HVAC Repair in Newark, NJ
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 Essex County will get in touch.
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Newark's system barely gets a rest
Heat runs from October through May here. Cooling picks up right after, June through August. That leaves one month, maybe less, when the system in your house isn't working to change the temperature.
Winter nights averaging 25°F mean the furnace cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and every cycle puts wear on the igniter and the burner. Summer afternoons near 84°F push the air conditioner just as hard from the other direction. Newark has also seen 36 winter storms and 61 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that knock out power. When it comes back, most systems restart on their own, but if yours doesn't, that's worth a call.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 25°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $180 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Essex County home.
Estimates for a typical Essex County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New Jersey 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.
New Jersey requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors, and it belongs to the contractor, not to any single job. Cities and towns in New Jersey cannot require their own HVAC license on top of it, so the same state license is what applies to a repair anywhere in Essex County.
For a repair to a heating and cooling system, that state license is what stands behind the person doing the work, wherever in the county the job is. A gas connection is the part of a heating repair where a mistake does the most harm, and the contractor who makes that connection is the one the state license covers.
Sources: New Jersey Legislature · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most of the time it comes down to the thermostat, the igniter, or the pilot light. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature first, since that gets ruled out fast. If the furnace runs but no warm air comes out, or it tries to start and shuts off again, that points to the igniter or a flame sensor that needs cleaning. With winter nights here averaging 25°F, a furnace that is down for even a night is worth getting a contractor out to look at soon.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If the blower is running but the air is not cold, the problem is usually the refrigerant charge or airflow across the coil. A dirty filter can choke that airflow, so check it first since it is the one thing you can fix yourself. If the filter is clean and the air still is not cold, the coil may be frozen or the system may be low on refrigerant, and either one needs a contractor to open the system and check it.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to the right mode, the temperature is actually calling for heat or cooling, and the batteries are not dead. Next check the filter, since a clogged one restricts airflow to both the furnace and the air conditioner and causes a lot of the same symptoms. Then check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will stop a system cold and looks like a bigger problem than it is. If none of that explains it, a contractor will need to diagnose it directly.