HVAC Repair in Gardnerville Ranchos, 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 Douglas County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of heat, two months of cooling, and a grid that doesn't always hold
Your furnace is the machine doing most of the work here. Heat runs from September through June, and on winter nights that average 24°F it cycles on and off for hours at a stretch. Every start puts a load on the igniter and the burner. That's usually where a furnace this age starts to fail. It won't light, or it lights and quits a few seconds later. Most homes in Gardnerville Ranchos heat with gas, so when the igniter goes, the heat goes with it.
Summer is short here, just July and August, with afternoons around 82°F. That's not long enough to hide a weak air conditioner. If the compressor or the fan is already struggling, those two months are when it shows. This area has also logged 290 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and outdoor units sit outside for all of them. Add in the power outages Nevada sees, 13% of households last year went at least a day without power, and a furnace or air conditioner needs someone to check it before it will run right again.
- 10 months
- September through June, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 24°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $150 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Douglas County home.
Estimates for a typical Douglas County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Nevada 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.
Nevada requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Nevada State Contractors Board tests contractors before it licenses them, and it keeps a record of who holds that license. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license covers the work whether it is a furnace repair this year or an air conditioner replacement the next.
For a repair like this one, that license is what stands behind the person working on your system. The contractor is tested and on record with the Board, and that record is the protection this state gives you.
Sources: Nevada Legislature · Nevada State Contractors Board
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often it comes down to the thermostat, the igniter, or the gas supply to the furnace. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, and check the breaker for the furnace hasn't tripped. If the furnace has a standing pilot, look to see if it's lit. With winter nights here averaging 24°F, a furnace that won't fire is worth getting looked at the same day, since the house can lose heat fast.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If the blower is running but the air isn't cold, the most common causes are a dirty filter blocking airflow, a frozen coil, or low refrigerant from a leak. Check the filter first and replace it if it's gray or packed with dust. If the air coming from the vents is barely cool or warm and the filter is clean, a contractor needs to check the coil and refrigerant charge, since low refrigerant means there's a leak somewhere in the system.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to the right mode and the temperature is actually calling for heat or cooling. Check the breaker for the furnace or air conditioner hasn't tripped, and check the filter, since a clogged filter can cause a system to run without heating or cooling well. If those all check out and the system still isn't working, a licensed contractor will need to diagnose it further.