HVAC Repair in Brownsville, TX
Homes here need heat from December through January and cooling from February through November. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Cameron County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Ten months of cooling wears out a system that barely gets a rest
Your air conditioner works February through November here. Summer afternoons averaging 94°F push the compressor hard for most of the year, and it does not get much of a break in between. That kind of run time wears on the parts that keep refrigerant moving, and a system under that much load can lose its cool on the hottest days when you need it most.
Winter is short here, just December and January, but nights averaging 53°F still call for heat. Most homes here run on electric heat, so a storm that knocks out power takes your heat with it. Cameron County sees its share of damaging wind, and with a third of Texas households losing power for a day or more last year, that is worth planning for on both ends of the year.
- 2 months
- December through January, your system heats
- 10 months
- February through November, it cools
- 53°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 94°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Texas requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation tests contractors before they can hold this license and keeps a record of who holds one. That record follows the contractor, not the specific job, so the same license that qualifies someone to install a system also qualifies them to repair yours.
For a repair on your heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person working on it. It tells you the state tested this contractor and has them on record, no matter what the job is that day.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most likely a thermostat setting, a tripped breaker, or in a gas furnace, the igniter or flame sensor. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and a few degrees above room temperature, and check the breaker panel for anything tripped. Heat only matters here for December and January, but when a cold night hits and the furnace won't fire, an igniter or flame sensor is the usual reason it starts but won't stay lit. If the breaker holds and the thermostat looks right, a contractor can test the ignition system.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The most common cause is a dirty filter or a frozen coil restricting airflow, or the outdoor unit is caked with dirt and can't shed heat. Check the filter first and replace it if it's gray or clogged. Look at the outdoor unit too. If it's covered in leaves, grass clippings, or debris, that alone can keep it from cooling well, and with summer afternoons here running near 94°F, a unit that's already struggling has no margin left. If the filter's clean and the outdoor unit's clear but the air still isn't cold, the refrigerant charge or a component inside the system needs a contractor to check it.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Confirm it's set to heat or cool as needed and the batteries aren't dead. Next, check the breaker panel for a tripped switch, since that alone stops a system cold. Pull the filter and hold it up to a light. If you can't see through it, replace it. Outside, make sure the condenser unit isn't blocked by plants, leaves, or debris. With 95 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, it's also worth a quick look for anything the last storm might have knocked loose or blown into the unit. If the system still isn't working after these checks, a contractor can diagnose what's left.