Furnace and heating repair in Alexandria.
Furnace, heat pump and boiler repair in the City of Alexandria and the Fairfax County side, priced before anybody opens a panel.
- Prices in writing, first
- Furnaces, heat pumps and boilers
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Boilers in the City, furnaces and heat pumps on the county side.
Inside the City of Alexandria we still work on boilers and radiators, the heat a lot of the older houses were built with. On the Fairfax County side we almost never see one. Rose Hill, Fort Hunt and Kingstowne are gas furnace country, while Franconia and Woodlawn heat mostly with electricity, which usually means a heat pump.
The chimney matters in the older City houses. Swap an old gas furnace for a high-efficiency one that vents out the side wall, and the water heater is left alone on a flue built for both. That flue gets checked, and sometimes lined, before the job is done.
The paperwork splits at the city line too. On the Fairfax County side, swapping a gas furnace takes a county permit and a chimney vent certification, even like for like. Inside the City, the state rule applies: a gas or oil appliance takes a permit, an electric heat pump swapped in the same spot doesn’t.
What’s heating the houses across Alexandria.
Census figures for the owner-occupied homes in each place, and what that usually means for the heat.
| Place | Median home built | Most homes are | Heated with | What the heat usually is |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Alexandria | 1970 | condo and apartment buildings, about 5 in 10 | gas, about 6 in 10 | Condo and apartment buildings: electric heat or small closet units. |
| Rose Hill | 1969 | single-family houses, about 7 in 10 | gas, about 7 in 10 | Gas furnaces in older houses, often sharing a chimney with the water heater. |
| Franconia | 1986 | townhouses, about 5 in 10 | electricity, about 6 in 10 | Mostly electric heat, usually heat pumps with backup strips. |
| Fort Hunt | 1963 | single-family houses, nearly all | gas, about 8 in 10 | Gas furnaces in older houses, often sharing a chimney with the water heater. |
| Kingstowne | 1994 | townhouses, about 5 in 10 | gas, about 7 in 10 | Townhouse furnaces in closets and attics. |
| Woodlawn | 1976 | townhouses, about 4 in 10 | electricity, about 6 in 10 | Mostly electric heat, usually heat pumps with backup strips. |
| Lincolnia | 1982 | single-family houses, about 4 in 10 | gas, about 7 in 10 | 1980s and 90s houses, most on their second furnace. |
| Mount Vernon | 1967 | single-family houses, about 7 in 10 | gas, about 7 in 10 | Gas furnaces in older houses, often sharing a chimney with the water heater. |
Alexandria houses, by the numbers
From the Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 survey, owner-occupied homes unless it says otherwise.
The City of Alexandria
- Median home built1970 Census
- Built before 1980about 6 in 10 Census
- Built since 2000about 2 in 10 Census
- Most homes arecondo and apartment buildings, about 5 in 10 Census
- Heated withgas, about 6 in 10 Census
- Rentedabout 6 in 10 Census
- Electric heat here usually means a heat pump with electric strips as backup, and a heat pump stuck on those strips shows up on the electric bill.
- Older houses often share one chimney between the furnace and the water heater, which matters the day either one is replaced.
The Fairfax County side
- Built before 1980about 5 in 10 Census
- Built since 2000about 1 in 10 Census
- Most homes aresingle-family houses, about 4 in 10 Census
- Heated withgas, about 6 in 10 Census
- Rentedabout 3 in 10 Census
- Most heat here is a gas furnace, so most calls come down to the flame sensor, the igniter, the inducer motor or a pressure switch.
What furnace repair costs in Alexandria.
The same price book as the rest of our site. The diagnostic visit is about $99, and the tech prices the repair before starting it.
- Flame sensor cleaned$95 to $180
- Igniter or flame sensor replaced$240 to $410
- Blower wheel pulled and cleaned$300 to $440
- Thermostat replaced$300 to $640
- Control board$550 to $1,180
- Blower motor$670 to $2,400
- Repair diagnostic visitabout $99
Often same-day, and we will tell you honestly when we can get there.
On the Family Care Plan, repairs are 15 percent off, and a heating inspection comes every fall.
What a failing furnace in Alexandria usually does.
The radiators are cold at the top
Air trapped at the top of a radiator stops hot water from filling it. Bleeding it takes a radiator key and a rag; if it keeps coming back, or the boiler bangs, it’s worth a visit.
The heat pump blows cool air
A few minutes of cool air in winter is a defrost cycle, and that’s normal. Cool air all the time, or emergency heat running all day, is a call.
It lights, then shuts off
The burners fire and go out a few seconds later, over and over. That’s usually a dirty flame sensor, and cleaning it takes about ten minutes.
What the county says about your heat in Alexandria.
Fairfax County
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue says to have the heating system cleaned and checked by a professional every year, and to keep anything that burns at least three feet from the furnace and the water heater. Source.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue names a faulty gas furnace or water heater as a carbon monoxide source, says to have gas appliances inspected every fall, and to put a CO alarm on every floor. Source.
How to pick the best furnace repair company in Alexandria.
Questions worth asking anybody who comes out, us included.
Do they work on boilers?
Plenty of heating companies only do forced air. In the City’s older houses you want somebody who’ll bleed radiators, check the expansion tank and work on the boiler itself.
Will they price the part before they fix it?
Flame sensors, igniters and control boards all have a going rate. A tech who can’t tell you the number before starting is asking you to find out afterwards.
Do they look at the venting, not just the flame?
Getting the burners lit is half a heating call. Ask whether they check the flue and test for carbon monoxide while the panel’s open.
Do they know when a repair isn’t worth it?
A big repair on a furnace past 15 or 20 years deserves a replacement price next to it. A good tech puts both numbers in front of you and lets you choose.
What our customers say.
Hard to find service like this in Alexandria.
…we had swift and professional responses for multiple plumbing and HVAC needs in our Rosemont Alexandria condo
I would gladly recommend them to anyone in the greater Fairfax/Alexandria area without reservation.
5.0 stars across 884 Google reviews. Read them on our reviews page.
Heating repair questions from Alexandria.
My radiators are cold at the top. Is the boiler failing?
Usually not. Air collects at the top of a radiator and keeps the hot water out; bleeding it takes a radiator key and a rag. If it keeps coming back, or the boiler bangs, that’s worth a visit.
Do you fix heat pumps in Franconia and Woodlawn?
Yes. Most houses there heat with electricity, and that usually means a heat pump. A few minutes of cool air in winter is the defrost cycle; a system stuck on emergency heat all day is not normal, and the electric bill will say so.
Should I replace my boiler with a furnace?
Only if the house already has ducts, and most City houses built for radiators don’t. A new high-efficiency boiler keeps the radiators you have; running ducts through an old house is a bigger job than most people expect. We’ll price both if you want to see them side by side.
How much does furnace repair cost in Alexandria?
The diagnostic visit is about $99. A flame sensor cleaned is $95 to $180; an igniter or flame sensor replaced, $240 to $410; a control board, $550 to $1,180; a blower motor, $670 to $2,400.
Should I repair it or replace it?
Fix the small parts on almost anything. Before a big repair on an old furnace, look at the replacement number: a furnace alone, keeping the air conditioner you have, runs $4,285 to $14,040 installed, and the HVAC estimator gives your number in about a minute.
Furnace repair in the towns next door.
More from SwiftPro in Alexandria
Tell us what your heat is doing.
Call, or book online and pick a window. The tech prices the repair from the book before starting, and if the furnace is at the end of its life you’ll hear that first.
SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is a licensed, BBB Accredited (A rating), independently owned heating, cooling and plumbing company in Chantilly, serving Alexandria and the rest of Northern Virginia. Virginia contractor license #2705192276. 5.0 stars across 884 Google reviews. SwiftPro maintains a dedicated HVAC team and a dedicated plumbing team.
SwiftPro Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, 4230 Lafayette Center Dr, Suite N, Chantilly, VA 20151, (703) 997-9757. Book online, read our reviews, or see every town we serve.