HVAC Repair in Hartford, CT
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 Hartford will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work a year
Your furnace or AC gets almost no rest in Hartford. Heat runs October through May, with winter nights averaging 21°F, and the AC takes over for June through August, with afternoons near 81°F. That kind of year-round load wears on the parts that start the system up, the igniter on a gas furnace, the capacitor on the AC's compressor, more than a system that gets a real off season.
Almost half the homes here heat with gas, and a furnace that will not light on a 21°F night is not something to wait out. Power matters too. Twenty percent of Connecticut households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and no furnace or air handler runs without it. Most systems come back on by themselves once power is restored, so if yours does not, that points to a separate problem worth having looked at.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 21°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $190 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Hartford home.
Estimates for a typical Hartford home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Connecticut 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.
Connecticut requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Department of Consumer Protection tests and records the contractor, not each job. That license belongs to the person or business doing the work, and it stays with them from one house to the next.
For a repair on a heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. The state has tested them and keeps a record of who they are, which is the protection a homeowner in Connecticut has when a stranger is working on a gas line or a refrigerant system inside their home.
Sources: Connecticut General Assembly · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to heat and the temperature is set above the room temperature, and check the batteries if it has a screen that looks dim. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will shut a furnace down with no warning. Gas furnaces also have a flame sensor that dirties over time, and when it can't detect a flame the furnace will shut off as a safety measure. If the furnace runs but the air isn't warm, or it won't start at all, a licensed contractor can find out which of these it is.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- A dirty air filter is the most common reason for this. When the filter is clogged, air can't move through the coil properly and the house stays warm even with the system running. Check the filter first and replace it if it's gray or matted with dust. If the filter is clean, the outdoor unit's coil might be blocked with leaves or debris, or the system could be low on refrigerant, and either of those needs a licensed contractor to check.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat first, the setting, the mode, and the batteries if it uses them. Then check your breaker panel for a tripped breaker, since both furnaces and air conditioners will stop running completely if their breaker has flipped. Look at the air filter next and replace it if it's dirty, since a clogged filter can cause heating or cooling problems that look like something bigger. If the system still isn't working after these checks, a licensed contractor can diagnose what's left.