Furnace Repair Service in Coquitlam: Repair, Maintenance & Installation

Common Furnace Problems We Fix

• Furnace won't ignite. Often the pilot light or thermocouple on older units, or the igniter or ignition control on newer ones. On a high-efficiency furnace, a blocked vent pipe can also stop it from lighting.
• Cycling on and off too often. Can point to a dirty air filter, a thermostat issue, an overheating safety shutoff, or a furnace that's simply too big for the house.
• Blowing cold air. Sometimes it's the thermostat fan set to "on" instead of "auto." Other times it's a failed igniter, a gas valve problem, or a heating element on an electric furnace.
• Unusual noises. Banging, squealing, or rattling usually means a worn belt, a failing blower motor, or a loose component. A loud bang at start-up is different: it can mean delayed ignition, and that needs a look soon.
• Tripped breaker or pilot that won't stay lit. A single trip is usually nothing. If it happens repeatedly, something's actually wrong and needs a look.
• Some rooms warm, others cold. Closed or blocked registers, a clogged filter, a weak blower, or leaky ductwork can all leave parts of the house cold while the furnace runs fine.
• Water pooling around the furnace. On a high-efficiency furnace, this is usually a blocked or disconnected condensate drain line, the small pipe that carries away water the furnace makes as it runs.

Gas furnace repair and troubleshooting should always go through a licensed gas fitter. It's not just a formality: a mistake here risks a gas leak or carbon monoxide exposure. We handle that side of the job ourselves rather than subcontracting it out. Most of these are same-day service calls, since our furnace technicians carry common parts on the truck.

Some furnace problems can wait for a weekday appointment. Others can't. Call our emergency service line right away if:

• You have no heat on a cold night and someone at home is very young, elderly, or unwell.
• The furnace bangs loudly when it lights, or you see scorch marks near the burners.
• Water from the furnace is spreading toward finished flooring or into a basement suite.
• The breaker trips again every time the furnace tries to start.

If you smell gas or your carbon monoxide alarm goes off, don't troubleshoot. Get everyone out of the house, then call your gas utility's emergency line or 911 from outside. Once the gas side is safe, we can repair the furnace and find out what caused the furnace failure.

Need emergency furnace repair? Call (604) 873-3753, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A furnace in Coquitlam lives a different life than one on the Prairies. Our heating season is long, wet, and mostly mild. That pattern causes its own furnace problems, and several of them look like a broken furnace when they aren't.

• Wet leaves and needles on the vent pipes. Many streets in Coquitlam, Port Moody, and around Burnaby Mountain sit under tall cedars, firs, and maples. A high-efficiency natural gas furnace vents through two plastic pipes on an outside wall, often close to the ground. When wet leaves, needles, or moss pile up against them in the fall, the furnace can't breathe, and a safety switch shuts it down. The fix is sometimes a rake, not a part.
• Wildfire smoke in the summer. Smoky summers in BC load up a furnace air filter fast, especially if you run the furnace fan to move air around the house. A filter that looked fine in June can be clogged by October, right when you need heat. A clogged filter makes the furnace overheat and shut itself off.
• A first start-up that smells like burning. After months of sitting idle, dust settles on the burners and heat exchanger. A short burning-dust smell the first time the furnace runs in the fall is normal. A smell that doesn't fade, smells electrical, or smells like gas is not.
• One furnace, two households. Plenty of Tri-Cities and Burnaby houses have a basement suite sharing the main furnace and a single thermostat. When the suite is always too cold or too hot, the cause is often airflow and ductwork rather than a furnace problem. If the furnace room is inside the suite, give your tenant notice before the service call so the technician can get to it.

If you're seeing any of these, mention it when you call. It helps the technician come prepared.

A furnace tucked away in the basement or a utility closet is easy to forget about, right up until it fails on the coldest night of the year. Regular furnace maintenance, ideally before winter, catches small problems before they become expensive ones and keeps your furnace running when you need it. See our heating maintenance page for how we handle scheduling across all your systems, not just the furnace.

During a furnace inspection, we check the blower motor, belts, pulleys, control circuits, switches, burner assembly, heat exchanger, and safety components. We also confirm the combustion chamber is sealed properly and the flue pipe is venting combustion gases safely, and replace the air filter, which helps indoor air quality, furnace efficiency, and your utility bill all at once. On a high-efficiency furnace, the condensate drain and the outside vent pipes get checked too.

Regular maintenance also gives you a record of how your heating system is aging. That makes a future furnace replacement something you plan for, not something that happens to you in January.

Book your furnace tune-up. Call (604) 873-3753 or schedule online

The lifespan of your furnace depends on the model, how well it's been looked after, and how hard it works. Age alone isn't a reason to replace a furnace that still runs well. These are the factors that usually tip the decision one way or the other:

• The type of failure. A worn igniter, dirty flame sensor, or tired blower motor is a normal repair, even on an old furnace. A cracked heat exchanger is different. It can let combustion gases into the air you breathe, and on an older unit it usually means it's time to replace the furnace.
• Repair history. An old furnace that needs a service call every winter is telling you something. Repair costs keep adding up while the unit gets less reliable.
• Comfort and running costs. Uneven heat, constant noise, or a gas bill that keeps climbing can all point to a furnace near the end of its life. Newer high-efficiency models use noticeably less gas for the same heat.
• Parts. On some older units, replacement parts get harder to find over time.

If yours is getting up there in years, it's worth starting to consider replacing your furnace before it fails in the cold rather than after. Investing in a new furnace on your own schedule gives you time to choose the right size and type. For the general repair-versus-replace decision across all heating systems, see our heating repair page. When you're ready to talk about a new furnace, our heating installation page covers what a proper install involves, including the venting changes older homes often need. If your home uses hydronic or radiant heat instead of forced air, see our boiler service page.

Before You Call a Furnace Technician: A Few Things Worth Checking

A couple of quick checks before you call for furnace repair can save you a trip, or at least tell us what to expect before we arrive:



• Check the thermostat setting and its batteries. It happens to everyone.
• Check your electrical panel. If the breaker tripped once, reset it. If it trips again, that's a real issue and needs a technician.
• Check the pilot light. If it's out, you may be able to relight it. If it keeps going out, don't keep relighting it, call us.
• Check the filter. A dirty filter strains the system and is worth changing every few months regardless of anything else going on.
• Check the vent pipes outside. On a high-efficiency furnace, clear any leaves, needles, or snow away from the two plastic pipes on the outside wall.

Why Coquitlam Homeowners Choose KCs for Furnace Service

When you let someone work on the gas appliance that heats your home, you want to know who they are and where to find them next winter. KCs has been a family-run company in Coquitlam since 1993, working out of our shop on Fawcett Road. Our founder, Master Plumber Jack Japuncic, puts his name on this page. We're licensed gas fitters, insured, and BBB-accredited, and we serve Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Burnaby, and New Westminster.

That local accountability matters with furnaces, because a furnace is a long relationship. The same company can handle furnace repair and maintenance, and eventually the furnace installation, with one service history behind it. Every repair and installation is backed by our satisfaction guarantee, and our technicians carry common parts on the truck so most repairs get done in a single visit.

Because we're plumbers as well as gas fitters, the same visit can include a look at your hot water tank, tankless water heater, or electric water heater. See our full range of heating services for everything else we cover.

Do You Offer Emergency Furnace Repair?

Yes. Our emergency furnace repair services run 24 hours a day across Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities. If you smell gas, leave the house first and call your gas utility's emergency line from outside, then call us for the repair.

How Often Should a Furnace Be Serviced?

Once a year is the right baseline, ideally before winter, even in the Lower Mainland's relatively mild climate. An early fall visit also catches a filter clogged by summer smoke or vent pipes buried in leaves before the heating season starts.

What Furnace Brands Do You Work On?

All major brands, including American Standard, Trane, Bryant, and Rheem.

Is It Safe to Relight My Own Pilot Light?

Usually, yes, for a one-time relight. If it goes out repeatedly, that points to a real problem, and repeatedly relighting it isn't a fix. Many newer furnaces don't have a standing pilot at all. They use an electronic igniter, so there's nothing to relight.

How Much Does Furnace Repair Cost?

The cost of furnace repair depends on what has failed and how long the fix takes. Cleaning a dirty flame sensor and replacing a blower motor are very different jobs. See our rates page for current pricing information.

Why Does My High-Efficiency Furnace Keep Shutting Off?

The most common causes are a blocked outside vent pipe, a clogged condensate drain, or a dirty air filter that makes the furnace overheat. Check the filter and clear the two plastic vent pipes on the outside wall. If it still shuts off, it's time for a service call.

Why Does My Furnace Smell Like Burning When I First Turn It On?

Dust settles on the burners over the summer and burns off the first time the furnace runs. A short burning-dust smell is normal. If the smell doesn't fade, smells electrical, or smells like gas, shut the furnace off and call.

How Do I Know If My Furnace Needs Replacing Instead of Repairing?

Age and reliability are the main factors in whether you need a new furnace. An older furnace with frequent breakdowns is often costing you more in repairs and energy bills than a new high-efficiency model would. We'll give you an honest read on your specific unit.

Whether you need furnace repair, a tune-up, or it's time to talk about a new system, call KCs Plumbing & Heating at (604) 873-3753 or request service online. Our emergency line is open around the clock, so you're never waiting until morning to reach someone who can keep your home warm.

Serving Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Burnaby, and New Westminster. Call (604) 873-3753 today.

Written by Jack Japuncic, Master Plumber, founder of KCs Plumbing, Heating & Drain Services.