HVAC Repair in Philadelphia, PA
Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from June through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Philadelphia County will get in touch.
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Eleven months a year, your system doesn't get a break
In Philadelphia County your furnace runs October through April, and the air conditioner takes over June through September. That leaves only one month when neither one has to work. Winter nights averaging 27°F mean the burner cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and every start puts wear on the igniter and the flame sensor. Summer afternoons near 85°F push the compressor hard, and a low refrigerant charge or a dirty condenser coil shows up fastest on days like that, when the house won't cool down no matter where you set the thermostat.
Most homes here heat with gas, so a furnace that won't light means no heat at all, not just less of it. And the county sees real storms, wind events and winter storms both, that knock out power. When that happens the furnace can't run even if the gas is on, since the blower and the ignition system both need electricity. If the power's been out and your heat hasn't come back with it, that's worth checking before you assume the furnace itself has failed.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 27°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 85°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 Philadelphia County home.
Estimates for a typical Philadelphia County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the Bureau of Consumer Protection, but nobody tested this contractor's HVAC knowledge to get it. Pennsylvania does not license the trade itself, and since cities and towns here cannot require their own HVAC license, the state registration is the only state-level record that exists.
For a repair on a system that burns gas and moves refrigerant, that record is not what stands behind the work. No state license backs it up, and no local license can either, because Pennsylvania does not allow cities and towns to require one.
Source: Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and set a few degrees above room temperature, and check that the display is lit. If the thermostat looks dead, check the breaker for the furnace or air handler, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. Gas furnaces also stop for reasons the thermostat cannot show you, like a pilot or igniter that failed to light, so if power and the thermostat check out, the problem is likely inside the furnace itself and worth having a contractor look at, especially with winter lows here averaging 27°F.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, and when that happens the coil can ice over and blow warm air even though the system is running. Check the outdoor unit too, since leaves or grass clippings packed against it stop it from releasing heat outside. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear and the house still is not cooling, the system is likely low on refrigerant or has a failing part, and that calls for a contractor with gauges to find out.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings and batteries first, since a thermostat with dead batteries or the wrong mode set will make a working system seem broken. Check the breaker panel next, since a tripped breaker will stop a furnace or air conditioner cold. Look at the air filter and swap it if it is dark with dust, since a blocked filter causes problems in both winter and summer. If the system still is not working after that, tell the contractor what you found. It narrows down what they need to check first.