtown may have a wall furnace and no ducts at all. We work on all of these.
AC repair
Warm air from the vents, a humming outdoor unit with a stopped fan, ice on the line, or water from the indoor unit.
Furnace repair
Burners that click but won't light, flames that drop out, cold air from the vents, or a blinking fault code.
Heat pump repair & installation
Heat pumps stuck in defrost or leaning on backup heat, plus furnace-and-AC to heat pump conversions.
AC installation & replacement
Replacing a worn-out or R-22 air conditioner, or adding central air, with sizing, permit, and HERS testing.
Furnace installation & replacement
New furnaces sized to the house and vented correctly, compared side by side with heat pumps before 2029.
Ductless mini-splits
Heating and cooling for homes without ducts, ADUs, garage conversions, and the one room that never works.
HVAC maintenance & tune-ups
Spring cooling and fall heating checks: coil cleaning, electrical tests, drains, and combustion safety.
Indoor air quality & smoke filtration
MERV 13 filter cabinets, sealed returns, and ventilation settings that keep wildfire smoke out.
Ductwork repair & replacement
Leakage testing, sealing, and replacement of torn, crushed, or disconnected attic and crawlspace ducts.
Air duct cleaning
Ducts, blower, and coil cleaned after smoke, remodeling, rodents, or mold, and only when it will help.
Smart thermostat installation
Thermostats wired and configured for your furnace, AC, or heat pump, scheduled around PG&E's 4 to 9 p.m. peak.
24/7 emergency HVAC repair
No heat, no cooling in a heat wave, water through the ceiling, or a burning smell. Calls taken at any hour.
Troubleshooting
Common AC and heating problems in Santa Rosa homes
Most service calls start with one of a handful of symptoms. This table shows what usually causes each one and where to read more.
Use it as a starting point. 2 systems with the same symptom can still have different problems.
| What you notice | Common causes | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| AC runs but blows warm or barely cool air | Failed run capacitor, refrigerant leak, dirty condenser coil, compressor not starting | AC repair |
| Ice on the copper line or indoor coil | Clogged filter, weak blower, low refrigerant charge | AC repair |
| Furnace clicks, glows, or lights briefly, then quits | Dirty flame sensor, cracked hot surface ignitor, pressure switch or venting problem | Furnace repair |
| Thermostat shows "Aux" or "Emergency Heat" constantly | Heat pump not producing heat (low charge, reversing valve, defrost fault) | Heat pump repair |
| Water around the furnace or a stain on the ceiling | Clogged condensate drain, cracked drain pan, failed condensate pump | Emergency repair |
| Smoke smell indoors on fire-season days | Low-efficiency filter, filter bypass, leaky return duct in the attic or crawlspace | Smoke filtration |
| Musty smell or dust blowing from the vents | Leaky return pulling crawlspace or attic air, smoke residue, rodent activity | Duct repair or duct cleaning |
| Upstairs much hotter than downstairs | Undersized returns, duct leaks, one system serving 2 floors | 2-story homes |
| PG&E bill climbing with no change in use | Dirty coils, duct leakage, heat pump running on backup strips, aging equipment | Maintenance |
Local conditions
How Santa Rosa's climate and housing affect your HVAC system
The work an HVAC system does in Santa Rosa follows the local pattern: a long dry season and a short, wet heating season. These are the local conditions that matter most for your equipment.
Hot afternoons, late-season heat waves
Santa Rosa is far enough inland that summer afternoons regularly get hot, and heat waves push past 100°F. Marine air moving up through the Petaluma Gap usually cools the evenings.
Some of the hottest weeks come in September and early October, after the air conditioner has already run all summer. Weak capacitors and tired compressors tend to fail then, so a spring AC tune-up is worth booking before the heat starts.
A short heating season
Most homes need heat from about November through March, when nights drop into the 30s and 40s. Because the furnace sits unused for 6 or 7 months, dust, insects, and rodents get into it in the meantime, and those problems show up on the first cold night. Running the heat for 15 minutes in early October finds them while there's still time to schedule a furnace repair.
Wildfire smoke
The 2017 Tubbs Fire burned into Santa Rosa, the 2020 Glass Fire burned on the east side, and smoke from fires elsewhere in the region has covered the city for days at a time. A forced-air system can filter that smoke out of the indoor air, provided the filter and return ducts are set up for it. Our wildfire smoke filtration page explains how.
3 very different kinds of houses
Older homes around downtown sit on raised foundations, with ducts in the crawlspace or a wall furnace and no ducts. Ranch homes from the postwar decades usually have attic ductwork that's now 40 to 60 years old.
Then there are the thousands of homes rebuilt after the Tubbs Fire in neighborhoods like Coffey Park and Fountaingrove, built to current energy code with newer equipment. Each kind of house has its own common problems.
Permits for HVAC replacement in Santa Rosa
Replacing a furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, coil, or air handler is an alteration under California's Title 24 energy code. It needs a mechanical permit from the City of Santa Rosa and, in most cases, a duct leakage test and a refrigerant charge or airflow check by an independent HERS rater before the permit is closed.
Before you sign any replacement quote, ask whether the permit, the HERS testing, and any required duct sealing are included. Our AC installation page walks through the process.
How it works
What happens when you call HVAC Pros
From the first call to the final test, here is what to expect.
- You tell us what the system is doing. When it started, what you hear or smell, whether it's heating, cooling, or both, and any code on the thermostat or furnace. If you know the age or brand, that helps, but it isn't required.
- We get you on the schedule. Urgent problems are dispatched at any hour. Routine repairs and maintenance get booked for a time that works for you.
- A technician diagnoses the whole system. The thermostat, power, filter, blower, burners or compressor, refrigerant pressures, and condensate drain all get checked, because one failure often has a second cause behind it.
- You hear what's wrong and what the options are. The technician explains what failed and what the repair involves, and when the equipment is old enough, whether replacement deserves a look. No work starts until you decide.
- Repair, test, and clean up. After the repair, the system runs through a full cycle and the temperatures and pressures are measured again to confirm it's working.
- You know what to watch for. If something could come back, such as a slow refrigerant leak or a drain line that clogs easily, the technician tells you which signs to watch for.
What affects the cost of HVAC repair in Santa Rosa
The cost of an HVAC repair depends on which part failed, how hard the equipment is to reach, whether refrigerant is involved, and whether the call is after hours. A few specifics:
- The part. A capacitor, contactor, or flame sensor is a small repair. A compressor, an evaporator coil, a heat exchanger, or a variable-speed blower motor is a major one.
- Refrigerant. A low charge means there's a leak, and finding the leak takes time. Systems that still use R-22 cost more to recharge because that refrigerant is no longer produced.
- Access. Equipment in a summer attic, a tight crawlspace, or on a steep hillside lot takes longer to work on safely.
- Timing. Night, weekend, and holiday calls can carry after-hours charges. Ask about them on the phone before a technician is sent.
- What the repair uncovers. Water damage from a leaking drain, a corroded coil, or a venting problem that doesn't meet code may need fixing at the same time.
- Warranty. Many manufacturers cover parts for years if the equipment was registered. Labor is usually covered separately, if at all.
Repair or replace: how to decide
Repair usually makes sense when the system is under about 10 years old and the problem is a single part. Replacement is worth pricing when 2 or more of these apply:
- The air conditioner or heat pump is 12 to 15 years old or older, or the furnace is past about 20 (see furnace replacement).
- The system uses R-22 refrigerant and has a leak.
- The compressor or furnace heat exchanger has failed.
- You've paid for several repairs in the last couple of years.
- The house never gets comfortable, even when everything is working.
If you're replacing both heating and cooling, compare a new furnace and AC against a heat pump system. In Santa Rosa's mild winters, a heat pump handles both jobs with one outdoor unit. For houses without ducts, a ductless mini-split avoids opening walls and ceilings to run new ductwork.
Service area
Areas we serve in Santa Rosa
HVAC Pros works throughout the City of Santa Rosa, including ZIP codes 95401, 95403, 95404, 95405, 95407, and 95409. These neighborhood pages cover conditions specific to each area.
Fountaingrove
Hillside homes north of downtown, many rebuilt after 2017 with newer, more complex systems.
Coffey Park
Nearly every home was rebuilt after the Tubbs Fire, so much of the equipment is the same age.
Rincon Valley
East-side homes with warmer afternoons and original attic ductwork that is decades old.
Bennett Valley
Two-story homes from the 1970s and 1980s where one system serves both floors.
Roseland
Annexed in 2017, with older homes heated by wall furnaces and City permits replacing county ones.
We also work in downtown, Railroad Square, Montgomery Village, the Junior College area, the West End, Oakmont, and Skyhawk. If your address is just outside the city limits, call and ask. Coverage depends on the location and the job.
Why homeowners call us
What to expect from HVAC Pros
24/7 phone and emergency service
A heat wave or a midnight drain leak won't wait for business hours, so we take calls around the clock, including weekends and holidays.
4+ years in Santa Rosa
We've worked on Santa Rosa systems for more than 4 years: pre-war crawlspace ductwork, attic systems in ranch homes, and the high-efficiency equipment in fire-rebuilt houses.
Certified technicians
Heating and cooling work is done by certified HVAC technicians who diagnose the whole system before they replace any parts.
A real local address
Our office is at 1275 4th St in downtown Santa Rosa, central to every neighborhood on this page.
FAQ
Santa Rosa HVAC questions homeowners ask
How quickly can a technician come out?
We answer 24/7, and urgent problems such as no heat on a cold night, no cooling in a heat wave, or an active water leak are dispatched as soon as a technician is free. Wait times depend on how many calls are already waiting, which is highest during heat waves. Ask for an expected arrival time when you call.
Do I need a permit to replace my furnace or air conditioner in Santa Rosa?
Yes. Replacing a furnace, AC condenser, heat pump, coil, or air handler requires a mechanical permit from the City of Santa Rosa.
Most replacements also need HERS verification (a duct leakage test plus a refrigerant charge or airflow check) by an independent rater before the permit is closed. Ask any installer whether the permit and HERS testing are included in the quote.
Is it worth repairing a 15-year-old air conditioner?
It depends on the repair. A 15-year-old AC with a failed capacitor or contactor is usually worth fixing.
If the same system has a compressor failure, a leaking evaporator coil, or uses R-22 refrigerant, replacement usually costs less over the next few years than repairing it. Our AC replacement page covers what goes into that decision.
How often should I change my HVAC filter in Santa Rosa?
A standard 1-inch filter should be checked monthly and replaced at least every 2 to 3 months. During wildfire smoke events, check it every week, because smoke particles can load a filter in days. A 4-inch or 5-inch media filter usually lasts 6 months to a year in normal conditions, but it should also be checked after heavy smoke.
Should I run my heating and air system when there's wildfire smoke outside?
Yes, as long as the system recirculates indoor air and has a good filter (MERV 13 if the system can handle the airflow). Set the fan to "On" so it filters continuously, keep windows and doors closed, and switch off any fresh-air intake or whole-house fan until the air clears.
Do you work on heat pumps and ductless mini-splits, or just furnaces and AC?
We work on all 4: gas furnaces, central air conditioners, ducted heat pumps, and ductless mini-split systems, plus the ductwork, thermostats, and filtration that go with them. When you call, have the brand and model number from the equipment label ready. It speeds up the diagnosis.
Are you open on weekends and holidays?
Yes. HVAC Pros is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
Santa Rosa HVAC service
Need HVAC service in Santa Rosa today?
Tell us what your heating or cooling system is doing and we'll find the cause and give you a straight answer on whether it's worth fixing. Our office is at 1275 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.