HVAC Repair in Kearney, NE
Homes here need heat from October through May and cooling from June through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Buffalo County will get in touch.
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It takes about a minute.
Kearney runs its system almost year round
Heat runs October through May here, then cooling takes over for June through September. That leaves your furnace and your air conditioner with almost no season off, and both sides of the system wear from it.
Winter nights average 16°F, cold enough that the burner cycles on and off many times a night to hold the house steady. Each cycle puts a little more wear on the igniter and the ignition control board. Summer afternoons average 85°F, and the compressor runs long stretches to keep up, which is hard on the capacitor and the other parts that get it started. Buffalo County has seen its share of winter storms and damaging wind over the past ten years, and when the power drops during one, a furnace or air conditioner will not run until power is back and the system comes on again.
- 8 months
- October through May, your system heats
- 4 months
- June through September, it cools
- 16°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 $120 a year off heating and cooling for a typical Buffalo County home.
Estimates for a typical Buffalo County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Nebraska 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.
Nebraska requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the Department of Labor and nothing more. There is no trade exam behind it, so the record confirms the business exists, not that anyone checked its work.
For a repair on a heating and cooling system, that record is what Nebraska offers. No state exam stands between a homeowner in Buffalo County and the contractor doing the work, only the fact that the business registered.
Source: Nebraska Legislature
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often the thermostat, the igniter, or a safety switch is the reason. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the batteries are good, since a dead thermostat looks like a dead furnace. Check the filter too, because a filter packed with dust can cause the furnace to shut itself off. At 16°F on a winter night here, a furnace that won't stay lit needs a contractor out the same day, since a house loses heat fast at that temperature.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The system is moving air but not taking heat out of it, and that usually means low refrigerant, a frozen coil, or a blower that isn't pushing enough air. Check the filter first, since a clogged one starves the coil of airflow and can freeze it solid. If the vents are blowing air that feels barely cool, or not cool at all, that points to the refrigerant side, and that's a repair for a contractor, not something to top off yourself. Running a frozen system for hours can damage the compressor, so it's worth shutting it off and calling once you notice weak cooling rather than waiting out a hot afternoon.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm it's set to heat or cool as needed and that the display is lit, since dead batteries will stop a system cold. Next, check the filter and replace it if it's gray or clogged, since restricted airflow causes both heating and cooling problems. Check the breaker panel too, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down without any other warning. If the outdoor unit is covered in ice or the indoor unit is leaking water, turn the system off at the thermostat before the contractor arrives, since running it in that state can cause more damage.