HVAC Repair in Paducah, KY
Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from May through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers McCracken County will get in touch.
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It takes about a minute.
Paducah runs its system almost year round
Heat runs October through April here, then cooling takes over for May through September. That leaves almost no season where the system just sits idle. Winter nights averaging 29°F mean the furnace cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and each start puts wear on the igniter and the flame sensor. Come summer, afternoons near 88°F push the air conditioner to run long stretches with barely a break, and that load falls on the compressor and the capacitor that starts it.
McCracken County also sees its share of rough weather. Ten years brought 13 winter storms and 96 damaging wind events, and storms like that knock out power. Across Kentucky, close to a quarter of households lost power for a full day or more in 2024. When power drops and comes back, the system has to pick up right where it left off, and that is often when a weak part finally gives out.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 29°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 88°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace and air conditioner would cut about $140 a year off heating and cooling for a typical McCracken County home.
Estimates for a typical McCracken County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Kentucky 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.
Kentucky requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Kentucky's Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction tests and licenses HVAC contractors statewide. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license that qualified them for the last house covers yours.
For a repair to your heating and cooling system, that state license is what stands behind the person working on it. Kentucky tested this contractor and keeps a record of that license, which is the protection you have here.
Sources: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat and the power to the furnace. If the thermostat is set right and has fresh batteries, check the breaker and the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit, since that cuts power to a gas furnace too. A dirty flame sensor or a failed igniter will also stop a gas furnace from lighting, and those need a contractor to test and replace. With winter nights here averaging 29°F, a furnace that will not stay lit is not something to wait out.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The blower is moving air, but something between the vents and the outdoor unit is not doing its job. A dirty filter is the first thing to check, since a clogged one starves the coil of airflow and can freeze it over. If the filter is clean, look at the outdoor unit for a coil packed with grass or leaves, or listen for the outdoor fan not running at all. A frozen coil or a compressor that will not start both need a contractor, since low refrigerant or an electrical fault are not something to diagnose from the thermostat.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat first, that it is set to heat or cool, the temperature is past the current room temperature, and the batteries are good. Then check the filter, since a clogged one causes both weak heating and weak cooling. Look at the breaker panel for a tripped breaker, and for a gas furnace, check that the switch near the unit is on and the gas valve is open. If the system still will not run right after that, a contractor will need to look at it, since anything past this point means opening up the equipment.