Plenty of Los Angeles homes were never built with ductwork — older bungalows, Spanish-style houses, garage conversions, and room additions often rely on window units or nothing at all. Ripping open walls to install full ductwork is expensive and disruptive. That is...
In Southern California, your air conditioner works hard all summer and then your heater sits idle for months — until the first chilly evening when you flip it on and hope for the best. October is the ideal time for a fall HVAC tune-up: the cooling season is winding...
Residential and Commercial HVAC
Southern California winters are mild, but a furnace that fails on a cold night — or worse, one with a combustion problem — is not something to put off. Mars HVAC repairs gas furnaces for homes and businesses across Los Angeles and Orange County. As a licensed C-20 HVAC contractor (Mars Construction Industries Corp, CSLB Lic #1138550), we service all major furnace brands, and safety checks are part of every heating visit we make.
We start with a full diagnostic: ignition system, burners, flame sensor, heat exchanger condition, blower operation, flue and venting, and thermostat communication. Because a furnace burns fuel inside your home, we also inspect for cracks or corrosion that could allow combustion gases where they do not belong, and we confirm the system shuts down safely if something is wrong. Common repairs include:
Call for service if your furnace produces no heat or lukewarm air, cycles on and off repeatedly, makes banging, rattling, or whistling noises, needs constant thermostat adjustments, or if the burner flame looks yellow instead of blue. If a carbon monoxide detector ever alarms, leave the home and call emergency services first — then call us to inspect the equipment before it runs again. Strange odors when the heat first turns on each season are common from dust burn-off, but odors that persist deserve a visit.
Many furnace problems are economical to repair, and we will tell you plainly when they are. When replacement is the better path — an aging unit with a compromised heat exchanger, for example — you should know that furnace replacements in the South Coast Air Basin must meet low-NOx emission requirements under South Coast AQMD rules, and we install compliant equipment with permits and required testing. Homeowners replacing a furnace sometimes also compare a heat pump, which provides heating and cooling in one system.
An annual tune-up through our maintenance plans is the best way to catch furnace problems before the first cold snap. For repairs today, call Mars HVAC at 310.880.9718 or request service online. See the cities we cover on our areas served page.
Why does my furnace run for a few minutes and then shut off? Short cycling has several common causes: a dirty flame sensor, an overheating condition from restricted airflow, a failing limit switch, or a thermostat problem. It is worth a diagnostic visit, because a furnace that short-cycles is both uncomfortable and hard on its own components — and the underlying cause is usually correctable.
Is a yellow burner flame dangerous? A healthy gas flame burns mostly blue. A lazy yellow flame can indicate incomplete combustion, which is a carbon monoxide concern. If you see it, or if your carbon monoxide detector ever sounds, treat it seriously: leave the home, call emergency services if anyone feels ill, and have the equipment inspected before it runs again.
How often should a furnace be serviced? Once a year, ideally in the fall before you need it. Southern California furnaces sit idle most of the year, and that first cold start is when marginal igniters, sensors, and blowers tend to quit. An annual visit catches those parts while the weather is still forgiving.
Every Mars HVAC furnace visit includes combustion and safety checks along with the repair. Contact us and we will get your heat running right.