These guides answer the heating and cooling questions that come up in homes in Tiburon, Belvedere and Mill Valley. Each one takes a single question, such as how to cut a summer cooling bill, and answers it plainly: what is going on, what usually causes it, what you can safely check yourself and when a technician should take over.
Why local homes need their own answers
The climate here shapes how heating and cooling systems get used. Summers are mild on most days, with fog and evening breezes, while the cool, damp months put most of the yearly work on the furnace or heat pump. Many homes are older, with ducts in attics or crawlspaces, and some hillside houses have large windows that let in a lot of afternoon sun. The guides keep those conditions in mind, so the advice fits the house you actually live in.
How to use a guide
- Read the first paragraph. It gives the short answer, so you may not need the rest.
- Try the safe checks in order. They are steps anyone can do, like checking the thermostat setting, the filter and the breaker, and they sometimes solve the problem outright.
- Use the cost section to understand what drives a price, so a quote makes sense before you agree to it.
- Stop where the guide says to stop. Refrigerant, gas lines and electrical parts are jobs for a trained technician.
What the guides won’t do
They won’t push a particular brand, and they won’t quote numbers we can’t stand behind. Where a price appears, it comes from our own published pricing. Where a choice depends on your house, such as repair or replace, the guide explains the tradeoffs and leaves the decision with you.
When to call instead of reading
If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. If the system stops working on a cold night or a hot afternoon, or you see water pooling near the equipment, skip the reading and call (650) 360-9230. Urgent heating and cooling problems are answered around the clock, and same-day service is available for less urgent repairs.
For routine care, AC maintenance in spring and a heating check before the rainy season keep small problems from turning into big ones. When something has already gone wrong, start with AC repair, heating repair or heat pump repair.