HVAC Repair in Newport News, VA
Homes here need heat from November through April and cooling from May through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Newport News will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, most of it wearing on the same parts
Your system in Newport News works almost year round. Heat from November through April, cooling from May through September, only one month off. That kind of run time wears on the parts that start the system up and shut it down, more than the ones that just keep it running.
Winter nights averaging 33°F mean your furnace cycles on and off most of the night rather than running steady, and each start puts a little more wear on the igniter. Summer afternoons near 87°F push the compressor hard for hours at a stretch, which is where a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge tends to show up first. And with most homes here heating on electricity, a storm that knocks out power does more than leave you in the dark. Virginia saw 22% of households lose power for at least a day in 2024, and when it comes back on, some systems need a hand starting back up.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 33°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.
The license is tied to the contractor, not to the specific repair. Virginia's Board for Contractors tested them and keeps their record on file. Work under $1,000 is the one exception. Below that amount, the law does not require a licensed contractor.
For a heating and cooling repair, the license is what stands behind the work here. It means the person on the job was tested by the state and has a record with the Board for Contractors.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most of the time it comes down to power, gas, or airflow. Check the thermostat first, since a dead battery or a setting bumped to cool will stop the system cold. Next check the breaker and, if you have a gas furnace, make sure the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit hasn't been turned off. If the furnace runs but no warm air comes out, a clogged filter can block enough airflow to trip a safety switch and shut the burners down. Winter nights here drop to around 33°F on average, so a furnace that won't stay lit needs attention fast, not in a day or two.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If air is coming out but it isn't cold, the problem is usually with airflow or refrigerant, not the thermostat. Start with the filter. A filter clogged with dust chokes off airflow across the indoor coil, and the coil can ice over as a result, which makes the problem worse the longer the system runs. Check the outdoor unit too. If the fan isn't spinning or the coil is packed with leaves and grass clippings, the system can't shed heat properly. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit looks fine, low refrigerant or a failing part is likely, and that needs a contractor to diagnose. On an 87°F afternoon a system stuck in this state won't catch up on its own.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat, the breaker, and the filter before anything else. Make sure the thermostat is set to heat or cool as needed and that the batteries aren't dead. Look at the breaker panel for anything tripped, and check any shutoff switch near the furnace or air handler. Pull the filter and hold it up to a light. If you can't see light through it, replace it, since a blocked filter causes both heating and cooling problems. After a storm, also check that the outdoor unit isn't blocked by branches or debris. Virginia sees its share of wind and winter storms, and outages here aren't rare, so if the power was out, give the system a few minutes after it comes back before deciding something is actually broken. If none of this explains what you're seeing, that's the point to call a contractor, since work like this needs a license in Virginia once the job goes past minor troubleshooting.