HVAC Repair in Joliet, 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 Will County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work a year, in a climate that swings both ways
Your furnace in Joliet runs from October through May. Winter nights average 20°F from December through February, and every time the burner lights and shuts off, the igniter takes the wear. After enough winters, it fails, and the furnace stops lighting.
Summer is short here, just June through August, but afternoons averaging 83°F still put real load on the compressor and the coil. Most homes in the area heat with gas, so the furnace carries most of the year while the AC handles the rest. Storms are part of living here too. Over the past ten years, Will County has seen 17 winter storms and 202 damaging wind events, and in 2024, 16% of Illinois households lost power for at least a day. When the power goes out, the heat and the AC both stop until it comes back.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 20°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 $160 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Will County home.
Estimates for a typical Will 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 of the time it comes down to power, gas, or airflow. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the batteries are not dead, then check the breaker for the furnace. If you have a gas furnace, the pilot or igniter may have failed, or the flame sensor may be dirty and shutting the burner off after a few seconds. A dirty filter can also starve the furnace of airflow and trip its safety switch. With winter nights here averaging 20°F, a furnace that will not start needs a contractor out quickly, since the house will cool fast.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The fan may be running while the compressor outside is not, which means the house gets air movement but no actual cooling. Go outside and check whether the outdoor unit is running and the fan blades are turning. If the outdoor unit is silent, it could be a tripped breaker, a bad capacitor, or a thermostat problem. If the outdoor unit is running but the air inside is still warm, check the filter first, since a clogged one can freeze the coil and cut off cooling until it thaws.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm it is set to the right mode, the temperature is actually set past the room temperature, and the batteries are fresh. Check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker on the furnace or the outdoor condenser. Then check the filter, since a filter clogged with dust can cause both heating and cooling problems and is something you can look at yourself before anyone comes out. If the power in your area was out recently, some systems need to be reset at the thermostat or the breaker before they will run again.