HVAC Repair in Athens, AL
Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from May through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Limestone County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Athens runs its system almost year round
Heat runs October through April here. Cooling picks up in May and carries through September. That leaves your system idle only a few weeks a year, and most of that work falls on parts that wear with every cycle, not with age alone.
Winter nights average 33°F, mild enough that the furnace short cycles instead of running long and steady. Summer afternoons average 89°F, which keeps the compressor working hard for months at a stretch. Add in the wind. Limestone County has seen 171 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and with most homes here heating on electricity, a power interruption means the system stops until it comes back on its own.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 33°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 89°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Alabama requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Alabama tests HVAC contractors through the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Contractors before it lets them hold a license, and it keeps a record of who holds one. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license covers this repair and the next one they do for someone else.
On a repair job, that license is what stands behind the work. Whoever is in the house working on the heating and cooling system is working under that same license, whether the job is small or large.
Source: Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often the thermostat is set wrong, a breaker tripped, or the filter is so clogged the furnace shut itself off to protect the heat exchanger. Check the thermostat is set to heat and a few degrees above room temperature first. Then check the breaker panel and look at the filter, since a dirty filter is one of the most common reasons a furnace stops running. If the furnace has a standing pilot, check whether it went out. When nights are averaging near freezing here, a furnace that will not stay running needs a contractor soon, not next week.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Air is moving but something is stopping it from actually cooling, and a dirty filter is the most common cause. A clogged filter starves the system of airflow, and the coil behind it can ice over, which makes the problem worse the longer it runs. Check the filter first and replace it if it is gray or clogged. If the filter is clean and the air from the vents feels warm, the system may be low on refrigerant or have a failing part, and that needs a licensed contractor to diagnose.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm it is set to heat or cool as needed, the temperature is set past room temperature, and the batteries are not dead. Next check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker, since both furnaces and air conditioners can trip one without other signs of a problem. Then pull the filter and hold it up to a light. If it blocks most of the light, replace it, since a clogged filter is behind a large share of no-heat and no-cool calls. If those checks do not fix it, the problem is inside the equipment and needs a licensed contractor. Alabama requires HVAC contractors to be licensed through the state board, so ask for that license number before work starts.