HVAC Repair in Elko, NV
Homes here need heat from September through June and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Elko County will get in touch.
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Ten months of heat, and nights near zero
Your furnace in Elko County works almost year round. Heat runs from September through June, and on the coldest nights it is holding the house against lows near 17°F. That means long burner cycles, night after night, for most of the year. The igniter and the flame sensor take the wear from all that starting and stopping, and when one of them finally gives out, it happens in the middle of a cold night, not a mild afternoon.
Summer is short here, just July and August, with afternoons around 82°F. Your air conditioner does not run long enough each year to reveal a weak part on its own, so a compressor or a capacitor that is close to failing tends to wait until the first hot week to show it. Add in the wind and winter storms this area sees, and a power interruption on a bad night is not unusual. Most systems come back on their own once power returns, but if yours does not restart, that is worth a call.
- 10 months
- September through June, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 17°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Nevada requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Nevada State Contractors Board issues that license, and it tests the contractor before handing one out. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it covers this repair the same way it covers any other job that contractor takes on.
For a heating and cooling repair, that license is what stands behind the work. It means the state has already checked this contractor before they walk into your house, rather than you being the first to find out whether they know the job.
Sources: Nevada Legislature · Nevada State Contractors Board
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often it is the igniter or a flame sensor that has built up carbon, so the burners never light. A thermostat set wrong or batteries that died can cause the same thing, and it's worth checking that first. If the furnace runs but blows cold air, the filter may be so clogged the system is shutting itself down to protect the heat exchanger. With winter lows here averaging 17°F, a furnace that won't fire needs a contractor out quickly.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When air can't move through, the coil can ice up, and iced coil moves no cold air at all even though the system sounds like it's working. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing, but that's not something to check yourself. Start with the filter, and if it's clean, the problem is inside the system and needs a contractor.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat first. Make sure it's set to heat or cool as needed and that the batteries are good. Check the air filter next, since a clogged one is behind a lot of no-heat and no-cool calls, and swap it if it's gray or packed with dust. Check your breaker panel too. A tripped breaker will shut the whole system down and looks like a bigger problem than it is. If all of that checks out and the system still isn't working, a licensed contractor will need to look at what's inside it.