Heating and air conditioning service across Jefferson County, AL
Jefferson County holds Birmingham itself plus most of the suburbs that ring it, and the houses change a lot from one ZIP code to the next. We work on furnaces, central air, heat pumps and ductwork in every part of the county.
Our technicians cover all of Jefferson County, including Birmingham, Irondale, Bessemer, Trussville, Gardendale, Hueytown, Center Point, Fultondale and the Jefferson County part of Hoover. Zeltman Heating & Air repairs and replaces central air, heat pumps, gas and electric furnaces and ductwork, and we size new equipment to the house in front of us. A person answers 24/7.
Why a city bungalow and a 2000s two-story need different answers
Jefferson County holds the oldest neighborhoods in the metro, and its housing reads like a timeline. Inside Birmingham you still find early 1900s bungalows and foursquares with plaster walls and tall ceilings. The inner suburbs filled in with brick ranches in the middle of the century. Out toward the county line, 1990s and 2000s two-story homes line the newer streets.
Each era brings its own HVAC habits. Bungalows and foursquares were built long before central air, so their ducts were squeezed into attics, closets and chases later on, often by more than one owner. Mid-century ranches usually have an attic air handler or a closet furnace, fed by metal trunk lines that have been in place since the house went up. The two-story homes tend to run two systems, one in the attic for the bedrooms and one for the main floor.
That spread is why we never walk into a Jefferson County job with a stock answer. A ductless head might be right for a bungalow sunroom, while a ranch with leaky original metal ducts needs sealing more than new equipment. A two-story with a hot upstairs may need a return air fix or zoning. When a full replacement does make sense, we run a Manual J load calculation so the new system matches the house rather than the old label.
Climate ties it all together. Summer afternoons in the low to mid 90s with heavy humidity push every system hard, and January cold snaps into the 20s test furnaces and heat pump backup heat. Spring pollen loads filters and outdoor coils in March and April. Those same three stresses show up whether you live in Bessemer, Gardendale or downtown.
Problems that show up across Jefferson County, house by house
Ducts added to homes built without them
Early 1900s city homes often have ductwork that was retrofitted in pieces. Undersized returns and disconnected runs leave some rooms starved for air.
Original metal trunk lines in ranches
Mid-century brick ranches still run a lot of their first ductwork. Joints open up over decades and leak conditioned air into the attic or crawlspace.
Two systems wearing out together
Homes built in the 1990s and 2000s often got upstairs and downstairs systems the same week, so both reach the end of their life at about the same time.
Aging R-22 equipment
Older outdoor units that still run R-22 are costly to recharge because production ended in 2020. A leak on one of these is usually the point to plan a replacement.
Furnace safety in older closets
Gas furnaces tucked into hall closets deserve a careful look at the flue and heat exchanger each fall. Any home with gas appliances should have working CO alarms.
Work we do most often around the county
AC Repair
Summer breakdowns in every corner of the county, usually a capacitor, a drain or a dirty coil.
Learn moreDuctwork Repair and Sealing
Sealing and repairing original ducts in mid-century ranches and retrofitted older homes.
Learn moreDuctless Mini-Split Installation
A practical answer for bungalow sunrooms and additions with no room for ducts.
Learn moreComplete HVAC System Replacement
Matched, properly sized systems when an old R-22 unit or worn furnace is done.
Learn moreHow we route calls across Jefferson County
Our base on 15th Avenue North sits on the east side of Birmingham, close to Irondale and I-20/59. From there, I-65 takes us north toward Fultondale and Gardendale, I-20/59 runs southwest to Bessemer and Hueytown, and I-459 loops around the south side toward Hoover. US-280 and US-11 cover the rest. We plan each day so a technician already working in one corner of the county picks up the calls near that job.
Calls come in at all hours, and a person answers every one. We ask what the system is doing, roughly how old it is and whether anyone at home is vulnerable to heat or cold. Then you get a time window. Homes near the county line are no problem either, since we also cover Trussville and the Shelby and St. Clair county towns next door.
Nearby areas we also cover
Questions from Jefferson County homeowners
Yes. We cover Birmingham and the surrounding Jefferson County cities, including Irondale, Bessemer, Trussville, Gardendale, Hueytown, Center Point, Fultondale and the Jefferson County side of Hoover. If your town is not on that list, call and ask, because the answer is almost always yes.
We cover the whole county. The main ZIP codes include 35203 downtown, 35210 in Irondale, 35215 around Center Point and Huffman, 35020 in Bessemer, 35173 in Trussville and 35071 in Gardendale, and the ZIP codes between them are covered too.
Ductwork. Many older homes have ducts that were added after the house was built or that have never been replaced. Leaks, crushed sections and small returns cause hot rooms and high power bills even when the equipment itself is fine. Sealing and repairs often help more than new equipment.
Yes. Gas furnaces are common in the older parts of the county, and heat pumps are common in newer homes. We repair, maintain and replace both, plus dual fuel systems that pair a heat pump with a gas furnace for the coldest nights.
Yes, and it often makes sense when both units went in together and are the same age. We size each system to the floor it serves with a load calculation. Replacing one now and planning the second for later is fine too if that suits your budget better.
Heating or cooling trouble in Jefferson County?
Call any hour. A person answers, and we will tell you when a technician can be there.