HVAC Repair in Ann Arbor, 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 Washtenaw County will get in touch.
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It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work, most years
Your furnace and your air conditioner both earn their keep in Washtenaw County. Heat runs October through May. Cooling takes over in June through August. Only one month sits idle.
Winter nights averaging 19°F mean long, steady burner cycles, and every cycle puts wear on the igniter and the parts that get the flame going. Summer afternoons near 81°F push the compressor hard on the days you need it most. The county has logged 16 winter storms and 89 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and statewide, a third of households lost power for a day or more in 2024. Most furnaces and air conditioners start back up on their own once power returns, but a system that was already struggling before the outage will show it the moment it kicks back on.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 19°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 Washtenaw County home.
Estimates for a typical Washtenaw 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 comes from the Board of Mechanical Rules, which tests contractors before they can hold one. It covers the contractor, not the job in front of them, so the same license applies whether they are fixing a furnace, a heat pump, or a boiler.
For a repair on a heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the work. It tells you the person doing the repair was tested by the state and is on record with it, not just registered as a business name.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most no-heat calls come down to the thermostat, the igniter, or the gas supply. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the target temperature is above the room temperature, and check the breaker for the furnace. If the furnace is gas fired, look for a flame through the sight glass or listen for repeated clicking without ignition, since that points to a bad igniter or flame sensor. With winter nights here averaging 19°F, a furnace that stops working needs attention the same day.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If air is moving but it is not cold, check the air filter first. A clogged filter starves the coil of airflow and can cause it to freeze, and once that happens the system blows warm air until the ice melts. Also check the outdoor unit for anything blocking it, leaves, grass clippings, or a fence built too close. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, the system likely needs a contractor to check the refrigerant charge.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm it has power, the batteries are good if it uses them, and it is set to the right mode and temperature. Next check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker and the furnace or air handler for a service switch that may have been bumped off. Check the air filter too, since a filter clogged with dust can cause problems that look like bigger failures. If all of that checks out, the problem is inside the equipment and needs a licensed contractor to look at it.