HVAC Repair in Ashland, VA
Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from June through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Hanover County will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, most of it in the cold
Ashland only gets a break from heating or cooling for about a month a year. Furnaces run October through April, and on nights that average 28°F they cycle on and off for hours at a stretch. Every one of those starts puts a load on the igniter and the ignitor board, and one of them eventually stops lighting the burner.
Summer asks less time but more heat. Afternoons average 87°F from June through September, and the compressor and the coils behind it run long stretches to keep up. Add in the wind and winter storms that hit Hanover County, 84 damaging wind events and 23 winter storms over the last ten years, and the strain shows up as tripped breakers, frozen coils, or a system that won't come back on after the power drops.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 28°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Virginia licenses HVAC contractors through the Board for Contractors. That license covers the contractor, not each individual job, so the same license applies whether the work is a small repair or a full system installation. The state does carve out an exception. Work under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor.
A repair to a heating and cooling system is the kind of job that license is meant to stand behind. If the total cost stays under that $1,000 mark, Virginia does not require the person doing the work to hold one.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to heat and set a few degrees above room temperature, and that the display is lit. If the thermostat looks dead, check the breaker for the furnace or air handler, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. Gas furnaces have an igniter that wears out over time, and when it fails the furnace will run air but never produce heat. If your breaker is fine and the thermostat is calling for heat but nothing happens, that points to a problem inside the unit that needs a contractor to look at.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- A system that runs but blows warm or weak air usually has one of a few causes. Check the air filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, and a coil that cannot get enough air can ice over, which stops cooling entirely even though the unit keeps running. Check outside too. The outdoor unit needs open space around it, so leaves, grass clippings, or anything piled against it can choke it off. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear and you are still getting warm air, the system likely needs a contractor to check refrigerant levels or the compressor.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- A few things take a couple of minutes and rule out the simplest causes. Check the thermostat is set correctly and has working batteries if it takes them. Check the breaker for the furnace, air handler, or outdoor unit hasn't tripped. Check the air filter and replace it if it's dark with dust, since restricted airflow causes both heating and cooling problems. Check that outdoor vents or the outdoor unit are not blocked by leaves, snow, or anything else piled against them. If you've checked all of this and the system still is not heating or cooling, a contractor will need to diagnose it, since anything beyond these basics involves parts inside the system itself.