HVAC Repair in Astoria, OR
If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Clatsop County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of heat, a coast that loses power
Your furnace runs September through June here, 10 months of the year. On winter nights averaging 35°F, the burner lights and shuts off again and again to keep up. Each cycle wears on the igniter and the flame sensor, and when one finally fails, the house goes cold on a night that is already close to freezing.
Summer afternoons average 70°F, mild enough that most homes lean on the furnace nearly all year instead of switching over to cooling. The bigger risk on this coast is wind. Clatsop County has seen 9 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and across Oregon, 20% of households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024. Most systems come back on their own once power returns, but a furnace that was already worn may not start back up the same way it went down.
- 10 months
- September through June, your system heats
- 35°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 70°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
Oregon requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Oregon licenses through the Construction Contractors Board, which means the contractor has been tested and is on record with the state. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so it follows them from house to house rather than getting issued fresh each time. Work under $1,000 falls outside that requirement, though a repair to a heating and cooling system will often run past that mark once parts and labor are added up.
For a job like this, the license is the thing standing behind the work. It tells you the state has tested this contractor and keeps a record of them, which is what you are relying on when you let them into your house to work on a system that burns gas and moves refrigerant.
Source: Oregon Legislative Assembly
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, and change the batteries if it uses them. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker for the furnace and the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit, since that shuts off power for service. Gas furnaces will not run if the pilot light or igniter has failed, and that's a job for a licensed contractor. With winter lows around 35°F here, don't wait long to get it looked at.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A clogged filter blocks airflow across the coil, and the coil can ice over so the air coming out feels warm instead of cool. Check that the outdoor unit isn't blocked by leaves, mulch, or anything sitting against it, since it needs airflow to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear and the house still isn't cooling, the refrigerant charge or a part inside the unit needs a contractor to check it.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings and batteries first, since that's the most common reason a system seems dead. Check the breaker panel and any power switch near the indoor and outdoor units, since a tripped breaker or a switch bumped off will stop the system cold. Check the air filter and replace it if it's dirty, since restricted airflow causes problems with both heating and cooling. If those are all fine and the system still isn't working, a licensed contractor will need to diagnose it and price the job for your house.