HVAC Repair in Thornton, CO
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 Adams County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work, sixteen below zero nights
Your furnace in Thornton runs October through May, eight months of the year, on nights that average 16°F. It cycles on and off all night to hold the house at temperature, and every cycle depends on the igniter lighting the burner. That part wears with use, and when it fails, the furnace won't light at all.
Summer asks something different of the system. Afternoons average 87°F from June through August, and the air conditioner runs its compressor hard to keep up. That leaves only about one month a year when the system gets to rest. Between the two seasons, Thornton has seen 50 winter storms and 85 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that knock out power. Most furnaces and air conditioners come back on by themselves once power returns, 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
- 16°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 87°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 Adams County home.
Estimates for a typical Adams 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?
- Most often it is the thermostat, the igniter, or a safety switch shutting the furnace down. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the batteries are not dead, and check the breaker and the filter, since a clogged filter can trip a switch that stops the burners. If the furnace has a pilot light, see whether it is lit. At 16°F on a winter night here, a furnace that will not fire needs a contractor out fast, since space heaters and a cold house are not a safe substitute for long.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The blower may be moving air with nothing cold behind it. That usually points to low refrigerant, a frozen coil, or a failed compressor, and a dirty filter or blocked outdoor unit can bring on the same symptoms by starving the system of airflow. Check the filter first and clear anything piled against the outdoor unit. On an 87 degree afternoon here, a system that runs nonstop without cooling the house needs a contractor to find the actual cause.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set correctly, the batteries are fresh, and the display is on. Then check the breaker for the furnace or air conditioner, and check the filter, since a clogged one causes problems that look like bigger failures. If the outdoor unit is covered in leaves or snow, clear it. If those checks do not fix it, a contractor can diagnose the rest.