Furnace repair in Northeast Philadelphia
Much of the Northeast was still farmland well into the 20th century, and a large share of its houses arrived in the building boom after World War II, when young families with GI Bill mortgages filled Rhawnhurst, Bustleton and the Far Northeast. Postwar twins, rows and ranchers like these were commonly built with a gas furnace and ductwork rather than radiators, and that ductwork often outlasts several furnaces. When a furnace of that era quits, look for a single worn part first: an igniter, a flame sensor, a draft inducer, a limit switch or a blower motor. We test it, show you what failed and give you the price before the repair starts.
Central air in Mayfair, Rhawnhurst and Bustleton
Mayfair’s builders gave their rows something new for city houses, a parking garage in back, and the twins of Rhawnhurst and Bustleton are open on one side, unlike the city’s older rows. That makes cooling simpler: the condenser can sit on a pad at ground level, and the furnace’s ducts can carry cooled air too. The weak spot is often the ductwork itself. Ducts sized for heat decades ago may be too small for today’s cooling loads, so a new air conditioner on old ducts can run long and still leave the bedrooms warm. We check airflow and duct leaks before we size a new system, not after.
Replacing a 1950s or 1960s system
Furnaces and air conditioners commonly last 15 to 20 years, so a house from the 1950s or 60s is usually on its third or fourth system, and the one in the basement now may be nearing the end. When it is time, there are three common paths. A high-efficiency gas furnace alone may qualify for a PGW EnergySense rebate. Replacing the furnace and central air together means the two are matched and share one installation. A heat pump with a gas furnace as backup moves part of the heating to electricity from PECO. We lay out the repair and replacement prices side by side so the decision is yours, and new systems can go in the next day.
Planning around the drive from Bala Cynwyd
We won’t pretend the Northeast is next door. Cottman Avenue at Roosevelt Boulevard is about 12 miles from our shop, and Somerton is about 18, so a visit takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on the Boulevard. That makes the routine side worth doing early. A $54 Seasonal Maintenance visit in the fall finds a weak igniter or a dirty flame sensor before January does. When something fails anyway, we make same-day repairs when we can and take no-heat calls around the clock.