HVAC Repair in Pocatello, ID
Homes here need heat from September through June and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Bannock County will get in touch.
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Ten months of heat, and the cold hits hard
Your furnace here works nearly all year, September through June. On winter nights averaging 18°F, it cycles on and off for hours to hold the house steady, and each start puts wear on the igniter and the ignition control board. When one of those fails, the burner won't light and the house goes cold fast at that temperature.
July and August bring the load the other way, with afternoons around 81°F asking the air conditioner to run through the hottest part of the day. Pocatello also sees its share of winter storms and high wind, and with those come power interruptions. If your system runs on gas, as most homes here do, a furnace with a standing pilot will relight on its own, but anything with electronic ignition or a heat pump needs the power back before it can run again.
- 10 months
- September through June, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 18°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°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 Bannock County home.
Estimates for a typical Bannock County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Idaho 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.
Idaho requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Idaho licenses HVAC contractors through the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Board. The board tests contractors and keeps a record of who holds a license, and that license belongs to the contractor rather than to any single job.
For a repair to your heating and cooling system in Bannock County, that state license is the thing standing behind the work. The contractor doing the repair is required to hold it, tested and on record with the state before they ever get to your house.
Sources: Idaho Legislature · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often the thermostat, the igniter, or the pilot light is the problem. If the thermostat screen is blank, check the batteries first. If the furnace runs but never lights, the igniter may have failed, which is a common wear part on gas furnaces. Winter nights here drop to around 18°F, so a furnace that stops working overnight needs attention before the house gets too cold. A contractor can test the igniter, the flame sensor, and the gas valve to find which one is at fault.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The blower may be running while the part that actually cools the air, the compressor, is not turning on. Check the outdoor unit. If the fan inside the outdoor unit is not spinning and you do not hear the compressor running, that unit is not doing its job even though air is still moving through the vents. A dirty air filter can also cut off airflow enough that the house never cools down, so check that next. With afternoons here reaching 81°F, a system that only moves air without cooling it will not keep up.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat or cool as needed, the batteries are fresh, and the temperature setting is actually below or above the room temperature. Next, check the air filter. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow and can make a furnace or air conditioner seem broken when it just cannot breathe. Then look at the breaker panel. A tripped breaker will shut the whole system down and is easy to miss. If the system still is not working after these checks, a licensed HVAC contractor can diagnose the actual part at fault.