HVAC Repair in Tillamook, OR
If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Tillamook County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of heat, on a grid that doesn't always hold
Your furnace here runs from September through June. That's ten months of cycling on and off to keep up with winter nights that average 35°F. Most homes in this area heat with electricity, so that furnace depends on power that isn't always there. Oregon saw 20% of households lose power for a day or more in 2024, and this coast has logged six damaging wind events over the past ten years. When the power drops, the heat drops with it, and a furnace that comes back on by itself once power returns still needs someone to check it if it doesn't.
Summer asks almost nothing of the system here. Afternoons average 70°F, mild enough that cooling barely runs. It's the winter side that carries the load and wears first.
- 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.
The Construction Contractors Board tests and records HVAC contractors before they can work in Oregon. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job. It stays attached to them across every home they work in, including yours. Oregon does carve out one exception. Work under $1,000 does not require a licensed contractor.
A repair to a heating and cooling system is unlikely to stay under that $1,000 line once a technician is actually diagnosing and fixing the problem. That puts the job on the licensed side of the rule, so the contractor working on your system should carry that CCB license. If the repair touches the gas line, that connection is the part of the job where a mistake turns dangerous. It is the licensed contractor's name on record with the state if that work is done wrong.
Source: Oregon Legislative Assembly
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to heat and the setpoint is above room temperature, and check that its batteries are not dead. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker for the furnace or air handler, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. Gas furnaces will also stop if the pilot or igniter fails, or if the flame sensor is dirty and keeps shutting the burner off. Winter nights here average 35°F, so a furnace that will not stay lit needs a contractor's attention soon rather than later.
- 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 air coming out of the vents will feel weak or barely cool. If the filter is clean, look at the outdoor unit and clear away any leaves, grass clippings or debris sitting against it, since it needs open airflow to release heat. A system that runs constantly without cooling can also mean low refrigerant or a failing compressor, and both of those need a licensed contractor to diagnose.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries in it, and the breaker for the furnace or air handler. Check that the air filter is not clogged, since restricted airflow causes problems that look like bigger issues than they are. Look at the outdoor unit if you have one and clear anything blocking it. If the system still is not working after that, a licensed contractor will need to diagnose it, and in Oregon that license covers the contractor rather than the specific job.