HVAC Repair in Riverside, CA
Homes here need heat from November through March and cooling from April through October. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Riverside County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Riverside County asks more of the system in summer than winter
Summer is the long season here. Cooling runs April through October, seven months of the compressor cycling on and off most afternoons that average 99°F. That load wears on the compressor and the capacitor that starts it. When the capacitor fails, the unit hums but the air coming out of the vents stays warm.
Winter is shorter, November through March, with nights averaging 42°F. The furnace does not run as hard, but it still needs power to light the burner. Riverside County has logged 34 winter storms and 409 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and when a storm cuts power, the furnace stops until it comes back on.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 7 months
- April through October, it cools
- 42°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 99°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $200 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Riverside County home.
Estimates for a typical Riverside County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, California 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.
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is issued to the contractor, not to the repair itself. The Contractors State License Board tested that contractor before handing out the license, and it keeps a record of who holds one, so the credential follows the person or business doing the work, not the specific job in your house.
For a repair to your heating and cooling system, that record is what stands behind the work. The state has already checked the contractor's qualifications before they ever step into your home, which is different from a business simply being registered somewhere. Whoever ends up doing this job should be someone the Contractors State License Board has on file.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most of the time it's the igniter, the thermostat, or the power to the unit. Gas furnaces use an igniter to light the burners, and once that part fails the furnace won't produce heat even though the blower may still run. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature, and check that the furnace switch and breaker are on. If the pilot or igniter isn't the issue, a contractor can test the parts that aren't safe to check yourself, like the gas valve and flame sensor.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If the blower is running but the air isn't cold, the problem is usually the refrigerant charge, the outdoor unit, or the airflow through the coil. A dirty filter or a coil blocked with ice can cut off airflow enough that the house never cools even though the system is on. Check the filter first, and look at the outdoor unit to see if the fan is spinning and the coil is free of leaves or debris. If both look fine and the house still isn't cooling, the system likely needs a contractor to check the refrigerant level and the coil itself.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to the mode you want, heat or cool, and that the temperature is actually set past room temperature in that direction. Next check the filter, since a clogged one can stop a furnace or air conditioner from working right. Then check the breaker and any power switch on or near the unit, since a tripped breaker or a switch bumped off will stop the system cold. If all of that checks out and the system still isn't working, it's time to have a licensed contractor take a look.