HVAC Repair in Charleston, WV
Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from June through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Kanawha County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work a year
In Kanawha County your furnace runs from October through April, and your air conditioner takes over for June through September. That leaves only one month where the system just sits. Winter nights average 27°F, cold enough that the burner cycles on and off many times a night to hold the house steady, and each start puts wear on the igniter. Summer afternoons average 84°F, so the compressor is working hard most days it runs.
Storms add to the load here too. The area has logged 259 damaging wind events and 16 winter storms over the past ten years. When the power drops out and comes back, most furnaces and air conditioners restart on their own, but a system already worn from long seasons of running is the one most likely to fail on that restart.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 27°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 $170 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Kanawha County home.
Estimates for a typical Kanawha County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, West Virginia 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.
West Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Commissioner of Labor issues that license, and getting one means passing a trade exam and having the license on record with the state. It belongs to the contractor, not to the crew member who shows up or the job itself.
For a repair, that license is what backs whoever works on your system. It covers the contractor, not this particular job, so the same license applies whether the work is small or large. In West Virginia, that state license is what stands behind the person doing the work on your heating and cooling system.
Source: West Virginia Legislature
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to heat and the setpoint is above room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is the simplest fix. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker for the furnace or air handler, since a tripped breaker cuts power without any other sign. Gas furnaces also won't fire if the pilot light or igniter has gone out, and that's a repair for a contractor. With winter nights here averaging 27°F, a furnace that's stopped working needs attention fast.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, and when that happens the coil can ice over and stop cooling the air even though the blower keeps running. Check the outdoor unit too. If the coil out there is covered in leaves, grass clippings or debris, it can't release the heat pulled from inside the house. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear but the air still isn't cold, the system likely needs refrigerant checked or a part looked at, and that calls for a licensed contractor.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the breaker, and the air filter. A wrong setting or a tripped breaker can look exactly like a broken system, and both take a minute to rule out. A dirty filter is the most common reason a system runs but doesn't heat or cool well, so replace it if it's gray or caked with dust. If those checks out and the problem is still there, the issue is inside the equipment, and West Virginia requires the person who works on it to hold a state HVAC license.