HVAC Repair in Granite City, IL
Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from May through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Madison County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Granite City runs its system almost year round
Heat from October through April, then cooling from May through September. That leaves your furnace and your air conditioner very little time off. On winter nights that average 25°F, the burner cycles on and off for hours, and every start puts wear on the igniter. On summer afternoons near 86°F, the compressor has to run long stretches just to keep up, and that load falls hardest on a weak capacitor or a low charge of refrigerant.
Madison County has logged 86 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that put outdoor units at risk from flying debris. With 16% of Illinois households losing power for at least 24 hours in 2024, a storm outage is also a reason a system might not be running when you need it.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 25°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 86°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 Madison County home.
Estimates for a typical Madison 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.
Check whether your city requires a license.
Source: Illinois General Assembly
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most times it's the thermostat, a tripped breaker, or the furnace not getting the signal to fire. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature. Check the breaker or switch near the furnace, since a flipped one will cut power without any other sign. If the furnace runs but no warm air comes out, or it tries to start and shuts off, a contractor needs to look at it. Winter nights here average 25°F, so heat that fails at night matters fast.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If air is moving but it's not cold, the problem is usually with the outdoor unit or the refrigerant, not the fan inside. Check that the outdoor unit isn't covered in leaves or debris and that the fan on top is spinning. Check the filter, since a clogged one restricts airflow enough to make the house feel warm even when the system is working. If the outdoor fan isn't running or the air coming from the vents isn't cold at all, that's a job for a contractor.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to the right mode and the batteries aren't dead. Check the filter next, since a dirty one causes both heating and cooling problems and is the easiest thing to fix yourself. Check the breaker panel for anything tripped. If the outdoor unit is involved, make sure nothing is blocking it. If all of that checks out and the system still isn't working right, a contractor will need to diagnose it further.