HVAC Repair in Rochester, NY
Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Monroe County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of the year, your system is working
In Monroe County your furnace is the one carrying the load. Heat is needed October through May, eight months straight, and on winter nights that average 20°F it runs long and often to keep up. Those hours add up on the igniter and the blower motor, and a system that has run all winter without trouble can still fail on the coldest nights, when it matters most.
Summer is shorter here, just July and August, with afternoons around 79°F. Central air still has to work to keep a home comfortable in that heat, and a unit that sat idle most of the year can struggle to start back up. Monroe County has also seen its share of winter storms and damaging wind, and when the power goes out, most systems come back on their own once it's restored. If yours doesn't, that's a sign worth paying attention to.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 20°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $190 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Monroe County home.
Estimates for a typical Monroe 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?
- Start with the thermostat and the power to the furnace. If the display is blank, check the breaker and any switch that looks like a light switch near the unit, since that shuts the furnace off for service. Gas furnaces need power even with a pilot light, so no power usually means no heat and no fan. If the thermostat is on and set below room temperature but nothing happens, the igniter or flame sensor is a common failure point and a contractor will need to check it.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the filter first. A clogged filter blocks airflow across the coil, and when that happens the coil can ice over, so the system runs but blows warm air. Check the outdoor unit too. If the fan out there isn't spinning or the coil is caked with dirt or covered in ice, the system can't move heat out of the house no matter how long it runs.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the filter, and the power. Make sure the thermostat is set to heat or cool as needed and the batteries aren't dead. Pull the filter and hold it up to a light. If you can't see through it, replace it. Check the breaker box and any service switch near the indoor or outdoor unit, since a tripped breaker or a switch bumped off will stop the system cold and look like a bigger problem than it is. If those check out and the system still isn't working, a contractor will need to look at it.