Heating Services in Hyattsville, MD | Furnaces & Heat Pumps

Heating Services in Hyattsville, MD

Heating in Prince George’s County has to answer two questions most homeowners never think about until something goes wrong: is the system sized to the load, and is it venting safely? The ASHRAE winter design temperature here sits near 20°F — cold enough to need real heating capacity, but mild enough that a modern heat pump handles most of the season efficiently, which changes the economics of what you should install. And because so much of the housing stock burns gas, venting is a safety issue, not just an efficiency one. Our heating services are built around both: correct sizing, and combustion and venting done right.

The 20°F Question: Furnace, Heat Pump, or Both

A generation ago the default was a gas furnace, full stop. In this climate that is no longer the obvious answer. Because our winter design temperature is around 20°F, a modern variable-capacity heat pump can carry the great majority of the heating season efficiently, often at a lower operating cost than gas, and it cools in summer as the same unit. A dual-fuel system pairs a heat pump with a gas furnace that only takes over on the coldest days, capturing the efficiency of the heat pump most of the time and the raw capacity of gas when it is genuinely needed. Which configuration is right depends on your existing equipment, your gas versus electric rates, and your load — and it is worth an honest calculation rather than a default. We run that calculation.

Our Heating Services

  • Furnace Installation — 80% and 95%+ AFUE gas furnaces, single-stage through modulating, sized by Manual J and vented to code with combustion verified at commissioning.
  • Furnace Repair — Ignition, flame sensor, gas valve, pressure switch, and control-board diagnosis, with combustion and venting checked as part of the visit.
  • Furnace Tune-Up — Seasonal service including a combustion analysis and a heat-exchanger inspection for cracks that can leak carbon monoxide.
  • Heat Pumps — Air-source and dual-fuel systems sized to the 20°F design temperature, with balance point and lockout set from measured load.
  • Heat Exchanger Repair — Inspection and replacement of the component whose failure is a direct carbon monoxide risk.
  • Boiler Installation — Cast-iron and modulating-condensing units for the hydronic homes common in the older housing stock.
  • Boiler Repair — Circulators, zone valves, expansion tanks, and controls on steam and hot-water systems.
  • Gas Line Installation — Performed under WSSC Water gasfitter licensure, which is required separately from the state HVAC license.

The Orphaned Water Heater: The Trap Most Contractors Miss

This is the single most important thing to understand about replacing an older furnace in this housing stock. Many homes have an 80% AFUE furnace and a gas water heater sharing one masonry chimney, and together they produce enough warm flue gas to keep that chimney drafting properly. Replace the furnace with a high-efficiency 95%+ condensing unit — which vents through a PVC pipe out a sidewall — and the water heater is suddenly alone on a chimney far too large for it. The flue gases cool, condense inside the masonry, fail to rise, and can spill carbon monoxide back into the house. A correct furnace replacement identifies this and fixes it, by relining the chimney to the proper size or converting the water heater to power or direct vent. We treat it as part of the job, because skipping it is both a code violation and a genuine safety hazard.

Boilers and Hydronic Heat

The pre-1940 homes throughout Mount Rainier, the Hyattsville Historic District, Riverdale Park, and Takoma Park often run on hydronic heat — hot-water or steam boilers feeding radiators, with no ductwork at all. These systems can last a very long time when maintained, and they call for different expertise than forced air: circulator pumps, zone valves, expansion tanks, near-boiler piping, and on steam systems, the venting and pressure controls that keep them safe and quiet. We service and replace them, and where a homeowner wants to add cooling to a radiator-heated house, we can pair the boiler with a ductless system rather than tearing the house apart for ducts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I replace my furnace with another furnace or switch to a heat pump?
In this climate it is genuinely worth comparing, because our roughly 20°F winter design temperature is well within a modern heat pump’s efficient range. A heat pump heats and cools with one system and often costs less to operate than gas, while a dual-fuel setup pairs a heat pump with a gas furnace that engages only on the coldest days. The right answer depends on your existing equipment, your utility rates, and your home’s load, plus available rebates and the federal tax credit that favor heat pumps. We run the actual comparison rather than defaulting to a like-for-like furnace swap.
Why would replacing my furnace create a carbon monoxide risk with my water heater?
Because they often share a chimney. An older 80% furnace and a gas water heater vented into the same masonry chimney together keep it drafting properly. When the furnace is replaced with a high-efficiency condensing unit that vents out a sidewall through PVC, the water heater is left alone on a chimney far too large for it, the flue gases cool and condense instead of rising, and carbon monoxide can spill back into the home. This is a well-known but frequently ignored issue. We check for it on every furnace replacement and correct it by relining the chimney or converting the water heater’s venting.
How do I know if my heat exchanger is cracked?
A cracked heat exchanger can be hard to detect without inspection, but warning signs include a carbon monoxide alarm, soot around the furnace, a flame that flickers or changes color when the blower runs, and unexplained headaches or nausea that improve when you leave the house. Because a cracked heat exchanger can leak carbon monoxide, it is a safety issue that should be evaluated promptly. During tune-ups we inspect the heat exchanger specifically, and if we find a crack we will explain your options clearly rather than alarming you into an unnecessary decision.
Do you work on boilers and radiator heating systems?
Yes. The older housing stock in Mount Rainier, the Hyattsville Historic District, Riverdale Park, and Takoma Park often uses hot-water or steam boilers feeding radiators, and we install, repair, and maintain these hydronic systems — circulators, zone valves, expansion tanks, controls, and near-boiler piping. If you have radiator heat and want to add air conditioning, we can pair the existing boiler with a ductless cooling system so you get comfort in summer without tearing open walls for ductwork.
Do you need a special license to work on my gas line?
Yes, and it is important. In Prince George’s County, gas piping work is regulated by WSSC Water through a separate gasfitter license, distinct from the Maryland state HVAC contractor license. A contractor can be a licensed HVAC company and still not hold the gasfitter credential required for gas-line work. We hold WSSC gasfitter licensure and perform gas-line installation and modification under it, so the work is properly licensed, permitted, and inspected — which matters because an improper gas connection is a fire and carbon monoxide hazard.

Stay Warm and Safe This Winter — Hyattsville, MD

From a no-heat emergency to a furnace replacement done with the venting handled correctly, we size to the load and verify the combustion. Call to schedule heating service or a replacement assessment.

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Office Hours

  • Monday – Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Sunday: Closed