Heating repair

Heating and furnace repair in Garland, Texas

Garland's winters are short, but freezing nights still arrive most years. When the furnace quits, the cause is usually one of a handful of parts an independent HVAC contractor can test on the spot.

Call (469) 804-6158

How cold it gets here

National Weather Service normals for DFW Airport, the official station for the area, count about 29 days a year at or below freezing, most of them in December, January and February (NWS Fort Worth). That is enough for a furnace to sit idle for months and then be asked to run hard overnight.

Natural gas in Garland is delivered by Atmos Energy, which began a system modernization project in the city in 2025. If no gas appliance in the house works, the supply is the first thing to rule out.

Common reasons a furnace stops heating

Modern gas furnaces run through a fixed sequence: the inducer fan starts, a pressure switch proves the vent is clear, the igniter glows, gas flows and a flame sensor confirms the burners lit. A fault at any step stops the sequence and the furnace tries again or locks out.

Dirty flame sensor: the burners light, then shut off after a few seconds.
Cracked or worn hot-surface igniter: no glow, no flame.
Pressure switch trouble or a blocked vent: the inducer runs, nothing lights.
Clogged filter: the furnace overheats and the limit switch shuts the burners off.
Electric heat strips in an air handler: a failed element or sequencer, or a tripped breaker.

Gas furnace and coil cabinet in a house attic, reached by a plywood walkway, with a light bulb overhead

Before you call

Thermostat and power
Check the heat setting, batteries and the switch near the furnace that looks like a light switch.
Filter
Replace a clogged filter. Overheating from poor airflow is one of the simpler fixes.
Gas supply
If other gas appliances work, the supply is likely fine. If none do, contact Atmos Energy before anything else.
Status light
Many furnaces blink a code through a small window in the panel. Note the pattern for the contractor.

Carbon monoxide comes first

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas, with battery power or battery backup. It lists headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion as signs of poisoning.

If an alarm sounds or anyone feels those symptoms with the furnace running, get everyone outside and call 911 before thinking about repairs.

Repairs and the city permit

Garland's mechanical repair rules require gas appliances to connect through an approved flex connector with a listed gas stop, and a permit is needed when a heating unit is replaced. Ask the contractor whether your repair falls inside the permit rule before work starts.

Common questions

Why does the furnace smell when it first runs in fall?

Dust that settled on the heat exchanger and burners over the summer burns off. A smell that keeps going, or any smell of gas, is a reason to shut the furnace off and call.

The blower runs but the air is cold. What does that mean?

The burners are not lighting or are shutting off early. The flame sensor, igniter and pressure switch are the usual suspects.

Is a heating repair in winter handled by the same contractors as AC work?

Generally yes. Texas licenses air conditioning and refrigeration contractors for heating work as well, so the same firms handle both.

Where these facts come from

Talk it over with an independent HVAC contractor

Say what the equipment is doing and where it sits in the house. The contractor on the call can tell you what a visit would involve and whether the work needs a city permit.