HVAC Repair in Great Falls, MT
Homes here need heat from September through June and cooling from July through July. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Cascade County will get in touch.
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Nearly a year of heat, one month of cooling
Your furnace in Great Falls works September through June. On winter nights averaging 16°F, it runs for hours at a stretch trying to hold the house steady, and every burner cycle wears on the igniter and the heat exchanger a little more. When one of those parts finally gives out, it tends to happen on the coldest nights, because that is when the system is working hardest.
Cooling only matters in July here, when afternoons average 78°F, so the air conditioner sits idle most of the year. A unit that sits that long can develop a refrigerant leak or a seized fan motor that you would not notice until the one month you need it. Cascade County also sees its share of winter storms and damaging wind, and with 18% of Montana households losing power for a day or more last year, a furnace that will not restart after an outage is a problem people here run into.
- 10 months
- September through June, your system heats
- 1 months
- July through July, it cools
- 16°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 78°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $100 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Cascade County home.
Estimates for a typical Cascade County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Montana 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.
Montana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Montana's Department of Labor and Industry tests contractors before issuing this license, and the license belongs to the contractor rather than to any single job. Work under $2,500 falls outside that requirement, so a small repair can legally be done without a licensed contractor.
For a heating and cooling repair above that $2,500 line, this license is what stands behind the work if something goes wrong. Below it, Montana's rule does not apply, and the license is not what is protecting the homeowner.
Source: Montana Legislature
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and the set temperature is above the room temperature, and check that it has power if it runs on batteries. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel for a tripped breaker, since a furnace that lost power will not run at all. A gas furnace that keeps shutting off or will not start at all is often a sign the igniter or flame sensor has failed, and that is a repair for a licensed contractor. With winter nights here averaging 16°F, a furnace that is not heating needs attention fast.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, and the system can run for hours without cooling the house. Next check the outdoor unit and clear away any leaves, grass clippings or debris sitting against it, since it needs open airflow to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear but the air coming from your vents is not cold, the system may be low on refrigerant or have an iced-over coil, and that needs a licensed contractor to diagnose.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries in it, and the breaker for the system before anything else. These are the most common reasons a furnace or air conditioner seems dead and they cost nothing to rule out. Check the air filter next and replace it if it is gray or thick with dust, since a blocked filter causes problems in both heating and cooling. If those all check out and the system still is not working right, a licensed contractor can diagnose what is actually wrong and price the repair for your house. With 10 months of the year here depending on heat, it is worth getting a real answer rather than guessing.