When the AC stops cooling, the furnace will not light, the refrigerator warms up or the dryer stops heating, the fastest route to a fix is the same: name the symptom, rule out the simple causes, and judge how urgent it is. These pages are written for homeowners in San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Castro Valley who want to understand what is going on before they book a visit.
Call right away
- Gas smell: leave the house first, then call 911 or your gas company from outside.
- Carbon monoxide alarm, burning or electrical smell, or a breaker that trips again after one reset.
- Water coming through a ceiling or spreading across the floor.
- No heat in cold weather or no cooling in a heat spell, especially with infants or elderly people at home.
- A refrigerator or freezer that is not cold, before the food is at risk.
Check these first
Many calls end with a simple fix: the thermostat mode, setpoint and batteries; a clogged air filter; a tripped breaker or a switched-off service switch; a blocked vent or a buried outdoor unit; a refrigerator door that does not seal; a kinked drain hose. A few minutes of checking also gives the technician useful information if you do need a visit.
Heating and cooling problems
The three guides below go step by step. AC not cooling works through the thermostat, filter and outdoor unit and explains what each result means. Furnace not heating starts with the gas and carbon monoxide warning signs, then covers cold air, burners that will not stay lit and short cycling. AC making noise sorts sounds into normal, schedule soon and switch off now. Each guide ends with what a technician tests, so you know what a proper diagnosis looks like.
Appliance problems
| Symptom | What to check first | Where to go next |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator not cooling | Dusty condenser coils, door gaskets that do not seal, vents inside blocked by food | Refrigerator repair |
| Refrigerator leaking water | The water line behind the fridge, a clogged defrost drain | Refrigerator repair |
| Wine cooler warm or noisy | Space around the vents, door seal | Wine cooler repair |
| Washer not draining or not spinning | A kinked drain hose, the pump filter on many front-loaders, an unbalanced load | Washer repair |
| Dryer not heating | The lint screen and vent duct; on electric dryers, both halves of the breaker | Dryer repair |
| Dishwasher not draining or not cleaning | The filter at the bottom of the tub, blocked spray arms, a kinked drain hose | Dishwasher repair |
| Oven not heating | Gas: whether the igniter glows; electric: a visible break in the bake element | Oven repair |
| Burner will not light | Food spills on the burner cap and igniter | Range repair |
If a simple check does not fix it, stop there. Electrical, gas and refrigerant faults need a technician, and you get the price before any work starts.