HVAC Repair in New Haven, 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 New Haven will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, most of it in the cold
Your system runs almost year round here. Heat from October through May, then cooling for the three months after that, before it starts again. That is eleven months where the furnace or the AC is doing something.
Winter nights averaging 25°F mean the burner is cycling on and off for hours at a stretch to keep up, and each start puts a little more wear on the igniter. A furnace that is going to fail often does it on the coldest nights, not the mild ones. Summer afternoons near 81°F ask less of the system, but the compressor still has to run every day through August. About 20% of Connecticut households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024, and a furnace needs electricity to run no matter how it lights the burner.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 25°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 $170 a year off heating and cooling for a typical New Haven home.
Estimates for a typical New Haven 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 is the one that licenses HVAC contractors in Connecticut. Getting one means the contractor was tested and is on record with the state. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so it does not expire when this repair is finished.
For a repair to your heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the work. It is the state's answer to the question of who is allowed to touch a system that burns gas and moves refrigerant through your home.
Sources: Connecticut General Assembly · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to heat and the temperature is set above the room temperature, since a setting bumped a degree or two can look like a dead system. If the thermostat is fine, check the filter. A filter clogged with dust can choke off airflow until the furnace shuts itself down to protect the heat exchanger. If your furnace runs on gas, check that the switch on the unit and the gas valve are both on, since either one can get bumped off during other work in the house. If none of that explains it, the igniter or flame sensor may have failed, and that's a job for a licensed contractor. With winter nights here averaging 25°F, a furnace that won't fire isn't something to leave for later.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common cause is a dirty filter or frozen coil, both of which block the airflow the system needs to pull heat out of your house. If the outdoor unit is running but the air from your vents feels barely cool, check the filter first. A filter you can't see through is restricting airflow enough to ice up the coil, and once that happens the system needs time with the fan running and the compressor off to thaw before it can cool again. If the filter looks fine and the coil isn't frozen, the refrigerant charge may be low, which is not something to check or fix yourself. Summer afternoons here average 81°F, and a system that runs constantly without dropping the temperature is working against a losing battle until it's repaired.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings first, since a wrong mode or a battery running low can look exactly like a system failure. Next, check the filter. A filter that's gray or packed with dust restricts airflow to both furnaces and air conditioners and is the single most common cause of poor heating or cooling. Check that the system has power, meaning the breaker hasn't tripped and, for a furnace, that the switch near the unit is on. If your outdoor unit isn't running at all, look for anything blocking it, like leaves or debris pressed against the coil. If you've checked all of this and the problem remains, a licensed contractor will need to diagnose it. Connecticut requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license through the Department of Consumer Protection, so ask for that license when you call.