What people ask us
about HVAC work
Answers about Air Conditioning, Heating and Heat Pumps, what things cost, how long they take and what happens on the day. When you're ready, get a free quote or check our service area.
49 questions we get on the phone, each answered in full.
What does All Purpose HVAC work on?
Heating and cooling, and everything in the house that moves the air. That means air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, ductless systems, ductwork, thermostats and indoor air quality.
We repair, install, replace whole systems and do seasonal maintenance. We also take commercial work, including rooftop units on offices, shops and multi-family buildings. We don't do plumbing or roofing.
Where do you work?
Washington DC, Northern Virginia and the Maryland suburbs. Our shop is at 6965 Heather Drive, Suite A, in Bryans Road, Maryland.
Charles and Prince George's counties are the closest to us. If your town isn't listed, call and ask, or put your ZIP code into the check on the service area page.
What are your regular hours?
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, every day, weekends included.
Call during those hours and we book the visit for the next day with a real arrival window. After hours, send the form or leave a message and we get back to you once the phones open. Commercial clients can book short notice, after-hours and weekend work, which we quote per job.
Do you charge for a diagnosis?
Yes, and we tell you the fee before the visit is booked.
At the house you hear what failed and why, then you get the repair price in writing, and then you decide. If the repair is a big one, we put a replacement price next to it.
Are estimates free?
Estimates for a replacement or a new install are free. Diagnosing a broken system has a fee, and we tell you what it is before you book.
Either way, you have the price in writing before any work starts.
Are you bonded and insured?
Yes. We're bonded and insured, with workers' compensation and business liability coverage on every job.
If something goes wrong on your property, we carry the cost. If a landlord or a building needs the certificate of insurance, ask and we'll send it.
Do you warranty your work?
Yes. Our workmanship carries a 60 to 90 day warranty, depending on the job, and you can ask which term applies when you get your written price.
New equipment comes with the maker's own warranty, on the maker's terms. After an install we leave you the paperwork and the warranty registration.
What areas do you cover?
Charles, Prince George's and Montgomery counties in Maryland, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax.
Some places split permits between a city and its county, like Rockville, Falls Church and Fairfax. There we check which office covers your property before we file anything.
Do you do heat pump replacement and furnace installation in Fairfax, VA?
Yes, on both sides of the Fairfax city line.
We size the new system from the house and check the old returns before any equipment goes in. The written replacement estimate is free.
Do you do heating and AC repair in Fairfax, VA?
Yes, in the City of Fairfax and the county around it.
A gas furnace, a heat pump and a central air system all get the same visit. We find the fault, explain it in plain words and give you a price before any part gets swapped.
Do you do HVAC repair in Fairfax County, outside the city?
Yes. We cover Burke, Annandale and Fair Oaks as well as the City of Fairfax.
Call today and we set the visit for tomorrow, in an arrival window you can plan around.
Do you do AC repair and furnace repair in Falls Church, VA?
Yes, in the City of Falls Church and in the Fairfax County neighborhoods that share its address.
That covers air conditioning, furnaces and heat pump repair and replacement. Call today and we schedule you for tomorrow.
Do you do commercial HVAC in Falls Church?
Yes. We work on offices, storefronts and apartment buildings near Broad Street and Seven Corners.
Tell us your opening hours and we'll plan the visits around them.
Do you do heating repair and heat pump repair in Rockville?
Yes, on gas furnaces and heat pumps anywhere inside the city limits.
We take readings before we change parts, and you get the price before the repair.
Do you do AC repair in Bowie, MD?
Yes, from the Levitt sections to the newer neighborhoods along MD 197.
Iced coils, overflowing drains and condensers that won't start are all part of it, and so is furnace work. You hear the cause and the price before we repair anything.
Do you do furnace repair and new HVAC installs in Arlington, VA?
Yes, in single family houses and condo units alike.
That includes gas furnaces and heat pumps. The estimate for new equipment is free and comes in writing.
Do you do HVAC repair and heating repair in Silver Spring, MD?
Yes, from downtown out to White Oak and Colesville.
We work on gas furnaces, heat pumps and central air. Book a visit and we're there the next day, in an arrival window.
Do you do AC repair in Waldorf?
Yes. Waldorf is about 8 miles from our Bryans Road shop.
We fix anything from a failed capacitor to an iced coil or a blocked drain, heat pumps included, and visits go on the next day's schedule.
Do you do gas furnace installation and replacement in Washington, DC?
Yes. In the District the Department of Buildings issues the mechanical permit, and the gas work is permitted separately.
We plan the venting before the furnace is ordered, and the written estimate costs you nothing.
Do you do heat pump installation in DC row houses?
Yes. A lot of row houses were built with radiators and no ducts, so the choice there is usually ductless heads or an attic air handler.
If you already have a heat pump and it's stopped working, we set the repair visit for the next day.
Can you repair or replace ductwork in a DC house?
Yes, including attic and soffit runs in houses that weren't built with ducts.
We test the ducts first, so we only seal, repair or replace the runs that leak or choke the airflow.
Do you do thermostat replacement in DC?
Yes, matched to the equipment it runs.
Before the new thermostat goes on the wall we check two things, the heat pump staging and whether there's a common wire.
How quickly can you come out?
The next day, with a real arrival window you can plan around.
We won't promise a two hour window we can't keep, and we call if anything changes. If the house has no heat or no cooling, tell us when you book.
Do you give written pricing?
Yes. You get the diagnosis and the price before work starts, and anything bigger than a repair gets a written quote.
If we find something else partway through, we stop and price it first, and nothing gets added without your yes. A replacement quote should show the size and the reason for it, the ductwork, the electrical and what's being removed.
Are you insured?
Yes. All Purpose Anytime Services LLC, the company behind All Purpose HVAC, is bonded and insured across Maryland, DC and Virginia.
Ask for the certificate of insurance and tell us who it should be made out to. It goes out with the proposal.
Do you work on commercial buildings?
Yes. Offices, retail units and multi-family buildings, rooftop units included.
We plan the visits around your opening hours. Short notice, after-hours and weekend work is available at a higher rate, quoted per job.
How many years should an AC last?
Usually twelve to fifteen years around here, and less if it spent years short cycling or running on a clogged filter.
If it's under ten years old and one part failed, repair it. If it's past fifteen, the compressor or coil has failed, or it's an R-22 system that lost its charge, get a replacement price next to the repair.
Why is my upstairs always warmer?
Usually it's the ducts, and the equipment is fine.
Second floor runs are often long, narrow or leaky, the attic bakes the ceilings, and one system is trying to serve two floors that need different things. Check the airflow upstairs, the attic ducts and the return path before you buy a bigger unit.
Why is one room in my house so hot?
Most of the time the room is starved of air. More equipment won't help it.
Look at the duct that feeds it, at how air gets back out of the room and at how hot the attic over it gets. A bigger system rarely fixes any of those.
My furnace is blowing cold air. Is it broken?
Maybe not. Check the thermostat fan first. On ON it blows room temperature air between cycles, so switch it to AUTO.
If it still blows cold on AUTO, the usual causes are a dirty flame sensor, a failed ignitor or a clogged filter shutting the burners off. Change the filter, then call us. If you smell gas or the CO alarm goes off, leave the house and call the gas utility first.
How often does a furnace need servicing?
Once a year, before heating season.
The technician handles the safety inspection and the cleaning, which covers the burners, the flame sensor, the heat exchanger, the venting and the combustion. The filter is your job, and it needs changing far more often than once a year.
Is a heat pump enough on its own in this climate?
For most homes here, yes, with backup heat for the coldest nights.
The balance point decides how it goes. Set right, the backup runs a few nights a year. Set wrong, it runs all winter. A house with gas, poor insulation and small ducts may do better with a furnace, or with both.
Can a mini split heat and cool?
Yes. Modern ductless systems are heat pumps, so they do both.
They suit additions, converted spaces and older houses with no ducts. The price depends on how many heads you need, the electrical panel and where the condensate can drain.
What filter should I use?
The one your system was designed for, which isn't always the highest number on the shelf.
A filter that's too restrictive cuts the cooling and can freeze the coil, and one that's too loose lets dust coat the coil. Change it every one to three months, sooner with pets, and write the date on it.
Will an air purifier fix a musty smell?
Not on its own. A musty smell means moisture, and a purifier doesn't remove moisture.
Around here the source is often a system that never runs long enough to dry the air, a drain pan holding water or ducts sweating in a damp crawl space. Fix the source and the smell goes with it.
How often should an HVAC system be serviced and cleaned?
Twice a year for a system that heats and cools, and once a year for one that only does one of the two.
Cooling gets checked before summer and heating before winter. A real visit takes readings, clears the condensate line and checks combustion on gas heat. A filter swap and a sticker on the unit doesn't count.
The cleaning happens on that same visit. The coils get checked, the condensate drain gets cleared and, on gas heat, the burner gets cleaned. Change the filter every one to three months in between.
Do I need a maintenance plan?
Only if it saves you money.
We give you the single visit price so you can compare. What matters most is that the visits actually happen.
Can you work outside business hours?
For commercial clients, yes. We take short notice, after-hours and weekend work at a higher rate, quoted per job.
We don't send anyone out in the middle of the night. For homes we work 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day, scheduled for the next day.
Do you work with property managers?
Yes, including multi-unit residential buildings and mixed portfolios, and our certificate of insurance goes out with the proposal.
Every unit gets handled the same way. We diagnose it, write up the price, wait for your approval and then do the work.
Will HVAC prices go down in 2026?
We don't forecast equipment prices, and nobody can honestly tell you where they'll be next year.
Since 2025, new home air conditioners and heat pumps have used newer refrigerants under the federal phase-down, so the equipment itself has changed. If your system works, keep it. If it's failing, waiting usually means paying for repairs in the meantime. The replacement estimate is free and in writing.
Is 4 ton AC enough for a 2000 sq ft house?
Usually yes, and in a well insulated house it can be more than you need.
The rule of thumb is one ton per 500 to 600 square feet, which puts 2,000 square feet at 3.5 to 4 tons. The insulation, windows, which way the house faces, the number of floors and the ducts can move that half a ton either way. Too big leaves the house cool and clammy, so we size from the house and put our reasoning in writing.
How much is a new AC unit for a 1700 sq ft house?
We don't publish a price by square footage, because a 1,700 square foot house can need different equipment depending on how it's built.
By rule of thumb that size often lands around 3 tons. From there the ducts, the electrical, where the equipment goes and whether you pick single stage, two stage or variable equipment move the price. The estimate is free and written, with each item on its own line.
How much is a furnace for a 1500 square foot house?
We don't publish a price by square footage, because the size of the house is only one factor.
A 1,500 square foot house usually needs one of the smallest furnaces made, and plenty of them have one sized for a bigger house. The efficiency, venting, gas line, electrical and ducts set the rest, and each one gets its own line on a free written estimate.
Why is HVAC labor so expensive?
Because it's licensed, regulated work, and doing it right takes time you don't see afterward.
Refrigerant work needs an EPA certified technician. Gas work in Montgomery and Prince George's needs a WSSC Water licensed gasfitter. Replacements need a permit, and every job carries workers' comp and liability insurance. Recovering refrigerant, pulling a vacuum, testing the gas and taking start-up readings is what keeps a cheap install from turning into an expensive repair.
What AC brands to stay away from?
We don't keep a list of brands to avoid, and several names come out of the same factories.
Watch how the unit is sold and installed instead. Walk away from no local parts, mismatched indoor and outdoor units, sizing copied off the old label, no permit or start-up readings, or a warranty nobody registers. Ask any contractor for the size, the reason for it and the warranty terms in writing.
Which AC brand lasts the longest?
No brand lasts longest by itself. Most air conditioners here last twelve to fifteen years, and the sizing, the installation and the upkeep decide where in that range yours lands.
A well installed, well kept mid-range unit can outlast an oversized top tier one that never got serviced. Compare the sizing and the install on each quote first, and the brand after that.
What is the most reliable furnace brand?
The one that's sized for the house, vented correctly and set up with readings. Those matter more than the name on it.
An oversized furnace short cycles and wears out faster. Compare what's in writing, the heat exchanger and parts warranty, whether it has to be registered and whether parts are stocked locally.
What is the average price for a 2.5 ton Bryant air conditioner?
We don't publish prices by brand or tonnage, because the unit is only part of the cost.
The efficiency tier, the matching coil and line set, any panel or disconnect work, where the outdoor unit sits and the ducts all move the price. A 2.5 ton label on the old unit doesn't prove the house needs 2.5 tons either. The free written estimate lists each item so you can compare quotes line by line.
Can I buy my own furnace and have someone install it?
Yes. You can buy your own furnace and we'll install it.
Send us the make and model before you buy, so we can check it suits the house's size, fuel, venting and ducts. Read the maker's warranty terms too. We quote the install in writing, with your parts and ours listed separately.
Didn't see yours?
Call and ask. We pick up from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, every day.