HVAC Repair in Elizabeth, CO
Homes here need heat from September through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Elbert County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat, two of cooling, and a lot of wind in between
Elbert County only gives your system a short break. Heat runs September through May, and those winter nights average 15°F. That kind of cold keeps the burner cycling for hours at a time, and every start puts a load on the igniter. When one finally gives out, it tends to happen on the coldest night, not the mild one.
Summer is short here, just July and August, with afternoons around 84°F. The air conditioner spends most of the year sitting idle, then has to run hard as soon as the heat arrives, which is when a weak capacitor or a low-refrigerant system tends to show itself. The county has also logged 46 winter storms and 83 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and outages follow storms like that. A furnace with a standing pilot will keep running through a power outage, but most furnaces and thermostats need the power back before they will start again.
- 9 months
- September through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 15°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 84°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 Elbert County home.
Estimates for a typical Elbert County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Colorado 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.
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat and the power to the furnace before you assume the worst. Check that it's set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, and check that the breaker hasn't tripped. If the furnace runs on gas, make sure the gas valve is open and the pilot or igniter is doing its job. A dirty filter can also block enough air that the furnace shuts itself off to protect the heat exchanger, so pull it and look. At 15 degrees on a winter night here, a furnace that won't stay on needs a contractor out quickly rather than waiting.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The system running without cooling usually means air isn't moving right or the refrigerant side has a problem. Check the filter first. A clogged filter starves the coil of airflow, and a starved coil can ice over, which stops it from pulling heat out of the air at all. Also check that the outdoor unit isn't blocked by leaves, grass clippings, or anything sitting against it, since it needs open air around it to release heat. If the filter's clean and the outdoor unit is clear and you're still not getting cool air, the refrigerant charge or a component inside is the likely cause, and that's a job for a contractor with gauges.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries in it if it has any, and the breaker for the system. Check the filter and replace it if it's dirty, since restricted airflow causes problems on both the heating and cooling side. Look at the outdoor unit if you have one and clear away anything blocking it. If it's a gas furnace, check that the gas valve is open. Walk through the vents in a few rooms to see if air is actually moving. None of this costs anything and it can save a trip if the fix is simple, but if the system still isn't heating or cooling after that, a contractor needs to look at it, especially with lows here averaging 15 degrees in winter.