HVAC Repair in Montrose, CO
Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Montrose County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of work, one furnace and one AC
Your furnace carries the load from October through May. On winter nights that drop to 18°F on average, it fires again and again to hold the temperature, and every one of those cycles puts wear on the igniter and the burner. When the igniter finally gives out, the furnace won't light at all and the house goes cold.
Summer asks less of the system here, just July and August, but afternoons average 83°F and the AC still has to catch up fast on the hottest days. That kind of demand is hard on a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge, and you'll notice it as a system that runs long and still can't quite cool the house. Add in the winter storms this area sees most years, and a furnace that loses power and doesn't come back on when it's needed most.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 18°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 83°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 Montrose County home.
Estimates for a typical Montrose 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. Make sure it is set to heat and set a few degrees above room temperature, and check that the display is lit at all. If the thermostat looks dead, check the furnace switch and the breaker before anything else, since a tripped breaker or a flipped switch will stop the furnace cold. Gas furnaces also need a pilot or igniter to light the burners, so if you smell gas or hear the blower running with no heat coming out, that points to an ignition problem a contractor needs to look at. At 18°F on a winter night here, a furnace that will not start is not something to leave for later.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common reason is a dirty filter blocking airflow, so check that first. A filter clogged with dust makes the coil work harder and can ice it over, and once that coil ices up the air coming out of your vents turns warm even though the system is running. Low refrigerant is another cause, but that is not something you can check yourself, it takes a gauge and a licensed contractor to find the leak. If the outdoor unit is not running at all while the indoor blower is, that usually means a capacitor or a control board issue, and it needs a contractor's diagnosis.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the filter, the thermostat, and the breaker before anything else. A dirty filter can starve the system of airflow and cause problems that look bigger than they are, so pull it and hold it up to the light. Confirm the thermostat is set correctly and has power, and check the breaker panel for anything tripped. If the outdoor unit or furnace still will not run after that, or if you hear grinding, smell gas, or see water pooling near the equipment, stop there and get a contractor out rather than opening anything up yourself.