NATE-Certified · Family-Owned Since 1969
Furnace & Heating Repair in
Modesto, CA
Furnace Out on a Cold Modesto Night?
Wally Falke’s handles furnace repair across Modesto: gas furnaces, floor and wall heaters, and heat pumps from every major brand. Our crews work Modesto every day, about 13 miles up Highway 99 from our Turlock shop, and there’s no travel fee. A real person answers the phone 24/7, and every repair is quoted upfront before we start.
Signs Your Modesto Furnace Needs Repair
Call for a diagnostic if you notice any of these, especially on the first cold nights of fall:
- No heat, or the furnace won’t turn on
- Air from the vents feels cool or lukewarm
- It lights, runs a few minutes, and shuts itself off
- Banging, rattling, or squealing on startup
- A burning smell that lasts more than the first few minutes of the season
- A yellow or flickering burner flame instead of steady blue
Smell gas or hear your CO alarm? Leave the house first. From outside, call 911, then PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. Once it’s safe, we’ll find and fix the cause.
What Fails Most Often in Modesto Homes?
| Year built | Share of homes | What usually fails |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1960 | About 1 in 5 | Floor furnaces and wall heaters, standing pilot lights, thermocouples, worn gas valves |
| 1960 to 1979 | About 1 in 3 | Original attic ductwork that has leaked or pulled loose, aging heat exchangers, tired blower motors |
| 1980 to 1999 | About 1 in 3 | Inducer motors, pressure switches, hot surface igniters, control boards |
| 2000 and newer | About 1 in 8 | Flame sensors, variable-speed blower modules, heat pump defrost controls and backup heat strips |
Share of homes: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024.
We repair every major brand, and common parts ride on the truck, so most of these are fixed on the first visit.
What Does Furnace Repair Cost in Modesto?
Most furnace repairs in Modesto, like a flame sensor, igniter, thermostat, or capacitor, run $150 to $600. Bigger jobs, such as a blower motor, gas valve, or control board, generally run $500 to $1,500. Your diagnostic fee goes toward the repair, and you approve the price before we start. If another company has quoted you a big repair or a new system, our second opinion is free.
When a repair gets expensive, use the $5,000 rule: multiply the furnace’s age by the repair cost, and past $5,000, replacement deserves a look. A cracked heat exchanger usually tips it, since it’s a carbon monoxide risk. If you’re north of the Tuolumne River, Modesto Irrigation District currently pays $450 or $700 toward a qualifying high-efficiency heat pump, which can change the math on replacing a gas furnace.
When Replacement Is the Better Value →
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Why Modesto Calls a Turlock Company for Heat
NATE-Certified Technicians
The industry's highest training standard, including the combustion and safety checks a gas furnace needs.
Honest Diagnosis, Every Time
We fix what's broken, tell you when a repair isn't worth it, and run a carbon monoxide and gas leak check on every heating call.
The Only Triple Trust Guarantee in the Valley
We're the only Central Valley contractor to back our work with the Triple Trust Parts, Labor and Workmanship Guarantee. If it's not right, we make it right.
Same Routes, Same Price as Turlock
Modesto is a daily route for our crews, not an outlying call. No travel fee, and the price we quote is the price you pay.
Why Do Modesto Furnaces Fail on the First Cold Night?
Modesto furnaces usually fail on the first cold nights because they’ve sat idle for half the year. December and January nights here average in the high 30s, with about a dozen freezing nights a year, so a Modesto furnace does roughly a third of the work one does in Minneapolis. Overnight lows drop from the low 50s in October to the low 40s in November, and that’s often the first time the furnace has run since spring. Dust has settled on the burners and flame sensor, and an igniter that limped through last winter finally quits. A fall tune-up catches most of this, and our VIP Maintenance Plan puts one on the calendar for you.
About two in three Modesto homes heat with natural gas, delivered by PG&E. Most of the rest heat with electricity, through a heat pump or electric resistance heat. Your electric bill comes from MID if you live north of the Tuolumne River and TID if you’re south of it, and that decides which heat pump rebates you can use. We cover all of Modesto, plus Salida and Empire on the same daily routes.
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Modesto Furnace & Heating Repair FAQs
How fast can you get to my Modesto home if I have no heat?
Same day during the cold season whenever the schedule allows, and no-heat calls go to the front of the line. The shop is about 20 minutes away, and a person answers (209) 632-7596 around the clock.
What can I check before I call?
Make sure the thermostat is on Heat, set warmer than the room, and has working batteries. Check that the furnace breaker hasn’t tripped and the switch on or near the furnace is on. Then look at the filter, since a clogged one can make the furnace shut itself off. If it still won’t heat, turn it off and call us.
Do you repair floor furnaces and wall heaters in older Modesto homes?
Yes. About one in five Modesto homes was built before 1960, and many of those were built with floor furnaces or wall heaters. Parts for some older models are hard to find, and we’ll tell you straight when a unit can’t be safely repaired. Every one gets a carbon monoxide check.
Why is my heat pump blowing cool air in heat mode?
On damp winter mornings, frost builds on the outdoor coil and the heat pump runs a defrost cycle for a few minutes, which can make the air feel cool. That’s normal. If the air stays cool, the outdoor unit is iced over, or the backup heat runs constantly, call us.
How many years does a furnace usually last?
Most gas furnaces last roughly 15 to 20 years with regular maintenance. Modesto’s short heating season is easy on them, so plenty of 15-year-old furnaces here are still worth repairing. The heat exchanger’s condition and the repair bill matter more than the age, and we’ll give you an honest read either way.
No Heat in Modesto? We're Here 24/7
“Modesto, Your Heat Is a Quick Call Away! (209) 632-7596“
Wally