HVAC Repair in New Orleans, LA
Homes here need heat from November through March and cooling from April through October. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Orleans Parish will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
New Orleans runs its system nearly every month of the year
Your air conditioner works April through October here, seven months of afternoons that average 90°F. That is a long stretch of the compressor cycling on and off, and the strain shows up as warm air from the vents or a unit that runs constantly and never quite catches up.
Winter is shorter, November through March, with nights averaging 46°F. Most homes here heat with electricity, so when a storm takes down the power, the heat goes with it. Louisiana has logged 35 damaging wind events over the last ten years, and close to half of households lost power for at least a day in 2024. A system already worn from the summer's work is the one most likely to fail when the power comes back on.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 7 months
- April through October, it cools
- 46°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 90°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Louisiana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors is the body that tests and records HVAC contractors in this state. That license belongs to the contractor, not to the job, so it does not get reissued or rechecked for each repair someone calls in for.
For a repair to your heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. The board tested that contractor and keeps a record of them before they are allowed to take on jobs like this one.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- Why is my heat not working?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to heat, not cool, and that the set temperature is above the room temperature. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker for the furnace or air handler, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. With 61.4% of homes here heating with electricity, a heat pump that will not warm the house is often stuck in defrost or has ice built up on the outside unit, especially on the colder nights this area sees from December through February. If the breaker holds and the thermostat is set correctly and you still get no heat, a contractor needs to look at the ignition system or the heat pump itself.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- Check the air filter first. A clogged filter chokes off airflow and the system runs without bringing the house down to temperature. Next check the outside unit and make sure nothing is blocking it, since it needs open airflow to release heat. If the filter is clean and the outside unit is clear, the system may be low on refrigerant or have a frozen coil, and running it longer will not fix either one. On the 90°F afternoons common here, a system that is low on refrigerant will struggle most in the hottest part of the day, so a contractor should check the charge and the coil.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Check the thermostat settings, the batteries in the thermostat if it uses them, and the breaker for the furnace, air handler, or outside unit. Check the air filter and replace it if it is dirty, since a blocked filter can cause problems that look like bigger failures. Look at the outside unit and clear away any leaves, grass clippings, or debris around it. With 35 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, it is also worth checking for storm damage to the outside unit or its wiring before assuming the problem is internal. If everything checks out and the system still is not working right, a contractor will need to diagnose it further.