Heating Services in Milpitas, CA

Which heating service do I need?

Start with what is happening in your home. Each situation points to a different service.

Your situation	Service to look at	Why
The furnace, heat pump or wall heater won’t turn on, blows cold air or keeps shutting off	Heating repair	Most problems come from one worn part that can be fixed
Your furnace and AC are both getting old	Heat pump	One electric system replaces both and heats and cools the whole home
A room, garage conversion or ADU has no ducts	Ductless mini-split	Heats and cools a space without adding ductwork
You already have a mini-split	Mini-split maintenance	Clean filters, coils and drains keep it running well
Some rooms stay cold and bills keep rising	Duct repair and replacement	Leaky or crushed ducts lose warm air before it reaches the room

Should I repair my furnace or switch to a heat pump?

If your furnace needs one simple repair, fixing it usually makes sense. It is worth comparing options when the furnace is older, needs a major part, or when your air conditioner needs replacing at the same time.

A heat pump is one system that heats in winter and cools in summer. Our mild Bay Area weather suits heat pumps well. For rooms with no ducts, a ductless mini-split is a small heat pump that heats and cools one space at a time.

The Bay Area Air District has also adopted zero-NOx rules for new gas furnaces. As of November 2026, they apply to furnaces made from January 1, 2029, and only when a furnace is replaced. A working furnace does not have to be replaced. Our heat pump page explains the rule and local rebates, with links to the official sources.

What is the difference between an 80% and a 95% furnace?

The number is the furnace’s AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency): the share of the gas it burns that becomes heat in your home over a season. An 80% furnace turns about 80 cents of every gas dollar into heat, and the rest goes up the vent. A 95% furnace is a condensing furnace: a second heat exchanger (the part that heats the air) pulls extra heat out of the exhaust, so only about 5% is lost.

Feature	80% furnace (standard)	95% furnace (high-efficiency, condensing)
Share of gas turned into heat	About 80%	About 95% or more
Heat exchangers	One	Two: the second one captures heat from the exhaust
Venting	Hot exhaust goes up a metal flue, often shared with a gas water heater	Cool exhaust leaves through PVC plastic pipes, usually out a wall or the roof
Condensate drain	Not needed	Needed: it makes slightly acidic water that runs to a drain, sometimes with a small pump
ENERGY STAR	No	Yes: certified gas furnaces are rated 95% AFUE or higher
Good fit when	Swapping an existing 80% furnace in the same spot with the same flue	The furnace can reach an outside wall or roof for PVC vents and has a place to drain

In our mild Bay Area climate, a furnace runs fewer hours than in colder places, so the gas savings from a 95% furnace are real but smaller. Switching from 80% to 95% can also mean new vent pipes, a condensate drain, and sometimes a new liner for a water heater that shared the old flue. We check all of this on the free estimate and tell you honestly which one makes sense, or whether a heat pump is the better fit. As of November 2026, ENERGY STAR certifies gas furnaces at 95% AFUE or higher.

How do I keep my heating system running well?

• Change the filter. Replace furnace and heat pump filters every 1 to 3 months.
• Test your CO detectors. Test carbon monoxide detectors twice a year, especially with a gas furnace.
• Book yearly maintenance. A furnace maintenance visit is $135. Comfort Club members get maintenance visits, priority service and 15% off repairs.
• Never ignore a gas smell. Leave the home and call PG&E or 911 from outside.

We selected this company to replace our old AC system. … They were honest, very pleasant to work with and they did not try to upsell us anything we don’t actually need.

Ellen I., Yelp review

Who installs and repairs heating systems near me?

Upgrade Home Services is a family-owned heating and air conditioning company at 743 Ames Ave in Milpitas, licensed by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB #1066776) and serving homeowners since 2002. We repair every major brand and install the brand you prefer, including Amana, Carrier, Payne, Goodman, Daikin and Mitsubishi. We handle permits and HERS testing for new systems. We serve 22 cities in Santa Clara, San Mateo and southern Alameda counties, including Milpitas, San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Fremont and Palo Alto.