The short answer
We repair furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps and ducts across southern San Mateo County, including Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks and La Honda. Expect a measured diagnosis and plain options before any repair starts.
About 26 miles northwest of our San Jose base, the southern end of San Mateo County mixes dense neighborhoods with wooded hill properties. We take service calls in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, North Fair Oaks, Atherton, Portola Valley and out toward La Honda. The jobs vary as much as the terrain: a wall furnace in a compact bungalow one day, a multi-zone system in a large estate the next, and a ductless head in a converted garage after that.
From the Bayside flats to the Skyline ridges
Homes near the Bay in East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks and much of Menlo Park sit in a milder pocket, so heating tends to get more use than cooling, and many older houses never had central air at all. Owners there often call about furnaces that run but cannot keep up, or about adding cooling without tearing open walls.
Further up, Atherton and Portola Valley properties are larger and frequently run two or more systems with zoning dampers. When one zone fails, the cause may be a damper motor, a control board or a thermostat rather than the furnace itself. La Honda, on the coastal side of the hills, brings damp, cool weather and longer drives, so we plan those visits with extra parts on the truck.
What we fix in this part of the county
Our technicians handle a broad mix of equipment here.
- Gas furnaces with ignition, inducer or limit switch faults
- Zoned systems where one area never reaches temperature
- Heat pumps and mini-splits with refrigerant or sensor problems
- Older floor and wall furnaces that need safe evaluation
- Leaky or crushed ductwork in crawlspaces and attics
Planning ahead for Air District rules
San Mateo County is covered by the Bay Area Air District. Its appliance standards do not require you to remove working equipment; they kick in when a furnace or water heater fails or is replaced. Gas furnaces manufactured from 2029 must meet a zero-NOx limit, so a replacement after that point will likely mean a heat pump. If you are weighing a water heater swap, note that the Rule 9-6 date was set for 2027 and the Board is considering changes in November 2026. For incentives, check BayREN and your clean energy provider; we confirm current offers before quoting.
Booking and the visit itself
Tell us the town, the equipment type and the symptom. We give you a window, call ahead, and on arrival test the system end to end. You see the readings, hear the cause, and choose between repair options in writing before any work begins.