HVAC Repair in Dover, DE
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 Kent County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work a year, with only a short break
Your system in Dover works almost all year. Heat runs October through April, seven months, and on winter nights that average 28°F the burner cycles on and off for hours to keep up. Cooling takes over June through September, and on afternoons near 85°F the compressor runs long stretches to keep the house down. Only about one month goes by without either one running.
That much runtime wears on the parts that start the system up, the igniter on a gas furnace and the compressor and capacitors in the outdoor unit. Storms here bring another risk. Delaware saw 12 percent of households lose power for a day or more in 2024, and a system that does not restart properly once power returns is worth checking. If your heat won't fire on a cold night or your air conditioner can't keep up on a hot afternoon, that is the wear this climate puts on the equipment showing itself.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 28°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 85°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 Kent County home.
Estimates for a typical Kent County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Delaware 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.
Delaware requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Delaware licenses HVAC contractors through the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners. The license covers the contractor, not each job, so the same license that lets someone install a system also lets them take on a repair like this one.
For a repair in Kent County, that state license is what stands behind the person working on your system. It is not tied to this particular job, since Delaware licenses the contractor rather than each piece of work performed.
Sources: Delaware Code Online · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is more common than people think. Next check the breaker for the furnace and the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit itself, since that shuts off power for service. If it is a gas furnace, look for a pilot light or listen for the igniter trying to light after the thermostat calls for heat. If none of that brings it back on, a contractor can find out whether the problem is the igniter, the flame sensor, or something electrical.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the indoor coil, and when that happens the coil can freeze up and stop cooling the air even though the system keeps running. Check that the outdoor unit is not blocked by leaves, grass clippings, or anything else close to it, since it needs airflow to release the heat it pulls from inside. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, low refrigerant or a failing part could be the cause, and that needs a contractor to check with gauges.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries in it if it uses any, and the breaker for the system. Check the air filter, since a filter that has not been changed in a while can cause both heating and cooling problems. Look at the outdoor unit for anything blocking it, and check that indoor vents are open and not blocked by furniture. If the system still is not working after that, a contractor can diagnose what those basic checks cannot fix.