--- title: "Heating Repair in Franklin, TN | Root House" url: https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/franklin-tn/heating-repair updated: 2026-09-29 business: "Root House Mechanicals" phone: "(615) 426-9344" text: "(615) 426-9344" email: info@roothousemechanicals.com hours: "Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m." --- # Heating and Furnace Repair in Franklin, TN > Root House Mechanicals handles furnace and heat pump repair in Franklin, whether your home heats with a gas furnace, a heat pump or both. The heating work is done by licensed and insured techs. The diagnostic visit is free, with a firm price first. Call or text (615) 426-9344. - Call (615) 426-9344 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) - Text (615) 426-9344 - Email: info@roothousemechanicals.com ## Why does a heat pump struggle on cold Franklin nights? Because there's less heat in the outside air to move indoors. Middle Tennessee Electric notes that heat pump efficiency falls once it's below about 40 degrees outside, and the system then leans on backup electric heat strips (auxiliary heat). MTE says auxiliary heat uses about three times the electricity of the heat pump alone, so a long cold stretch shows up on the bill. That part is normal. A heat pump that runs on auxiliary heat in mild weather, blows cool air for long stretches, or ices over and never clears is not. Those point to a problem worth a repair visit. MTE also suggests raising the thermostat a little at a time, since a big jump can switch the backup heat on. ## What goes wrong with gas furnaces? Atmos Energy provides natural gas service in the Franklin area. When a gas furnace won't heat, the usual causes are an igniter that won't light, a flame sensor that needs cleaning, or a safety switch that shuts the burner down. Those are usually repairable. A gas smell is different. Leave the house, then call your gas company or 911 from outside. In any home with gas appliances, carbon monoxide alarms near the bedrooms are worth having. ## Why are some rooms cold in an older Franklin house? Often it's the ducts, not the furnace. Homes in the Hincheyville Historic District date from about 1828 to 1930, well before central heating and air was common, so their ductwork was added later, often through crawl spaces and closets. Leaky, crushed or disconnected ducts in those spaces can leave a room cold even when the equipment runs fine. If a new outdoor heat pump unit is part of the fix, the city's historic district guidelines on placing and screening outdoor equipment apply to it as well. ## What heating repair covers - **Diagnosis.** Starting with the thermostat, the breaker, the filter and the gas supply, then the parts inside the furnace or heat pump, to find the part that failed before anything is replaced. - **Gas furnace repair.** Igniters, flame sensors, gas valves, pressure switches, inducer motors, limit switches and control boards. - **Electric furnaces and heat strips.** Heating elements, sequencers, relays and the breakers that feed them. Loose or burned connections are a common cause. - **Heat pump heating problems.** Reversing valves, defrost controls, outdoor fan motors and refrigerant leaks, plus the backup heat that helps on the coldest days. - **Blowers and airflow.** Blower motors and capacitors, and the clogged filters and closed vents that make a furnace overheat and shut itself off. - **Safety checks.** On gas furnaces, the flue and venting, the flame, the safety switches, and a look at the heat exchanger for cracks. More: [Heating and Furnace Repair across Middle Tennessee](https://roothousemechanicals.com/hvac/heating-repair) ## Urgent: No heat, or a gas smell? 1. If you smell gas, leave the house now. Don't flip switches on the way out. Call the gas company or 911 from outside. 2. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone outside and call 911. 3. No heat in a freeze: check that the thermostat is set to heat, check the breaker, and replace a clogged filter. 4. Stay warm safely. Plug space heaters straight into the wall, keep them 3 feet from anything that can burn, and turn them off when you leave the room. Never heat the house with a gas oven or stove. 5. Open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so the pipes stay warmer. 6. Then call us at (615) 426-9344. We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Call (615) 426-9344. ## How we price it - The diagnostic visit: free. - Firm price given before any work starts. - Priced per job. Each job is priced on its own. - Why prices stay down: low overhead, and the work done right the first time with current methods, equipment and quality materials, so customers are not paying for callbacks. ## Heating Repair in Franklin: common questions ### Why is my heat pump blowing cool air? During a defrost cycle, a heat pump briefly blows cooler air, and that's expected. If it lasts a long time or happens often, the system may be low on refrigerant or have a failed part. Call or text us. ### What does the AUX light on my thermostat mean? It means the backup heat strips are running. That's expected in cold weather or right after you raise the setting several degrees. If it's lit most of the time in mild weather, have the system checked. ### My gas furnace won't light. What can I check? Make sure the thermostat is set to heat, the filter is clean and the furnace's power switch is on. Check that the front panel is fully closed, since most furnaces won't run with it off. If it still won't light, call or text us. ### Is it worth repairing a furnace from the 1990s? It can be. Igniters, sensors and blower motors are common repairs on older furnaces. A cracked heat exchanger is different, and replacement is the safer choice then. You'll see what was found before you decide. ### Does heating work in Franklin need a permit? It depends on the job. Replacing a furnace or heat pump commonly needs a mechanical permit. Inside city limits, the City of Franklin issues it. Outside city limits, Williamson County does. ### Can you add heat to a bonus room or addition? Yes. A ductless mini-split is often the simplest way to heat and cool a room over the garage or a new addition without changing the main system. We'll look at the space and price it. ### How can I keep my heating bill down during a cold snap? Raise the thermostat a degree or two at a time rather than all at once, keep the filter clean, and seal drafts around doors and windows. With a heat pump, small steps help keep the backup strips off. ## Related - [Plumbing Repair in Franklin](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/franklin-tn/plumbing-repair) - [Water Heaters in Franklin](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/franklin-tn/water-heaters) - [AC Repair in Franklin](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/franklin-tn/ac-repair) - [Electrical Repair in Franklin](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/franklin-tn/electrical-repair) - [Everything we do in Franklin, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/franklin-tn)