HVAC Repair in Stamford, 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 Stamford will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, most of it in the cold
Your furnace runs from October through May here. That is eight months of firing up on nights that average 22 degrees, and each cycle puts a little more wear on the igniter and the burner. When one of those parts finally gives out, you find out on the coldest night, not the mildest one.
The air conditioner gets a shorter shift, June through August, with afternoons averaging 81 degrees. The system still has to cycle on and off all summer, and a low refrigerant charge or a failing capacitor shows up the same way it would anywhere else. The house stops cooling down and stays that way until the part is replaced.
More than a third of homes here heat with fuel oil, which means the oil filter and the nozzle need attention too, on top of the parts every furnace has. And with a fifth of Connecticut households losing power for a full day or more last year, it helps to know that most furnaces and water heaters come back on by themselves once power is restored. 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
- 22°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals
Connecticut requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Department of Consumer Protection issues the license, and it's held by the contractor, not by each job. It doesn't attach to this particular repair. It attaches to who's doing the work.
For a repair to your heating and cooling system, that license is the credential you're relying on. The contractor working on your system is the one the state has licensed, and that's what stands behind the work.
Sources: Connecticut General Assembly · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and the set temperature is above the room temperature, since a setting bumped a degree or two can look like a dead system. If that is fine, check the breaker for the furnace and, if you have a fuel oil tank, check that it isn't empty. A furnace that won't light at all, or one that runs but blows cold air, needs a contractor to look at the igniter, the flame sensor, or the blower, and with winter lows here around 22°F you don't want to wait on that.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A clogged filter chokes airflow and the coil can ice over, so the system runs but the air coming out barely feels cool. Check the outdoor unit too, and clear away any leaves or debris blocking it. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear but the house still isn't cooling, the system is likely low on refrigerant or has an airflow problem inside the ducts, and that needs a contractor to diagnose.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings and batteries first, since a dead thermostat looks exactly like a dead system. Then check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker, and check the air filter, since a filter clogged with dust can cause both weak heat and weak cooling. If you heat with fuel oil, confirm the tank isn't empty. If none of that explains it, you've saved the contractor time and they can go straight to diagnosing the actual problem.