McAllen Service Area
Heating Repair in McAllen, TX
Nine out of ten McAllen homes heat with electricity, so when the heat quits it is almost always a heat pump or a set of heat strips, not a gas furnace. Cool Aid finds which part failed and tells you the price before we fix it.
★ 4.9 (200 reviews) · Price Before Work · No Upsells
How McAllen Homes Actually Get Heat
Census survey data shows about 92 percent of occupied McAllen homes use electricity as their main heating fuel and only about 6 percent use utility gas. In practice that means two setups. Most houses have an air conditioner with electric heat strips inside the air handler, which work like the coils in a toaster. The rest have a heat pump, which is an air conditioner that can run in reverse, usually with strips as backup.
Knowing which one you have helps. Look at the thermostat. If it has an emergency heat or EM HEAT setting, you probably have a heat pump.
What Fails After Months of Sitting
Heat strips sit unused from March to December, then get asked to work hard on the first cold night. The usual failures are a burned out element, a tripped or blown thermal limit or fusible link, or a sequencer that no longer brings the strips on. On a heat pump it is more often the reversing valve, the defrost control, or an outdoor coil that iced over and never cleared.
A dusty smell for the first few minutes of the season is normal. That is a summer's worth of dust burning off the strips. A smell that lasts, smells like melting plastic, or comes with a tripped breaker is not normal. Turn the heat off and call.
Lessons From the February 2021 Freeze
On February 15, 2021, McAllen dropped to 21 degrees, a record for that date, and more than 110,000 people in the Valley were without power that morning. Heat pumps lose output as it gets colder and lean on their strips. When power came back, every system on the street started at once, and breakers tripped all over town.
If the power goes out in a freeze, set the thermostat to off until the lights have been back for a few minutes, then turn the heat on. It is easier on your breaker and on your equipment.
Using Emergency Heat Correctly
Emergency heat shuts off the heat pump and runs only the strips. It is meant for when the outdoor unit is broken, not for extra warmth on a cold night. Strips cost more per hour to run, so leaving it on emergency heat all winter shows up on your electric bill. If you find yourself using it because the heat pump is not keeping up, that is a repair call.
How Heating Repair Works in McAllen
- 1
Tell Us What You Have
Heat pump, heat strips or gas, and what it is doing: no heat, weak heat, a smell or a tripped breaker.
- 2
Test the Heating Side
We check elements, limits, sequencers, the reversing valve and defrost controls before anyone blames the thermostat.
- 3
Price First, Then Repair
You approve the price before work starts. The service call is free when you have us do the repair, and repairs carry a three month warranty on electrical parts.
4.9 out of 5 from 200 Google reviews
"He has been taking care of my air conditioning since 2020... Carlos is an amazing technician, he is extremely courteous, fast, honest, reliable... He doesn't try to sell you things you don't need, and he is always looking for ways to save you money."
Priscilla Ramirez
"Very prompt, professional and courteous service. Everything was explained in detail including what was being charged and why."
Roger Averitt
"This company has been loyal and good to me for many years. They are a business that you deal with the bosses directly. Carlos never misses a phone call and is very available."
Angie Perez
More HVAC Services in McAllen
McAllen Heating Repair FAQs
Why does my heat pump blow cool air in heat mode?
If it lasts a few minutes, the unit may be in defrost, which is normal on cold, damp mornings. If it lasts longer, the reversing valve, the defrost control or the refrigerant charge may be the problem. Call and we will check it.
Is a burning smell normal when I turn on the heat?
A light dusty smell for the first few minutes of the season is normal. A strong smell, a plastic smell, or a smell with a tripped breaker is not. Turn it off and call.
What does emergency heat do?
It runs only the electric heat strips and skips the heat pump. Use it when the outdoor unit is broken, and get the heat pump repaired, because strips cost more to run.
Do you repair gas furnaces in McAllen?
Our heating repair covers heat pumps, electric heat and furnaces. Only a small share of McAllen homes have gas heat, so tell us when you call so we bring the right parts.
Can you come at night when it is freezing?
No. We do not run after hours calls. Weekday hours are 7 AM to 7 PM, and weekend jobs are scheduled from morning to early afternoon. Call early and we will tell you where you are on the schedule.
Heat Not Working in McAllen?
Call and tell us what kind of system you have and what it is doing.