HVAC Repair in Boone, IA
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 Boone County will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, with almost no break
Your furnace in Boone County runs from October through May, and the nights it fights hardest average 14°F. At that temperature the burner cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and every start puts wear on the igniter. When it finally gives out, the furnace won't light at all and the house goes cold on the coldest nights of the year.
Summer is short here, just June through August, but afternoons averaging 82°F still put real load on the air conditioner. A system that mostly sits idle the rest of the year can struggle to keep up once it's asked to run every afternoon. Add in the wind, Boone County has seen 37 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and outdoor units and power supplies take a beating too. When the power drops, most furnaces and air conditioners come back on by themselves, but if yours doesn't, that's worth a call.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 14°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 $120 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Boone County home.
Estimates for a typical Boone County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Iowa 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.
Iowa requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
That license comes from the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board. It covers the contractor, not each job, so a repair to your heating and cooling system falls under a license the contractor already holds rather than one issued for that specific visit.
For a repair like this, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. It belongs to the contractor, not the business name on the truck, so the person actually working on your system should be the one who holds it.
Sources: Iowa Legislature · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often the thermostat is calling for heat but something between it and the flame isn't following through. A dirty flame sensor is one of the most common causes, it tells the furnace no flame is present even when there is one, so the system shuts itself down as a safety measure. A clogged filter can also starve the furnace of airflow until it overheats and trips a limit switch. With winter nights here dropping to 14°F, a furnace that won't start is worth calling in fast rather than waiting to see if it fixes itself.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If the blower is running but the air coming out isn't cold, the problem is usually with the outdoor unit, not the fan. A dirty outdoor coil can't shed heat properly, so the refrigerant never cools down enough. Low refrigerant from a leak does the same thing, the system moves air but that air never gets cold. A frozen indoor coil, often caused by restricted airflow, will also blow warm air until it thaws. Check your filter first, since a clogged one is the easiest cause to rule out yourself.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat first. Make sure it's set to heat or cool as needed and that the batteries aren't dead. Next, check the filter and replace it if it's visibly gray or clogged, since restricted airflow causes problems on both the heating and cooling side. Look at your breaker panel too, a tripped breaker will stop the system cold with no other warning sign. If the outdoor unit is covered in leaves, ice, or debris, clear it. If none of that brings it back, the problem is inside the equipment and a licensed contractor will need to diagnose it.