Homes in Novato run the full range: older ranch-style houses on their original ductwork, newer construction with zoned systems, and everything in between. When something stops working, or when a system that was fine last season suddenly can't keep up, we come out, diagnose what is actually happening, and give you the scope and the price before any work starts. We handle repair, replacement, and installation for residential customers throughout Novato and the surrounding Marin County area.
Landlords with rental properties and commercial building owners call us for the same reasons homeowners do, and we handle those jobs the same way: a full diagnosis before anything is quoted, and a clear explanation of what the repair or replacement involves before anyone authorizes the work. Whether the property has one system or several, the process is the same from the first call to the end of the visit.
Most HVAC calls start with a symptom, not a diagnosis. The system is blowing the wrong temperature, it won't turn on, it runs constantly without reaching the set point, or it's making a noise it wasn't making before. We work through what the system is actually doing before we talk about parts or repairs. The job types below cover the situations we see most often in Novato.
When a system has been repaired more than once in a short stretch, or when the cost of the next repair is climbing toward what a replacement would run, the honest conversation is about replacement rather than another patch. We size the new equipment to the actual load of the space, not to whatever was there before. An oversized system short-cycles and leaves the air feeling damp. An undersized one runs all day without reaching the thermostat setting. Getting the sizing right is where a replacement either pays off or doesn't.
The air handler and blower are what move conditioned air through the duct system and into the living space. When airflow drops, when certain rooms stop getting comfortable, or when the system runs but nothing seems to change in the house, the air handler is often where the diagnostic starts. A blower motor that is drawing too much current, a wheel caked with debris, or a capacitor that can no longer start the motor reliably are all common findings. We check the full assembly, not just the most visible component.
A system that won't start, a condenser fan that runs while the compressor stays silent, or a unit that trips the breaker when it tries to come on are often electrical component faults rather than compressor or refrigerant problems. Capacitors and contactors are among the more common failure points on residential equipment, and a control board fault can produce symptoms that look like almost anything else. The diagnostic works through the electrical side systematically before any component is replaced.
Uneven temperatures from room to room are one of the more frustrating HVAC problems because the system appears to be running fine. The issue is often in how air is distributed rather than in the equipment itself. Registers that were never balanced for the layout of the home, duct runs that favor some zones over others, or returns that are undersized for the supply side all create the same result: one part of the house comfortable and another perpetually off. We check airflow at the register level and work through the duct system to find where the distribution is breaking down.
For landlords and property managers in Novato, the practical questions are often about access and communication rather than the repair itself. We coordinate the visit around the tenant's schedule when that is what the situation calls for, and we keep the property owner informed about what was found and what it will cost before any work is authorized. The invoice goes to whoever the account is set up with.
For managed properties with multiple units, we handle each system as its own job and report back on each one separately. If a building has several systems at different stages of their service life, we can give you a clear picture of where each one stands so you are not caught off guard by a failure during a tenancy.
When you call, the person who answers knows the trade and can work through the symptoms with you on the phone. That conversation shapes what the visit covers. The rate is given on the call, before anything is scheduled, so there is no guessing about what you are agreeing to before anyone comes out to the property.
For emergency calls, where there is no heat or no cooling and the property is not livable, we take those calls every day from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM and get them on the schedule as quickly as the day allows. We do not promise a specific arrival window, but we will tell you what the schedule looks like when you call. For commercial properties or rentals that need to stay operational, we talk through the timing on the call and work around the constraints as much as the job allows.
We are available every day from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM. One number. One call. One HVAC tech at your door.
A large share of homes in this part of Marin County were built before central air conditioning was standard, and many of them have no duct system at all. For those homes, extending or adding ductwork is often impractical. A ductless mini-split handles both heating and cooling without requiring new duct runs, and it conditions individual zones independently, so the bedroom being used gets cooled without running the whole system for an empty house.
Recent heat events across the region have pushed first-time AC installation from a convenience to a genuine comfort and safety need. For homes that have never had cooling, a ductless system is often the most direct path. The installation involves mounting the indoor air handler, running the refrigerant line set to the outdoor unit, and confirming the system is operating correctly before sign-off. For homes that do have ductwork in good condition, adding a central cooling system to the existing air handler is a straightforward alternative.
A mini-split heat pump handles both heating and cooling from a single system, which makes it a practical fit for rooms that need year-round conditioning. The mild temperature range across this region is well within what a heat pump handles efficiently, and for homes moving away from gas heating, a mini-split is often the most workable path when there is no existing duct system to connect a ducted heat pump to. We size each zone to the space it conditions.
HVAC pricing depends on what the job actually turns out to be. A diagnostic visit that finds a failed capacitor is a different conversation from one that finds a heat exchanger with a crack in it. What moves a quote is the fault itself, what has to be accessed to reach it, whether the parts are straightforward or specialized, and whether the diagnosis points toward a repair or toward a replacement being the better answer.
We do not quote a number before we understand the job, and we do not start work before the price is confirmed. When you call, we talk through the symptoms, ask the right questions about the system and what it has been doing, and give you a clear picture of what the visit will involve. For replacement jobs, the scope includes the sizing conversation, because the right equipment size for the space is part of what you are paying for.
If the diagnostic changes what the repair involves, we explain what was found and confirm the updated price before any additional work is authorized. Nothing is added without your knowledge. The options are set out on our services page for heating and cooling work.
We cover Novato and the communities around it throughout Marin County. That includes Black Point-Green Point, Lucas Valley-Marinwood, Sleepy Hollow, Santa Venetia, and Fairfax. If your property is in Novato or nearby and you are not sure whether your address is within the area we cover, call and ask.
Residential homeowners, landlords with rental properties, and commercial building owners across the area all reach us through the same number. The work is the same wherever the property is.
Yes. A system that performs adequately on mild days but cannot reach the set temperature when conditions are more extreme is often undersized, losing refrigerant, or working against a duct system that is leaking more than it should. A diagnostic visit during or shortly after a difficult weather period gives us the clearest picture of what is happening. Call us and describe when the problem is worst.
We cover Novato and the surrounding Marin County communities, including Black Point-Green Point, Lucas Valley-Marinwood, Sleepy Hollow, Santa Venetia, and Fairfax.
If your property is outside Novato and you want to confirm coverage before scheduling, call us at (707) 892-4623 and we will give you a direct answer.
Yes. Property managers and landlords with multiple addresses can call to discuss how to structure maintenance across their portfolio. We keep track of which systems have been serviced and can schedule visits across multiple properties in a coordinated way. Call us to talk through what makes sense for your situation.
Yes, and it is a sensible first step. A thermostat that is set to the wrong mode, has lost its programming, or is not reading the room temperature correctly can make a working system appear to have a mechanical problem. We walk through the thermostat check on the call before recommending a visit, which sometimes resolves the issue without a service trip.
Yes, in many cases. A thermostat that is not reading the space accurately, losing its schedule, or failing to communicate with the air handler affects the whole system's performance, and replacing it is a straightforward fix. We confirm compatibility with the existing system before recommending a control, and the new thermostat is confirmed as communicating before sign-off.
Sometimes, but it depends on whether the existing system has the capacity to serve the additional space and whether the duct layout allows for an extension. Adding a room to an undersized duct system can reduce performance throughout the rest of the home. We assess the existing system and the addition together before recommending an approach, which may include a ductless unit for the new space if the existing system cannot support the load.
If the system is struggling and you are not sure whether a repair makes sense or whether replacement is the better move, that is exactly the conversation to have on the call. We work through what the system is doing, what the diagnostic is likely to find, and what the options look like before anyone comes out.
Call Windsor HVAC Company at (707) 892-4623 and get a straight answer rather than a guess.
We are available every day from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM.
We also take heating and cooling work in: Petaluma, Sonoma, Cotati, Napa.
Browse our full area list.
From a quick repair call to a full system replacement, we cover the heating and cooling work that Novato and Marin County homes actually need. The list below breaks down each service by what it covers, who it fits best, and a practical note worth knowing before you call. If you have a question about a specific situation, call us and we will talk through what makes sense for your home or building.
| Service Type | What the Service Includes | When You Need It | Helpful Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ductwork Repair & Sealing |
| Homes with hot and cold spots that do not respond to thermostat adjustments | Conditioned air escaping into an attic or crawlspace shows up in both comfort and energy bills before most homeowners connect the two. |
| Heating & Furnace Repair |
| Homes with a furnace blowing cold air, short-cycling, or failing to start | A pre-season check in fall is the straightforward way to avoid a no-heat call in January. |
| HVAC System Installation & ReplacementMost Popular |
| Homeowners, landlords, and property managers replacing aging or failed equipment | Load calculations determine the right equipment size for the space. Undersizing and oversizing both cause comfort and efficiency problems. |
Call us to talk through your situation and get a quote on the work your home or building needs.
(707) 892-4623