Fast, Reliable Heating & Furnace Across Van Nuys
Heating & Furnace repair in Van Nuys typically costs $150–$700 for most repairs, while full furnace replacement runs $3,500–$7,500 depending on your home’s duct configuration and access. We’re Crestview Heating & Air California, and our Heating & Furnace team has been handling the unique challenges of Van Nuys homes for nearly two decades. Call us at (844) 560-6978 for a free estimate.
Van Nuys isn’t like other LA neighborhoods. The 1950s–1960s tract homes along corridors like Van Nuys Blvd and the 91405–91406 ZIP codes were built for a different era of climate control. Many still have original evaporative cooler curbs on the roof, low-pitch attics that hit 150°F in summer, and furnace closets tucked off narrow alleys where a standard service van barely fits. We’ve replaced heat exchangers in tight utility closets near the Van Nuys Airport corridor and balanced ductwork in post-war bungalows around Kittridge Street. Owner Marcus Feldman still manages every job as Service Manager, so you’re not getting a dispatched stranger. You’re getting someone who knows why a 90% AFUE condensing furnace can backdraft on a 1955 roof pitch, and how to fix it.
Why Crestview Heating & Air California Is Van Nuys’s Preferred Heating & Furnace Company
Our reputation in Van Nuys is built on showing up for the jobs other companies decline. We’ve got 250+ customer reviews averaging 4.8 stars, and a significant share of those come from repeat calls in the 91470, 91482, 91496, and 91499 ZIP codes. When a furnace fails on a January night and the temperature’s dropping toward 40°F, Van Nuys homeowners don’t have time for a dispatcher in another county. Marcus Feldman answers directly, and our team knows the difference between a quick ignitor swap on a Goodman unit near Victory Boulevard and a full heat exchanger replacement in a 1970s apartment building off Sepulveda.
We carry factory-trained compatibility across nine major brands, including Trane, Lennox, Goodman, and Rheem. That means when we pull up to your Van Nuys home, we already know your system, and we stock the parts that break most often in this climate. No waiting three days for a gas valve that should’ve been on the truck.
Our emergency HVAC service keeps us available outside normal hours because furnace failures don’t follow business schedules. And we’re local enough to Van Nuys that we understand the parking constraints, the alley-access limitations, and the security concerns that come with urban service calls.
Our Heating & Furnace Services in Van Nuys
Furnace Repair in Van Nuys
Most furnace repairs in Van Nuys fall between $150–$700. The most common calls we get involve failed ignitors, cracked heat exchangers, and gas valve malfunctions. But Van Nuys adds a layer of complexity: many furnaces here are fighting against ductwork that was never properly designed for forced air. We serviced a 1950s tract home on Van Nuys Blvd near the 91406 corridor where the furnace was a cobbled-together gas unit fed by flex duct from an old swamp cooler curb. The homeowner complained of uneven heat and high gas bills. We discovered the evaporative cooler still plumbed into the roof, blocking airflow; we replaced the entire system with a modulating Lennox furnace, installed proper return drop, and balanced the ductwork for consistent winter heat across all three bedrooms. That’s the difference between a parts-swapper and a company that understands how Van Nuys houses actually work.
Furnace Replacement in Van Nuys
Full furnace replacement in Van Nuys runs $3,500–$7,500. The wide range reflects a reality specific to this neighborhood: some homes need complete duct design from scratch because they were never built for central heating. Many Van Nuys homes from the 1950s–1960s have original evaporative coolers still sitting on roof curbs, but a jury-rigged window-unit central system was added later, leaving two conflicting systems with no code-compliant return-air path. Before any modern furnace can be installed, we run a full Manual J load calculation and design new ductwork. Low-pitch 1950s roofs also limit clearance for flue pipes, creating backdrafting risk with high-efficiency condensing furnaces. We size every replacement for the actual thermal envelope, not the square footage on a tax record.
Furnace Tune-Up in Van Nuys
A furnace tune-up in Van Nuys costs $80–$200 and should happen annually before the heating season starts. The San Fernando Valley’s thermal bowl effect means your system sat idle through months of near-continuous summer AC operation, and that cycling stresses blower motors, heat exchangers, and gas valves differently than in coastal climates. We check for cracked heat exchangers (a carbon monoxide risk), test gas pressure, clean burners, and inspect flue venting for proper draft. In Van Nuys’s older housing stock, we also verify that attic flex duct hasn’t degraded from those 150°F summer peaks. Catching a failing heat exchanger in October beats discovering it on the first cold night in December.
Heat Exchanger Repair & Replacement in Van Nuys
Heat exchanger failure is one of the most serious furnace issues we encounter in Van Nuys, and it’s more common here than many homeowners realize. Original roof-mounted evaporative cooler curbs obstruct proper furnace venting and condensate drainage, causing heat exchanger short-cycling that cracks the metal over time. Unconditioned attic temperatures above 150°F degrade flex-duct insulation, increasing static pressure and reducing furnace efficiency, which forces the heat exchanger to work harder and hotter than designed. We inspect heat exchangers with cameras on every service call where age or symptoms warrant it. If replacement is needed, we handle the full job including venting modifications and combustion air calculations. This is not a DIY repair; cracked heat exchangers can leak carbon monoxide into your living space.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees — you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Van Nuys
We service and stock parts for Trane, Lennox, Goodman, and Rheem systems, plus five additional major brands. In Van Nuys, that matters because so many homes have mixed histories: a Goodman furnace paired with ductwork from a long-gone evaporative cooler, or a Rheem unit crammed into a closet built for a much smaller appliance. Our parts inventory covers the components that fail most often in Valley conditions, and our factory training means we don’t guess at wiring diagrams or airflow specs. Whether you’ve got a 15-year-old Lennox in a Sherman Oaks-adjacent split-level or a newer Trane in a renovated bungalow near Kester Avenue, we’ve worked on it before.
Common Heating & Furnace Problems We See in Van Nuys Homes
- Conflicting cooler and furnace systems. Technicians working the 91405–91406 corridors frequently encounter homes where the original evaporative cooler is still plumbed to a rooftop curb but a window-unit central system was jury-rigged in later decades, leaving two partial, conflicting systems and no code-compliant return-air path.
- Heat exchanger short-cycling from blocked venting. Original roof-mounted evaporative cooler curbs obstruct proper furnace venting and condensate drainage, causing heat exchangers to cycle on and off rapidly, overheat, and crack prematurely.
- Degraded flex duct from extreme attic heat. Attic temperatures in Van Nuys’s unconditioned spaces routinely exceed 150°F on Valley heat days, which rapidly degrades flex-duct insulation and dramatically increases static pressure on aging air handlers.
- Backdrafting risk with high-efficiency upgrades. Low-pitch 1950s roofs limit clearance for flue pipes, creating backdrafting risk when homeowners install high-efficiency condensing furnaces without proper venting redesign.
Pricing for Heating & Furnace in Van Nuys, CA
| Service | Typical Range in Van Nuys |
|---|---|
| Furnace Repair | $150–$700 |
| Furnace Replacement | $3,500–$7,500 |
| Furnace Tune-Up | $80–$200 |
These ranges reflect what we actually charge Van Nuys homeowners, not national averages pulled from a database. Furnace replacement costs vary most because of the ductwork situation: a straightforward swap in a home with proper returns and supply runs sits at the lower end, while a full retrofit where we remove an old evaporative cooler curb and design new ductwork from scratch pushes toward the top. Gas valve repairs and ignitor replacements typically fall in the $150–$400 range. Heat exchanger replacement, when the rest of the furnace is worth saving, usually runs $800–$1,500 including labor. We provide upfront written estimates before any work begins, and our estimates are free. Call (844) 560-6978 to schedule yours.
We Also Serve Cities Near Van Nuys
Our service area extends to Valley Glen, Sherman Oaks, Encino, and North Hills. If you’re in one of these neighboring communities and found this page while searching, the same owner-managed service applies: Marcus Feldman oversees every job, and our team carries the same parts inventory and brand expertise. The housing stock in Sherman Oaks and Encino skews slightly newer, but Valley Glen and North Hills share Van Nuys’s post-war tract construction and many of the same furnace challenges.
Serving Van Nuys, CA — Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Van Nuys area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage — if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs — Heating & Furnace in Van Nuys
Your furnace likely needs a dedicated fresh air intake because it was installed in a tight closet or converted space without adequate combustion air, a common issue in Van Nuys’s smaller 1950s homes where original evaporative cooler closets were repurposed for gas furnaces. Your neighbor’s system may be in a larger garage or utility room with sufficient passive airflow. Without proper combustion air, your furnace can create negative pressure, backdraft carbon monoxide, or starve the burner flame. We test for this on every service call and can install a code-compliant intake if needed. Call (844) 560-6978 for an inspection.
No, in nearly every Van Nuys case we’ve seen, the old evaporative cooler curb must be removed and the roof properly sealed to install a modern furnace with correct venting and return-air design. The curb blocks proper flue termination, creates a leak path into the attic, and prevents a code-compliant return-air path from being established. We’ve encountered too many jury-rigged installations where the curb was left in place and the homeowner ended up with uneven heating, moisture damage, or safety issues. A proper furnace replacement includes curb removal, roof repair, and new duct design. Call us for a free assessment of your specific situation.
Once yearly, ideally in early fall before the heating season begins. The San Fernando Valley’s extreme summer heat puts unusual stress on blower motors and heat exchangers, and Van Nuys’s unconditioned attics accelerate flex-duct degradation that affects winter airflow. An annual tune-up catches cracked heat exchangers, dirty burners, and failing ignitors before they become emergency failures. We offer furnace tune-ups for $80–$200, and scheduling in September or October typically gets you faster appointment availability. Call (844) 560-6978 to book.
Smell gas? Turn off the furnace, leave the home, and call your gas utility or emergency services first. Once the immediate danger is cleared, call us at (844) 560-6978. The smell of gas indicates a leak in the gas valve, supply line, or connections, not necessarily a failed furnace. However, if the leak source is a cracked heat exchanger or corroded internal component, replacement may be more cost-effective than repair, especially in Van Nuys’s aging housing stock where related venting and duct issues often need addressing simultaneously. We’ll give you an honest assessment after a safe, thorough inspection.
Yes, we service furnaces in tight Van Nuys closets, alley-access utility rooms, and converted evaporative cooler enclosures regularly. Our technicians carry compact tools and have experience working in the constrained spaces typical of 1950s–1960s tract homes along Van Nuys Blvd and surrounding corridors. We’ll need clear access to the unit and safe working clearance per code, but we’ve yet to encounter a Van Nuys furnace location we couldn’t handle. Alley parking can be tricky; we’ll coordinate access when you schedule. Call (844) 560-6978 to arrange a time that works.
Ready to get your Van Nuys furnace fixed right? Call Crestview Heating & Air California at (844) 560-6978 for a free estimate. Owner Marcus Feldman oversees every job personally, and we’ve got 19 years of experience with the specific heating challenges that Van Nuys homes present, from dual-system conflicts to tight-clearance replacements. We’re here when you need us.
Written by Marcus Feldman, Owner at Crestview Heating & Air California, serving Van Nuys and the San Fernando Valley since 2005.