Three different heating systems, one team that knows all of them
Newer homes here run heat pumps, mid-century homes run gas furnaces, and the beautiful older houses in Winston-Salem and Greensboro often still run boilers feeding cast-iron radiators. We maintain and repair all three, and we do not treat a boiler as something to talk you out of.
Signs your heat is about to let you down
Heating systems tend to fail on the first genuinely cold night, after months of sitting idle. These are the warnings that come first:
If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas company first, then call us. For a carbon monoxide alarm, get everyone outside and phone from there — we treat those calls as emergencies.
How the visit actually goes
On any gas appliance we verify combustion and venting before anything else. That is not optional.
We identify the failed component and explain what caused it, so it does not simply happen again.
A firm price either way. Most repairs are same-visit; we keep common ignition and control parts stocked.
We run a full cycle, confirm safe operation, and leave the system documented.
Repairs are quoted as a firm price before work begins. For replacement we calculate what your home actually needs, present furnace, heat pump and boiler options where they apply, and offer financing so a mid-winter failure is manageable.
Heating questions we hear every week
Do you still service boilers?
Yes, and it is genuinely part of what we do rather than something we tolerate. Many older Triad homes run boilers and cast-iron radiators, and Buchanan has worked on those systems for decades. We repair, service and replace them.
Heat pump or gas furnace for this climate?
Both work well in the Piedmont. Heat pumps are efficient through most of our winter and give you cooling from the same equipment; gas furnaces deliver warmer air on the coldest nights. We will talk through your home, your ductwork and your utility costs before recommending either.
When should I replace instead of repair?
Past fifteen to twenty years, with a major component failing and rising bills, replacement usually wins. Below that, a repair is normally the right call. We will give you both figures honestly.
Is an annual tune-up really necessary?
For gas equipment it is a safety matter as much as an efficiency one — we check the heat exchanger, combustion and venting. It is also how most no-heat failures get caught while they are still small.
What if the heat fails at 2am in January?
Call us. We provide 24/7 emergency service, and a house with no heat in freezing weather is exactly the situation that warrants it — frozen pipes are the next problem if it waits.