HVAC Repair in Sidney, MT
Homes here need heat from September through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Richland County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat and nights that drop to six below
Your furnace here works September through May. On the coldest nights, when the temperature outside averages 6°F, it runs almost constantly to keep the house warm, and every cycle puts more wear on the igniter and the blower motor. When one of those parts finally gives out, it tends to happen on the coldest night, not a mild one.
Summer asks less of the system, just July and August, but those afternoons average 82°F and the air conditioner runs through them without much rest. Richland County has seen 18 winter storms and 91 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and the power behind your system is not always steady either. In 2024, 18% of Montana households went at least 24 hours without power. A gas furnace with a standing pilot keeps running through an outage like that. One with electronic ignition, which most newer furnaces have, will not light again until the power comes back.
- 9 months
- September through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 6°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $110 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Richland County home.
Estimates for a typical Richland 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 licenses HVAC contractors through the Department of Labor and Industry. That means the contractor was tested and is on record with the state before taking on any job. The license covers the contractor, not each individual job, so the same license that qualifies someone to install a furnace also covers a repair like this one. Montana does carve out an exception for small jobs. Work under $2,500 does not need a licensed contractor.
For a heating and cooling repair, the license is what stands behind the work here. It tells you the person doing the repair was tested by the state and can be checked against a state record if something goes wrong. If this job falls under the $2,500 threshold, that state backing does not apply, and the work falls outside what the license requires.
Source: Montana Legislature
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is the most common reason nothing happens. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel for a tripped switch. Furnaces also stop for reasons you cannot see from outside the cabinet, like a failed igniter or a flame sensor that has gone dirty, and those need a contractor to open it up. With nights here averaging 6°F in the winter, do not wait long to get it looked at.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, and the coil can ice over so the air coming out feels weak or barely cool. Check the outdoor unit too. If leaves or grass clippings have built up around it, the coil cannot shed heat and the system loses its ability to cool the air. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear and the house still is not cooling, the system likely needs a contractor to check refrigerant levels and the compressor.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings and its batteries, then check the breaker panel for anything tripped. Check the filter and swap it if it is dirty, since a clogged filter causes both heating and cooling problems. Look at any outdoor unit and clear away leaves, snow, or debris blocking it. If the system still is not working after that, a licensed contractor will need to diagnose it and price the repair for your house.