HVAC Repair in DeKalb, IL
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 DeKalb County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat, three of cooling, and not much room to rest
Your furnace in DeKalb County works from October through May. On the nights that drop to 17°F, it runs long and often, and every start puts wear on the igniter and the burner. That is the season when a weak igniter finally quits, and the house goes cold at the worst time to find out.
Summer is shorter here, just June through August, but afternoons near 82°F still push the air conditioner hard on top of a system that spent most of the year heating. Add in the wind. DeKalb County has logged 105 damaging wind events over the past ten years, along with 17 winter storms, and either one can knock out power to a furnace or an AC unit that was otherwise fine. Most gas furnaces need electricity to run the igniter and blower, so when the power drops, so does the heat, even with gas in the line.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 17°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 $170 a year off heating and cooling for a typical DeKalb County home.
Estimates for a typical DeKalb County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Illinois 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.
In Illinois, HVAC licensing for homes is left to the cities and towns.
In DeKalb County, whether a contractor needs a local license depends on the city or township the house sits in. Some towns run their own licensing and test or register contractors before they take on work. Others have no such rule at all, and a contractor can work there without ever being licensed by anyone.
Because there is no state license behind the work, the protection on a heating and cooling repair comes from whatever the local town requires, or from nothing at all where it requires nothing. Where the repair touches a gas line or venting, a bad connection is the dangerous part of the job, and whether anyone outside the contractor checks that connection depends on whether the town has a licensing rule of its own.
Source: Illinois General Assembly
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to heat, the temperature is set above room temperature, and the display is lit. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will shut a furnace down completely. Gas furnaces also need a pilot light or working igniter, so if you smell gas or hear the system click but not light, turn it off and call a contractor. With winter nights here averaging 17°F, a furnace that will not start is not something to leave for later.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check your air filter first. A clogged filter blocks airflow across the coil, and when that happens the coil can freeze up and stop cooling the air at all. Check that the outdoor unit is not blocked by grass, leaves, or anything piled against it, since it needs open airflow to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, the system is likely low on refrigerant or has an electrical problem, and that needs a contractor to diagnose.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries in it if it uses any, and the breaker for the system. Check the air filter and replace it if it looks gray or clogged, since restricted airflow causes problems in both furnaces and air conditioners. Look at the outdoor unit if you have one and clear away anything blocking it. If the system still is not working after that, a contractor will need to look at it, and telling them what you already checked will save time on the visit.