24/7 HVAC Repair in Eugene and Salem, With the Cause Found First
When your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner quits, we test it, find the part that failed and explain the cause before any repair starts. You get the price first, and we take emergency calls from Eugene, Springfield, Salem and Keizer homes 24 hours a day.
HVAC repairs we provide
We repair furnaces, heat pumps, central air and ductless systems in Eugene, Springfield, Salem and Keizer homes, including the ones already in your house. We find the cause first, explain it and give you a price before we start the repair, and we take emergency calls 24/7.
Furnace repair
Gas and electric furnaces that won't light, blow cold air or shut off partway through a cycle. We test the igniter, flame sensor, limit switch and blower to find which one stopped the heat. A furnace that lights and then quits within minutes often has a dirty flame sensor, one of the simpler furnace repairs.
Heat pump and dual fuel repair
A heat pump that blows cool air all day, ices over or leans on its backup heat. Our technicians test the reversing valve, defrost control and backup strips, and on a dual fuel system they check the handoff to the furnace too.
Central air conditioner repair
An AC that runs without cooling, freezes up or hums without starting. We test the capacitor and contactor, clean a matted outdoor coil and track down refrigerant leaks instead of topping off. Detail on AC repair.
Ductless mini-split repair
Wall heads that drip, flash a fault code or stop heating one room. We check the condensate line, read the code and test the outdoor unit that feeds every head of your ductless heat pump.
Thermostats, wiring and safety switches
A blank thermostat, a breaker that trips as the system starts, or a float switch that has shut everything down. We test the circuit, replace the control that failed and tell you what tripped it in the first place.
Drains, blowers and airflow
Water around the indoor unit, weak air at the registers or a bedroom that never keeps up. Our technicians replace condensate pumps and blower motors, clear drain lines and check the ducts feeding the room.
Shut the system off and call us for these
A gas smell or a carbon monoxide alarm is never a wait-and-see problem, so get everyone out of the house first and make the calls from outside, well away from any switch or flame.
- Gas smell (rotten eggs). Leave now, without flipping switches or using a phone or lighter indoors, and don't hunt for the leak. Once outside, call 911, then NW Natural at 800-882-3377.
- Carbon monoxide alarm. Get everyone into fresh air, call 911 and count heads. Stay out until responders clear the house, then book a furnace safety inspection before the gas appliances run again.
- Burning electrical smell, sparks or smoke. Turn the system off at the thermostat and the breaker.
- Water reaching any wiring. Switch the power off before you touch anything wet.
- Ice on the AC lines or outdoor unit. Turn cooling off and run the fan alone so it thaws. Running it frozen can ruin the compressor.
Symptoms we trace to a cause
Each symptom narrows the fault to a handful of parts, which is where our testing starts. Not sure what you have? An outdoor unit that runs in winter means a heat pump.
Cool air and steam from a heat pump
On cold, damp mornings that's normal defrost, with the heat pump running backward for a few minutes to melt frost off the outdoor coil. Call if the cool air never stops, the unit stays caked in ice, or AUX heat shows all day.
The AC runs but won't cool
The usual culprits are cottonwood fluff matting the outdoor coil, a failed capacitor stopping the outdoor fan, or refrigerant lost through a leak. On a 100-degree afternoon, though, a healthy AC can run nonstop and still sit a few degrees above the setting. That isn't a fault.
It starts and stops every few minutes
That's short cycling. A dirty filter, a tripped overheat switch, a thermostat near a heat source, oversized equipment or low refrigerant can each cause it. Change the filter first, and if the cycling carries on, we test the rest.
Water around the indoor unit
Air conditioners, and high-efficiency gas furnaces in winter, make water that a drain line carries off. A clog, a cracked pan or a dead condensate pump spills it, which is the usual reason an air conditioner leaks water indoors. We replace the pump or clear the line.
A new noise
Squealing from a loud AC points to a worn motor or belt, and buzzing with no start to a capacitor or the contactor, the relay that powers the outdoor unit. A bang as the burners light is different. Shut the furnace off and call.
A strange smell
Dust burning off the first time the heat runs each fall is normal and fades within minutes. Anything that lingers, smells of hot plastic or wiring, or smells like rotten eggs belongs with the warnings above.
The breaker keeps tripping
A failing blower motor, a weak capacitor, a wiring short or a hard-starting compressor can each overload the circuit. Reset the breaker once. After a second trip, leave it off, since repeated resets damage motors and wiring.
The bill jumped, but nothing feels different
Longer run times point to a dirty filter or coil, a worn part, or a heat pump leaning on its backup heat. Check that the thermostat isn't parked on EM heat. Past that, we inspect the coil and test the backup strips.
One room is off, or airflow is weak everywhere
Weak airflow from vents is more often a duct or filter fault than a failed unit. Make sure the filter and vents aren't blocked, then we check static pressure and the ductwork behind them.
Three checks to make before you call us
None of these needs tools, and one of them sometimes ends the problem on the spot. Skip them entirely if you smell gas or burning.
- Thermostat. Set it to HEAT or COOL a few degrees past room temperature, with the fan on AUTO. A fan left on ON blows between cycles, so the air feels cold.
- Drain pan. Standing water under the indoor unit means a blocked drain line, and a float switch may have shut the system off on purpose.
- Outdoor unit. Clear leaves, snow and cottonwood, and check that the shutoff box beside it is switched on.
How our diagnostic visit works
Which tests we run depends on the system and the symptom, but the order holds steady.
- You describe it. What it's doing, when it started and any blink code.
- Electrical tests. We check breaker and contactor voltage, capacitor readings and motor amp draw.
- Airflow and refrigerant. We check the filter, blower and static pressure, then read superheat and subcooling to separate a leak from an airflow fault.
- Combustion on gas furnaces. Ignition, flame, venting and carbon monoxide. A cracked heat exchanger means we shut the furnace off.
- The cause and a price. We explain what failed and why, and nothing starts until you approve.
- The repair. When an older system isn't worth fixing, we say so and put the repair and replacement numbers side by side for you.
Heating and cooling systems we diagnose and repair
Knowing your system type helps the office send the right technician, so match what you can see at home, whether that's an outdoor unit, a gas pipe or slim heads on the wall, to one of these system types.
Gas furnace
How to recognize itIndoor cabinet fed by a gas pipe, with a flue running outside
Learn moreFurnace and heating repair
Electric furnace or air handler
How to recognize itIndoor cabinet, no gas line
Learn moreFurnace and heating repair
Heat pump
How to recognize itOutdoor unit that runs winter and summer
Learn moreCentral heating and air systems
Dual fuel
How to recognize itOutdoor heat pump paired with an indoor gas furnace
Learn moreCentral heating and air systems
Central air conditioner
How to recognize itOutdoor unit that runs only in summer
Learn moreAC repair
Ductless heat pump
How to recognize itSlim heads high on the wall, no ducts
Learn moreDuctless heat pump repair
James Heating & Air Conditioning also repairs rooftop units and furnaces for shops, offices and rental buildings through its commercial HVAC repair and maintenance service.
Repairs Willamette Valley weather brings us
Damp valley winters hover near freezing, the exact weather that frosts heat pump coils, so a weak defrost control shows itself early. Summer brings two airflow problems at once. Cottonwood mats outdoor coils in late spring, and wildfire smoke can load a filter by September, which freezes AC coils and trips furnace overheat switches on the first cold night.
A fall or spring tune-up catches much of this before it becomes a breakdown, and a higher-rated filter chosen for wildfire smoke and indoor air quality helps if your blower can handle it.
Why homeowners call us for HVAC repair
James Heating has repaired heating and cooling systems in the Willamette Valley since 1983, as a family-owned company with offices in Eugene and Salem.
- Answered 24/7. We answer both numbers at night and on weekends, holidays included.
- Licensed, bonded and insured under Oregon CCB #47396.
- EPA 608 certified for the refrigerant side of AC and heat pump repairs.
- Ruud Authorized Dealer, and a Rheem Authorized Dealer in the Salem area, for the day a repair stops making sense.
- Straight answers on older systems. If a major part on an aging unit isn't worth replacing, you hear that before you spend on it.
HVAC repair questions
What is an HVAC diagnostic?
It's the testing that comes before a repair, covering electrical readings, airflow and refrigerant measurements and, on a gas furnace, a combustion check. It names the failed part, so you pay to fix the fault rather than for parts swapped in on a guess.
How much does HVAC repair cost?
We quote once we've found the cause, and the office tells you the diagnostic fee when you call. A capacitor or igniter is a small job; a blower motor, control board or compressor is larger. Ordered parts, a tight attic and leak repairs before a recharge add to it. Replacing the whole system is a different calculation, where size, ductwork and the permit drive an HVAC installation price.
What does AUX or EM heat mean on my thermostat?
AUX is auxiliary heat, the heat pump's backup (electric strips or a gas furnace), which switches on by itself when the heat pump can't keep up. EM is emergency heat, a manual setting that runs only the backup. Either one showing all day on a mild day is worth a call, because backup heat is the costliest way to warm the house.
Why does my AC freeze up?
Ice forms when the coil gets too cold, from too little airflow or too little refrigerant. A clogged filter or a failing blower causes the first and a leak causes the second. Our technicians test both, then replace the filter or blower or repair the leak.
What does the blinking light on my furnace mean?
It's a fault code, and the number of blinks tells our technicians which circuit or part tripped. Count them through the window in the lower door and give the office the number. Leave the door on, since removing it cuts power and can clear the code.
My system uses R-22. Can it still be repaired?
Yes. James Heating repairs R-22 systems with recovered and reclaimed refrigerant, and the EPA doesn't require you to replace one. New R-22 hasn't been made or imported in the U.S. since January 1, 2020, so supply is limited, and a leak on an older R-22 system is where the repair-or-replace question usually starts. R-410A systems can still be serviced and recharged, while new equipment has moved to refrigerants such as R-454B as part of the AC refrigerant change.
Our HVAC repair service areas
Our technicians cover Lane County and the Mid-Valley, so a repair call gets a technician near your home.
What our customers say
"We are very pleased with the professional attitude and workmanship that your technician did for us. We will surely recommend your company to our friends."
K. Thiele
"We appreciate your courteous and prompt service, it is so reassuring to know that we can depend on you to help us if we have problems."
The Richmonds
Gallery
See James Heating and Air Conditioning at work. Explore our gallery of residential and commercial HVAC installations and repair services.
Book an HVAC repair visit
James Heating dispatches a technician day or night, so describe the symptom when you call. Call Eugene at (541) 461-2101 or Salem at (503) 581-9982, or send us a message.
Call Eugene at (541) 461-2101 or Salem at (503) 581-9982.
Oregon CCB #47396 · Family-owned since 1983 · Licensed, bonded and insured · Offices in Eugene and Salem
