Fullerton's historic homes can stay cool without losing character.

Early-century homes near downtown

Fullerton has an unusual number of pre-war houses: Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival homes and Tudor cottages on streets north and east of downtown, several within locally recognized historic districts. They were heated with floor furnaces or gravity furnaces and cooled by thick walls and shade trees. To add modern cooling without hacking up plaster and built-ins, we look at:

• Ductless wall or ceiling cassettes in the main rooms.
• Small-diameter high-velocity ducts that fit between framing.
• Attic air handlers with short, well-sealed runs where attic space allows.

Condenser placement matters for the streetscape, so we aim for rear or side yards away from historic façades.

The hills: Sunny Hills, Raymond Hills and Golden Hill

North of downtown, hillside neighborhoods developed mostly from the 1950s through the 1970s. Homes in Sunny Hills and the surrounding areas are larger ranch and split-level designs with long duct runs, vaulted rooms and lots of glass. Common issues include uneven temperatures between wings of the house, aging attic ducts, and systems that were enlarged rather than redesigned as rooms were added.

Amerige Heights and newer development

Amerige Heights, built in the early 2000s on former Hughes Aircraft land, brought a large new neighborhood of two-story homes and a town center. Those houses are now around twenty years old, which is the age when original equipment starts needing compressors, fan motors and coils. For many owners it is the first real replacement decision.

Inland heat and air quality

Fullerton is about fifteen miles from the coast, so its summers are warmer and longer than beach cities. Hillside homes near the Coyote Hills and the Puente Hills catch smoke from regional wildfires. A high-MERV media filter and sealed returns are an easy improvement for allergy sufferers and during smoke season. Older homes near the rail lines and busy boulevards also benefit from filtration that captures fine dust.

Why upgrade in Fullerton

A historic bungalow with no cooling gains comfort it never had, often with a heat pump that also replaces a hazardous old floor furnace. A 1960s hillside home can solve wing-to-wing temperature swings with zoning or two systems. An Amerige Heights owner moving off original equipment gets newer refrigerant, SEER2 efficiency and quieter variable-speed operation.

Fullerton maintenance checklist

Have the AC tuned each spring and the furnace or heat pump checked each fall. Swap filters every one to three months. Keep jacaranda and ficus litter cleared off the outdoor coil. If you live in an older home with original wiring, ask us to check the electrical connections at the furnace and condenser during service.