Straight answers.

It depends on the failed part, so we do not quote repairs over the phone. We diagnose the system, then hand you one firm price in writing before any work begins. There is no charge for hearing the number and deciding against it.

No. For a replacement or installation we measure the house and give you a written quote with options, at no cost. Repairs work differently: those need a diagnosis first, and the diagnosis is what tells us the real price.

Because an honest number needs a diagnosis. Two houses with the same symptom often need different repairs at different prices. Anyone quoting a firm repair price sight unseen is either guessing or planning to revise it once they arrive.

Three things, in order: the thermostat batteries and settings, the furnace switch on the wall nearby, and the filter. A clogged filter can overheat a furnace until its safety shuts it down. If you smell gas, skip all of it, leave, and call the gas utility from outside.

Age decides most of it. Furnaces last roughly 15 to 20 years. A cheap part in a young furnace is an easy repair; a large repair in an old one usually is not worth it. We price both paths in writing and tell you which we would choose ourselves.

Manufacturers publish a service life of about 15 to 20 years for a gas furnace. Iowa City works them hard, since the town runs about 6,114 heating degree days a year, so maintenance and how the house is run both move that number.

Yes. The city requires a mechanical permit for a new furnace and the work gets inspected. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection as part of the job, so the installation ends up on record with the city.

Check the thermostat, the breaker, and the filter first. A clogged filter can freeze the indoor coil into a block of ice, and a frozen coil cannot cool anything. If you see ice, shut the system off and let it thaw before running it again.

Usually a blocked condensate drain, which backs water up until it finds another way out. It can also be a frozen coil melting. Both are fixable, and both are worth handling quickly, since the water tends to find ceilings and drywall.

Commonly 12 to 15 years, though our short cooling season is gentler on equipment than the heating season is on furnaces. Age plus repair cost is the honest test: stacking repairs on an old unit is usually money spent twice.

Iowa City, Iowa, and only Iowa City. That is deliberate. Short drives mean faster arrival, and technicians who see the same housing stock every day get faster at diagnosing it. If you are just outside the city line, call and we will tell you straight.

We are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights, weekends, and holidays. A person answers the phone at any hour. Call and we will tell you honestly whether your problem needs someone tonight or can safely wait until morning.

Yes, for storefronts, restaurants, offices, and small buildings in Iowa City. If a facility needs an industrial mechanical contractor, we say so on the first call rather than learning on your equipment.

Call us either way. In most Iowa City rentals the owner has to approve a repair, so we help you reach your landlord and put the diagnosis in writing. Landlords get the same straight price we would give a homeowner.

We diagnose the problem, show you the part that failed, and give you one price in writing. Then you decide: fix it, replace it, or wait. Saying no is free and normal.