HVAC Repair in New Bedford, MA
Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Bristol County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of work a year on your system
Your furnace runs from October through May here, and the air conditioner takes over in July and August. That leaves the system idle only a couple months a year. Most of the wear happens on the coldest nights, when winter lows average 23°F and the burner cycles on and off for hours to keep up.
Each start puts a load on the igniter and the parts that get the burner going. Over enough cold nights, that part wears out and the furnace stops lighting at all. Storms add another risk. The area has logged 36 winter storms and 282 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and across Massachusetts about 1 in 10 households lost power for a day or more in 2024. When the power drops, the furnace stops with it, gas or not, and comes back on its own once power returns.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 23°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $220 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Bristol County home.
Estimates for a typical Bristol County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Massachusetts 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.
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to heat and set above room temperature, and that the display isn't blank from dead batteries. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker for the furnace and the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit, sometimes it gets bumped off. Gas furnaces have an igniter that wears out over time, and if it fails the furnace won't light at all. A furnace that runs but blows cold air often has a clogged filter or a flame sensor that needs cleaning, and those are jobs for a contractor.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first. If the filter is clean, look at the outdoor unit and make sure nothing is blocking it, leaves, grass clippings, or a fence panel too close can cut off airflow to the coil. Ice on the indoor coil or the refrigerant lines means the system needs to be shut off and looked at rather than left running. If the air coming from the vents is barely cool or just room temperature, that usually points to a refrigerant or compressor problem that only a contractor can diagnose.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat first, the settings, the batteries, and whether the screen is on at all. Check the breaker panel for a tripped breaker, and check any power switch near the furnace or air handler. Replace the air filter if it looks gray or clogged, since restricted airflow causes problems in both heating and cooling. If the outdoor unit isn't running, make sure it has power and isn't blocked by debris. Telling the contractor what you found, whether it's a tripped breaker, a strange smell, or a specific sound, helps them get to the problem faster.