HVAC Repair in Akron, OH
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 Summit County will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, most years
Your furnace and your air conditioner both earn their keep here. Heat runs October through May, cooling picks up in June and holds through August. That leaves only a short stretch when neither one has to work, and most of the calendar is spent asking one system or the other to catch up.
Winter nights averaging 22°F mean long burner cycles, night after night. That kind of run time wears on an igniter and a heat exchanger before most people expect it. Summer afternoons near 81°F push the compressor hard on the hottest days, and a system that was already tired from winter doesn't get much of a break. Add in the wind and winter storms this area sees, and a share of homes lose power along with it, which means the furnace or air conditioner shuts down and has to come back on its own once the lights do.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 22°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 Summit County home.
Estimates for a typical Summit County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Ohio 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.
In Ohio, HVAC licensing for homes is left to the counties.
Ohio has no state HVAC license for home work. Whether a contractor needs one comes down to Summit County's own rule, not a state exam or a state record. Ohio does define what counts as a home contractor. That definition requires carrying at least $250,000 in liability insurance. It is a definition written into state law, not a license, and nobody is tested to meet it.
For a repair on your heating and cooling system, Summit County's own rule is the protection that applies, since there is no state license behind it. The $250,000 insurance figure holds no matter what county the work happens in, but it is not proof of skill. It is a financial requirement written into how the state defines a contractor.
Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat, not just on, and check that the temperature is set above room temperature. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel and any furnace switch, since a tripped breaker or a switch bumped off will stop the furnace cold. Gas furnaces also need the pilot light or igniter to work, so if you smell gas at all, leave the house and call the gas company before touching anything. With winter nights here dropping to 22°F on average, a furnace that has been struggling for a while can fail outright on the coldest nights, so if none of this brings the heat back, it is worth getting a contractor out soon.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter blocking airflow, so check that first and replace it if it looks gray or clogged. If the filter is clean, go outside and look at the condenser unit. If the fan is not spinning or the coil is caked with dirt and debris, that will keep the system from cooling even though it is running. A frozen indoor coil is another sign, and it usually points to low airflow or a refrigerant problem that a contractor needs to diagnose. If the outdoor unit looks fine and the air from your vents is barely cool, the system may be low on refrigerant, and that is not something to add yourself.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat first. Confirm it is set to the right mode, the temperature is set where you want it, and the batteries are not dead if it has a screen. Next check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker and any power switch near the furnace or outdoor unit. Look at the air filter and replace it if it is dirty, since a clogged filter causes both heating and cooling problems. If you have an outdoor unit, make sure nothing is blocking it, no leaves, no snow, no fence pushed up against it. If you get through all of this and the system still is not working right, a contractor will need to look at it, and telling them what you already checked will save time when they arrive.