About Warmlo

What Warmlo is

Warmlo helps homeowners answer three questions when something goes wrong with heat or cooling: what the problem likely is, what a fair repair should cost, and when to call a licensed professional. FixCode covers furnace error codes by brand. QuoteCheck compares contractor quotes against national benchmarks. The HVAC Quote Index publishes those benchmarks — and, as volume grows, anonymized statistics from real quotes submitted through QuoteCheck.

Visitors never pay. Warmlo may earn a fee when you request quotes through partner networks; see our affiliate disclosure. Editorial content is researched independently of those relationships.

How FixCode content is compiled

• Structured data, not a CMS. Each error code lives as a validated JSON object in the repository (`data/codes/`). Every field — meaning, severity, DIY steps, cost range, related repair — is schema-checked on every deploy.
• Accuracy over volume. We publish a searchable diagnostic meaning only when it can be tied to manufacturer literature and a stated model or control family. Unconfirmed routes are kept out of search and show model-finding instructions instead of a guessed repair.
• Visible source trail. Verified code pages link directly to the manufacturer document, show its document number, and explain which models or control family the chart covers.
• Consistent editorial templates. The manufacturer meaning is translated into plain language, then paired with a conservative safety category, first checks, and repair range. Automated validation blocks missing sources, unsupported brand mappings, and unsafe indexing states.
• Symptom layer. Symptom guides connect everyday problems (“furnace won't ignite”) to brand-specific code pages so homeowners who do not yet know their code can still find a path forward.
• Permanent URLs. Code and symptom URLs do not change. Updates happen in place when data is corrected or refreshed.

How fair-price ranges are calculated

QuoteCheck and the Quote Index use national fair ranges stored in data/quote-benchmarks.json. Each job type has a fair low, fair high, and typical midpoint for a standard residential install in an average U.S. market — not the cheapest possible quote and not the top of market.

Ranges exclude unusual scope (major duct reconstruction, asbestos, commercial equipment). QuoteCheck can apply adjustment factors you select (tight access, premium brand, high-cost metro) at check time; the Index table shows unadjusted national ranges for apples-to-apples comparison.

Repair cost guides on /cost/* pages use separate part/labor research for individual repairs (ignitor, limit switch, etc.) and are cross-linked from code pages.

How the Quote Index works

The Warmlo HVAC Quote Index is a public statistics page. V1 publishes fair-range benchmarks for twelve common job types. As homeowners submit quoted prices through QuoteCheck, anonymized aggregates (median price, percent above fair range) publish automatically when a job type reaches at least 20 submissions — no names, emails, phones, or ZIP codes in the published data.

Full methodology and a copy-paste citation line are on the Index page. Journalists and researchers are encouraged to link back when citing ranges or statistics.

Editorial guardrails

• No doorway pages — no city, ZIP, or “near me” landing pages; no bulk cross-products of brand × symptom without real content.
• Safety first — emergency severity codes never include DIY HowTo structured data; gas and combustion warnings stay verbatim-locked.
• Not professional advice — every code page includes a general-information disclaimer. When in doubt, call a licensed technician.
• Verification harness — npm run verify runs on every change: lint, types, tests, data validation, build, and post-build site checks. Deploys do not ship with weakened tests.

Who runs Warmlo

Warmlo is an independent consumer project focused on honest HVAC information. We are not a licensed contractor and do not perform installations or repairs. Partner networks may connect you with local pros when you choose to request quotes — that is optional and separate from reading our code and cost content.

Questions or corrections: hello@warmlo.com. Privacy inquiries: privacy@warmlo.com.