HVAC Repair in Beulah, ND
Homes here need heat from September through May and cooling from July through August. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Mercer County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work, six below at night
Beulah asks for heat from September through May and cooling in July and August. That leaves only one month where the system just sits. Winter nights average 6°F, and on those nights the furnace runs long and often to hold the house steady. Most homes here heat with propane, and a propane furnace that cycles on and off that much in that kind of cold wears out its igniter and its ignition control sooner than one that runs easy.
Summer only asks for two months, with afternoons around 80°F, but the system still has to switch over and work in the other direction. Mercer County sees winter storms and damaging wind, and those take down power lines. Most furnaces and air conditioners restart on their own once power is back, but one that was already struggling can fail right at the moment you need it most.
- 9 months
- September through May, your system heats
- 2 months
- July through August, it cools
- 6°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 80°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 Mercer County home.
Estimates for a typical Mercer County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, North Dakota 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.
North Dakota requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
North Dakota's license is held by the contractor, not issued for each job. It follows the business doing the work, not the specific repair on your system.
Work under $4,000 falls outside this requirement, so a smaller repair may be done by someone without a state license. Above that amount, the contractor doing the work is required to hold the state license.
Sources: North Dakota Legislative Branch · North Dakota Secretary of State
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat and the power to the furnace before you assume the worst. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is common. Next check the switch that looks like a light switch near the furnace, and the breaker for it, since either one being off will stop the whole system. If those are fine, look at the furnace filter. A filter clogged with dust can choke off airflow badly enough that the furnace shuts itself down to protect itself. A lot of homes here heat with propane, so if you smell nothing and the flame never lights, check that the tank still has fuel in it. If all of that checks out and you still have no heat, especially with winter nights here running around 6°F, get a contractor out rather than waiting.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If the blower is running but the air is not cold, the problem is usually with the refrigerant side, not the fan. Check the filter first. A dirty filter starves the coil of airflow, and a coil without enough airflow can ice over, which stops it from cooling even though the system sounds like it is working. Check the outdoor unit too. Leaves, grass clippings or anything blocking the fins around it will cut its ability to shed heat. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear and you still get warm air, the system likely needs a contractor to check the refrigerant level and the coil itself.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings first, since a setting changed by mistake looks exactly like a failed system. Make sure it is set to heat or cool as needed and the temperature is set past the current room temperature. Check the power next. Look at the breaker for the system, and for a furnace, the switch near the unit that looks like a light switch. Pull the filter and hold it up to the light. If you cannot see light through it, replace it, since a clogged filter causes both heating and cooling problems. If the system uses propane, confirm the tank has fuel. After all that, if the system still is not heating or cooling the house, a contractor will need to look at it directly and can price the job once they see what it needs.