HVAC Repair in Portage, IN
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 Porter County will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, most of it in the cold
Porter County only gives your system a month off. Heat runs October through May, and the other three months your air conditioner is working against 82°F afternoons. That is eleven months a year with almost no rest between seasons.
Winter nights averaging 20°F mean long burner cycles, and most homes here heat with gas, so the igniter and burner assembly are lighting and shutting off for hours at a stretch. That kind of use wears out an igniter, and when it fails, the furnace won't light at all. Add in the wind this area sees, 101 damaging wind events over the last ten years, and outdoor units and vent connections take a beating too. Storms also knock out power, and in Indiana last year 17% of households lost it for a full day or more. Furnaces and thermostats need power to run, so an outage means no heat until it's back, even with the gas line intact.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 3 months
- June through August, it cools
- 20°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $130 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Porter County home.
Estimates for a typical Porter County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Indiana 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.
In Indiana, HVAC licensing for homes is left to the counties and cities.
Porter County sets its own rule for who can do this work, separate from anything the state keeps track of. Some counties and cities in Indiana require a local license before a contractor can take on HVAC work, and some have no rule at all. Whether this repair falls under one of those depends on the city or township the house sits in, not on any statewide list.
Because there is no state license behind this job, whatever record exists comes from Porter County itself, if it keeps one. Gas repair is the part worth having checked regardless, since a bad connection is the dangerous part of the job. Whether anyone checks it here depends on what Porter County itself requires, not on a state license.
Sources: Indiana Department of Workforce Development · State of Indiana
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with your thermostat and your breaker before you assume the worst. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and a few degrees above room temperature, and check the breaker or switch for the furnace hasn't tripped. If your furnace runs on gas, look for a pilot light or ignition trouble, and make sure nothing shut off the gas supply. A furnace that won't stay lit or won't start at all usually needs a contractor to check the igniter, the flame sensor, or the pressure switch, since winter nights here average 20°F and heat is not something to leave unresolved.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first. A filter clogged with dust makes the coil work harder and can freeze it over, which stops cold air from moving even though the system sounds like it's running fine. Next check that the outdoor unit isn't blocked by leaves or debris, since it needs airflow to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, the system may be low on refrigerant or have an airflow problem inside the ducts, and that needs a contractor to check with gauges.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check your thermostat settings first, including the batteries if it's not lighting up at all. Then check your breaker panel for a tripped breaker on the furnace or air conditioner circuit. Look at your air filter and replace it if it's gray or clogged, since a blocked filter causes problems in both heating and cooling. If you have a gas furnace, check that the gas valve is open and, if it has one, that the pilot light is lit. Noting what you find, including any sounds, smells, or error codes on the thermostat, helps a contractor get to the problem faster once they arrive.