Frequently asked questions

No. Desertline is a free referral service. Your call or request goes to an independent, licensed HVAC contractor who serves your area and sets their own prices.

No. Calling or submitting a request is free. The contractor will explain any diagnostic or trip fee before the visit.

Contractors in the network are expected to hold the HVAC license required in their state or city. You can verify a license with your state or local licensing authority before work starts; each state page explains who licenses HVAC work there.

All 50 states and Washington, D.C., through a network of independent contractors covering more than 20,000 ZIP codes. Detailed city guides cover major metros such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Atlanta, plus 20 Nevada communities: Las Vegas, Summerlin, Spring Valley, Enterprise, Paradise, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City and Pahrump in the Las Vegas Valley; Reno, Sparks, Sun Valley, Carson City, Dayton, Fernley, Minden-Gardnerville and Incline Village in Northern Nevada; and Fallon, Elko and Laughlin in rural Nevada.

Anything heating and cooling: AC and furnace repair or replacement, heat pumps, mini-splits, ductwork, thermostats, indoor air quality, maintenance, commercial rooftop units and more.

Your ZIP code, what the system is doing, the equipment's age if you know it, and whether anyone at home is vulnerable to heat or cold.

Repair is usually the right call if the system is under 10 years old and the repair costs less than a third of a new system. Past 12–15 years in Las Vegas heat, or with an R-22 leak, replacement often makes more sense.

It depends on the house, not just square footage. A Manual J calculation accounts for windows, insulation, shading, orientation and your local climate. Oversized systems short-cycle and leave the house clammy.

The most common reason is a dirty flame sensor, which can't prove the flame so the board shuts the gas off. Other causes are a weak pressure switch or a blocked vent.

Yes. Modern cold-climate heat pumps keep heating well below freezing. Many homes in very cold regions pair one with a furnace for the coldest nights.

In spring, before your area's first long stretch of hot weather. Appointments are easier to get and problems are found before they become emergencies.

MERV 8 is a sound baseline. MERV 11–13 captures smoke and fine dust better, but use it in a deep media cabinet or confirm your system's airflow can handle it.

Usually yes when ducts run through attics, crawl spaces or garages. Sealing leaks of 20% or more often shows up on the next season's energy bills.

Many 2-car garages need 18,000–24,000 BTU in hot climates because of poor insulation and the garage door. A load calculation, and insulating the door, can reduce that.