HVAC Repair in Delaware, 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 Delaware County will get in touch.
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Delaware County asks a lot of your system, most of the year
Your furnace is the one working most of the year here. Heat runs October through May, eight months, and on a winter night averaging 23°F it cycles on and off for hours to hold the house steady. Each start puts a small strain on the igniter. A worn one stops lighting the burner at all, and the house goes cold, usually overnight when the temperature is lowest.
Summer is shorter but not easy on the system either. Afternoons averaging 83°F push the air conditioner to run long stretches to keep up. That load falls hardest on the compressor and the capacitor that starts it. Ohio also sees its share of power interruptions. Most furnaces and air conditioners start back up on their own once power returns. If yours does not, that points to a problem worth having looked at rather than a system waiting on the grid.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 23°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 83°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $170 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Delaware County home.
Estimates for a typical Delaware 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.
Delaware County is the one that decides who can do this work here. Ohio leaves HVAC licensing to the counties instead of handling it at the state level, so there is no state exam and no state record to check. Whatever requirement applies to a contractor working on your house comes from the county, not from Columbus. Ohio does define a home contractor as someone carrying at least $250,000 in liability insurance, but that is a definition of the term, not a license anyone earns.
For a repair on a heating and cooling system, the gas connection is the part with the least room for error. Whether that gets inspected depends on what Delaware County requires for a repair like this, since no state rule covers it.
Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission
- Why is my heat not working?
- The most common reason is the thermostat, the pilot or igniter, or the power to the unit. Check the thermostat first. Make sure it's set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, and check the batteries if it takes them. If the furnace has a standing pilot, look for the flame. If it uses an igniter, listen for it trying to fire, and check that the breaker hasn't tripped. With nights here dropping to 23°F, a furnace that won't start is worth getting looked at the same day, since a home can lose heat fast in that cold.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If air is moving but it's not cold, check the air filter first. A clogged filter chokes off airflow across the coil, and the coil can freeze up, which makes the problem worse the longer it runs. Also check that nothing is blocking the outdoor unit, like leaves or grass clippings, since it needs open air around it to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, the system likely needs a contractor to check refrigerant levels or the compressor.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm the mode, the set temperature, and the batteries. Check the breaker for the furnace or air conditioner, since a tripped breaker looks like a dead system but takes seconds to fix. Look at the air filter and replace it if it's dirty, since restricted airflow causes problems on both the heating and cooling side. If it's a gas furnace, check whether the pilot light is lit or, on newer units, whether you can hear the igniter attempting to start. If all of that checks out and the system still isn't working, it's time for a contractor to take a closer look.