HVAC Repair in Lakeville, MN
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 Dakota County will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work a year on your system
Your furnace runs October through May here, and the air conditioner takes over for June through August. That is eleven months of the year with almost no rest between them. Winter nights averaging 10 degrees mean the burner is cycling on and off for hours at a stretch just to hold the house steady, and every one of those cycles puts wear on the igniter and the ignition control. When one of those parts finally gives out, the furnace stops lighting altogether and the house goes cold fast at that temperature.
Summer asks less of the system, but 80 degree afternoons still mean the air conditioner runs long hours through the summer months. This area has also seen 37 winter storms and 56 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that bring power outages with them. Most furnaces and air conditioners start back up on their own once power is restored, but if yours does not, that is worth having a contractor look at.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 10°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $140 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Dakota County home.
Estimates for a typical Dakota County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Minnesota 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.
Minnesota has no state license for HVAC contractors.
Minnesota keeps no state list of HVAC contractors and runs no state test for them. There is no license and no registration to check, so no state record exists for the person working on your system.
With no state credential standing behind this work, nothing here comes from a license. Whatever protection you get on this repair comes from whatever the contractor themselves can show you, not from a state file.
Source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often it comes down to the thermostat, the igniter, or the power and gas supply to the furnace. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is common. Next check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will cut power to the furnace even if the gas is on. If the furnace runs but never lights, or lights and shuts off again, the igniter or flame sensor is likely worn and a contractor will need to test it. At 10°F on a winter night here, a furnace that will not stay lit needs attention the same day.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The system is moving air but not removing heat from it, which points to the refrigerant side or a blocked coil rather than the fan. Start with the filter. A clogged filter starves the coil of airflow, and a coil that cannot get enough air can freeze over and stop cooling even though the blower keeps running. Check the outdoor unit too, since leaves or grass clippings packed against the outdoor coil block the airflow it needs to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear and it still is not cooling, the refrigerant charge is the likely problem, and that needs a licensed contractor to check and correct.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat first. Confirm it is set to heat or cool as needed, the batteries are good, and the temperature setting is actually calling for the system to run. Check your breaker panel for a tripped breaker, since both furnaces and air conditioners can trip a breaker without any other sign. Look at the filter and replace it if it is dirty, since a blocked filter can cause a furnace to overheat and shut off or a coil to freeze. For a gas furnace, check that the gas valve is open and, if it has one, that the switch on the furnace itself is on. Minnesota does not license HVAC contractors, so when you do call, ask about the contractor's experience and insurance directly rather than assuming a license backs the work.