HVAC Repair in Spokane, WA
Homes here need heat from September through June and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Spokane County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of heat, two months of cooling, and a lot of storms in between
Your furnace works almost all year here. Heat runs from September through June, and on winter nights that average 24°F it cycles on and off for hours at a time. Each cycle puts a load on the igniter and the burner, and that is usually where the trouble shows up first, as a furnace that won't start or blows cold air before it quits.
July and August turn that around fast, with afternoons averaging 80°F and the same system now expected to cool the house. Add in the weather Spokane County sees, 527 winter storms and 120 damaging wind events over the last ten years, and the power going out with them. Close to a quarter of Washington households lost power for a full day or more in 2024. A furnace or air conditioner that loses power and comes back on wrong, or a home that goes without heat during a cold snap, is a common way people find out something failed.
- 10 months
- September through June, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 24°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $140 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Spokane County home.
Estimates for a typical Spokane County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Washington 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.
Washington requires contractors to register with the state.
Registration puts a contractor's business on file with the Department of Labor and Industries. There is no trade exam behind it. The state knows the business exists and requires it to carry a bond and insurance, but nobody has tested how that contractor works on a furnace or an air conditioner.
For a heating and cooling repair, that registration is what stands behind the business, not a judgment on the work itself. Gas connections and refrigerant lines are the parts of this job where a mistake matters most, and registration alone does not test anyone's ability to handle either one.
Source: Washington State Legislature
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most furnace failures come down to power, gas, or airflow. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature, and that a breaker hasn't tripped. A dirty filter can choke airflow enough to trip a safety switch and shut the furnace down, so check that next. If the furnace runs but won't light, the igniter or flame sensor is a common cause and that's a repair for a contractor. With winter nights here averaging 24°F, a furnace that's cutting out is worth getting looked at quickly.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If the blower is running but the air isn't cold, check the filter first. A filter clogged with dust restricts airflow across the coil and can cause it to ice over, and iced coils stop cooling the air. If the filter is clean and the air still isn't cold, low refrigerant or a failing compressor are common causes, and both need a contractor to diagnose. Set the thermostat fan setting to auto rather than on, since running the fan constantly can push warm air through the house even when the system is otherwise working.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm it's set to the mode you want, heat or cool, and that the temperature you've set is actually above or below the room's current temperature. Check the breaker for the system hasn't tripped. Look at the filter and replace it if it's dirty, since a blocked filter causes problems in both heating and cooling. If the system uses a standing pilot, check that it hasn't gone out. Washington households lost power for a full day or more often enough last year that it's worth checking whether that's the actual cause before calling anyone. If those steps don't fix it, a contractor can diagnose what's left.