HVAC Repair in Dubuque, 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 Dubuque County will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work for your furnace and AC
Your furnace runs from October through May here. On winter nights that average 15°F, it holds a long burner cycle and calls on the igniter again and again to start it. That kind of repeat use wears the igniter down. When it finally fails, the furnace hums or clicks but the burner never lights, and the house stays cold.
Summer is shorter, three months against eight, but afternoons averaging 81°F still put real hours on the air conditioner. That leaves only a few weeks in spring and fall for the system to sit idle before switching modes again. This county has seen 118 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and outdoor units take the brunt of that, from debris pulled into the coil to power cutting out mid-cycle. Most furnaces and air conditioners start back up on their own once power returns. If yours does not, that is worth a call.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 15°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $130 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Dubuque County home.
Estimates for a typical Dubuque 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.
The Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board issues that license, and it covers the contractor rather than each individual job. Once a contractor holds it, the same license applies to whatever HVAC work they take on across the state, including a repair like this one in Dubuque County.
That license is what stands behind the person working on your heating and cooling system. It is not tied to this particular repair. It is proof that the state has tested and recorded the contractor himself, and that record follows him from job to job.
Sources: Iowa Legislature · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to heat and the set temperature is above room temperature, then check that the breaker for the furnace hasn't tripped. If you have a gas furnace, look at the exterior vent hood for blockage, since ice or debris there can shut the system down. At 15°F on a winter night here, a furnace that won't fire needs attention fast, so if the basics check out and it still won't run, that's a call for a contractor.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the filter first. A clogged filter chokes off airflow across the coil, and the coil can ice over, which makes the system run without cooling anything. Next, look at the outdoor unit and clear away any grass clippings, leaves, or debris packed against it. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear and you're still not getting cold air at 81°F outside, the refrigerant charge or a component inside the system likely needs a contractor's diagnosis.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries in it if it's battery powered, and the breaker for the system. Check the filter and replace it if it's dirty, since that alone causes a lot of no-heat and no-cool calls. For a gas furnace, check that the vent hood outside isn't blocked. If it's a fall or winter call, that vent hood check matters even more, since Dubuque sees enough wind and winter storms that debris and ice buildup are common causes. If everything checks out and the system still isn't working, a licensed contractor can diagnose what's next.