HVAC Repair in Hermiston, OR
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 Umatilla County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of heat, then two months of real heat
Your furnace is the machine that matters most in Hermiston. It runs September through June, and on the winter nights that average 27°F it cycles on and off for hours to keep up. Every start puts a load on the igniter, and a furnace that fires this many times a season is the one where that part wears out first. When it does, the burner won't light and the house goes cold on the coldest nights of the year.
July and August flip the load the other way, with afternoons averaging 81°F and the air conditioner running to keep the house down. Sixty percent of homes here heat with electricity, and Umatilla County sees its share of winter storms and wind. When the power goes out, the furnace stops with it, and the reset it needs when the power comes back is a common reason it doesn't start on its own.
- 10 months
- September through June, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 27°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Oregon requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Contractors Board licenses the contractor, not the job itself. That license covers their heating and cooling work in general, not this one repair on its own. Oregon sets one exception. Work under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor.
For a repair on a heating and cooling system, the contractor's license is what stands behind the work. If the job falls under that $1,000 threshold, Oregon does not require the person doing it to hold one.
Source: Oregon Legislative Assembly
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, and check the batteries if it has a screen that looks dim. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker for the furnace, since a tripped breaker will stop it cold. Gas furnaces also need power for the igniter and control board, so no power means no heat even with the gas on. If everything there checks out and the furnace still will not run, or it runs but blows cold air, it needs a contractor to look at it. With winter nights here averaging 27°F, it is worth checking these things quickly rather than waiting.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A clogged filter blocks airflow across the indoor coil, and when that happens the coil can ice up and stop cooling the air even though the system keeps running. Check the outdoor unit too. If the outdoor fan is not spinning or the unit is covered in debris, it cannot release the heat it is pulling from inside your home. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is running normally but the air still is not cold, the system needs a contractor to check the refrigerant charge and the coil.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries if it uses them, and the breaker for the system. These cause a surprising number of no-heat and no-cool calls. Check the air filter next and replace it if it is dirty, since restricted airflow can affect both heating and cooling. If it is a gas furnace, check whether the pilot light or igniter is working, and check that nothing is blocking the vent hood outside. Anything involving gas lines, refrigerant, or electrical wiring beyond a breaker check should go to a licensed contractor, who can look at the system and price the job for your house.