HVAC Repair in Allegan, MI
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 Allegan County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Allegan asks a lot of both sides of your system
Your furnace runs from October through May here, eight months of the year. On winter nights that average 20°F, it cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and every start puts wear on the igniter and the ignition control board. When one of those fails, the furnace stops firing and the house goes cold, usually on the coldest nights, because that is when the system works hardest.
Summer is shorter but still real, with afternoons averaging 81°F from June through August. Most homes here run gas heat, so the furnace and the air conditioner are two different systems, and each can fail on its own schedule. Allegan County has also logged 17 winter storms and 31 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and outages follow. When the power drops and comes back, gas furnaces and standing pilot water heaters relight on their own, but a thermostat that lost its settings will not, and that is worth checking before you assume something is broken.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 20°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 $150 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Allegan County home.
Estimates for a typical Allegan County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Michigan 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.
Michigan requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is issued by the state's Board of Mechanical Rules, and it's tied to the contractor, not to the specific repair. The board tested and registers that contractor before they can legally take on jobs like this one, so the credential follows the person or company, not each visit to your house.
For a heating and cooling repair, that license is what stands behind the work. A bad gas connection or a refrigerant line put together wrong is the dangerous part of this job, and the same license that qualifies the contractor to do the work is the one on record if something goes wrong. In Michigan, that's the protection you have.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often it comes down to power, gas, or airflow. If you have a gas furnace, check that the switch on or near the unit is on and that the gas valve is open. If it has power and gas but still won't fire, the igniter or flame sensor may have failed, and those wear out over time. A dirty filter can also block airflow badly enough that the furnace shuts itself off to protect the heat exchanger, so check that before anything else. With nights here averaging 20°F in the winter, a furnace that won't start needs a contractor out quickly.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If the blower is running but the air isn't cold, the system is likely low on refrigerant or the outdoor unit isn't working right. Go outside and check that the condenser fan is spinning and the unit isn't caked in leaves or grass clippings. A frozen evaporator coil is another common cause, and it usually points back to a dirty filter or low airflow. Refrigerant leaks and frozen coils both need a licensed contractor to diagnose, since opening the refrigerant system isn't something to do yourself.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the filter. A filter clogged with dust chokes airflow and can cause both heating and cooling problems. Next check the thermostat has power and is set to the right mode and temperature, and check any switches near the furnace or air handler are turned on. For central air, look at the outdoor breaker too, since a tripped breaker will stop the condenser without affecting anything inside. If those all check out and the system still isn't working, a licensed contractor will need to look at it.