HVAC Repair in Kiryas Joel, NY
Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling from June through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Orange County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work a year, with only a short break in between
Your furnace or heat pump has almost no offseason here. Heat runs October through May, and cooling picks up right after for June through August. Only a few weeks a year sit idle.
Winter nights average 21°F, cold enough that a furnace cycles on and off for hours to hold a room's temperature. Each cycle puts a small load on the igniter and the burner. Summer afternoons average 81°F, which keeps the compressor running long stretches on the hottest days. Almost half the homes here heat with gas, so a cracked igniter or a burner that won't light means a cold house until it's fixed.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 21°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $180 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Orange County home.
Estimates for a typical Orange County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New York fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when one part has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the furnace's heat exchanger is cracked, the air conditioner's compressor has failed, or repairs keep coming.
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often it is the igniter, the thermostat, or the pilot light gone out. Gas furnaces use an igniter or pilot to light the burners, and when that part fails the furnace will not produce heat even though the blower may still run. A thermostat with dead batteries or a tripped breaker can look like the same problem. With winter nights here averaging 21°F, it is worth checking the thermostat setting and the breaker first, since those take a minute and cost nothing to rule out.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The blower is moving air, but something is stopping that air from picking up cold. A dirty filter is the most common cause, since it blocks airflow across the coil and can even cause the coil to freeze up. A low refrigerant charge or a failing compressor will do the same thing, and those need a contractor to diagnose. Check the filter first. If it is clean and the air still is not cold, the problem is inside the system.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat or cool as needed, the batteries are good, and the temperature is actually calling for a change. Then check the breaker for the system and the filter, since a clogged filter can cause weak airflow or a frozen coil. If the outdoor unit is covered in ice, leaves, or storm debris, clear it, since this area sees both winter storms and damaging wind through the year. If everything checks out and the system still is not heating or cooling, a contractor will need to look at it.