HVAC Repair in Hilton Head Island, SC
Homes here need heat from November through March and cooling from May through October. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Beaufort County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work a year, on a coast that loses power often
Your system barely gets a break on Hilton Head. Cooling runs May through October against afternoons averaging 89°F, then heat takes over November through March for nights that average 42°F. Almost the whole year, the compressor or the burner is doing something.
Most homes here heat with electricity, so the outdoor unit and its compressor carry the load in both seasons. That kind of steady use wears on the same parts summer and winter. Add in the wind. Beaufort County has logged 304 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and 45% of South Carolina households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. A compressor or a control board that loses power and comes back hard does not always come back right.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 6 months
- May through October, it cools
- 42°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 89°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most often it comes down to power, the thermostat, or airflow. Most homes here heat with electricity, so check the breaker panel first, since a tripped breaker is common after a wind event. If the breaker is fine, check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature. A dirty filter can also block enough airflow to shut a system down, so check that next.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- If air is moving but it is not cold, the filter is the first thing to check. A clogged filter starves the system of airflow and can freeze the coil inside, and once that happens the air coming out warms up even though the system keeps running. Check outside too. The outdoor unit needs open space around it to release heat, and anything blocking it, like grass clippings or fallen branches, will cut into how well it cools. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, a contractor will need to check refrigerant levels and the coil itself.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it is set to the right mode, heat or cool, and that the temperature setting is actually past the current room temperature. Check the breaker panel next, since a tripped breaker will stop a system cold and is worth ruling out before anything else. Check the filter, since a clogged one restricts airflow and can cause problems that look like bigger failures. Outside, clear away anything piled against the outdoor unit. If the system still is not working after these checks, a contractor will need to look at it directly.