The short answer
EliteAir Heating & Cooling provides heating, cooling and air quality service in Boulder Creek, about 18 miles southwest of San Jose. We fix furnaces and heat pumps, install ductless and central systems, and repair the damp or damaged ducts common in mountain homes.
Living in Boulder Creek means trading valley convenience for forest, quiet and a lot of weather that comes in sideways. The community is unincorporated, sits in Santa Cruz County and lies roughly 18 miles southwest of our San Jose base. EliteAir Heating & Cooling travels there to troubleshoot heaters that quit on cold mornings, install heat pumps and ductless equipment, and service the older systems that so many hillside houses still depend on. This page explains the problems we see most in a setting like this one and how we handle them.
The heater runs, but the back of the house stays cold
This is the complaint we hear most often from mountain properties. Long, winding duct runs lose heat before air reaches the far rooms, and a disconnected section under the floor can dump warm air straight into the crawlspace. Rodents also find ducts attractive, chewing through flexible lines and insulation.
Our technician measures the temperature at the supply registers, checks static pressure at the equipment and then follows the ducts to find where the loss is happening. Repairs range from resealing a few joints to replacing a damaged trunk line. Fixing distribution often does more for comfort than buying a larger furnace.
The furnace won't light after a storm
Wind and rain can knock out power, and when it returns some furnaces lock out or fail to restart cleanly. A tripped safety switch, a failed igniter, a condensate line that backed up or a pressure switch that sensed a blocked vent are all common culprits. Leaves and needles packing a flue cap or an intake pipe can trigger the same shutdown.
We clear the cause, confirm safe combustion, and look at whether a surge protector or a different vent termination would reduce repeat problems. If the unit is old and the heat exchanger shows cracks, we explain the risk plainly and lay out your options.
- Check the breaker and the furnace power switch first
- Replace a filter that looks gray or clogged
- Look outside for debris covering vent pipes
- Call us if you smell gas or the CO alarm sounds, and leave the house
Smoke season and indoor air
Late summer and fall in the hills can bring wildfire smoke from fires near or far. A forced-air system with a basic filter does little to stop fine particles. Upgrading to a higher-rated filter, sealing return leaks that pull in attic or crawlspace air, and adding a dedicated air cleaner are steps we can discuss. Homes without ducts can still benefit from ductless units with washable filters paired with portable purifiers in bedrooms.
Swapping an aging furnace for a heat pump
A heat pump moves heat rather than burning fuel, and it handles both heating and cooling. In a forest setting, where summer AC was never a priority, adding a heat pump can bring cooling for the occasional hot spell while replacing a furnace near the end of its service life. Placement matters: we look for a spot with airflow around the outdoor unit, protection from falling branches and a path for defrost water to drain.
The federal 25C tax credit covered heat pumps placed in service before December 31, 2025, so new installations no longer qualify for it. We will not quote incentives we have not confirmed.
The AC barely cools on the few hot days
Some Boulder Creek homes have a central air conditioner that sits unused for most of the year. When a heat wave finally arrives, the system may hum without cooling, freeze up at the indoor coil or trip a breaker within minutes. Low refrigerant from a slow leak, a failed capacitor, a condenser packed with pine needles and a dirty indoor coil are the usual causes.
A spring check before warm weather is the cheapest way to avoid that scramble. We clean the outdoor coil, test electrical parts, measure the charge and confirm that the condensate line drains freely, so the equipment is ready the day you actually need it.
Other services and nearby communities
Beyond repair and replacement, we handle annual HVAC maintenance, duct cleaning, central AC installation and ductless mini-split installation for Boulder Creek homes. Coming from San Jose, our routes also pass through Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Campbell and Cupertino, so we can often fit a mountain call alongside other work in the area. Booking ahead for routine tune-ups helps us keep emergency slots open on cold, wet days.