The most common furnace repairs
- Furnace pilot has gone out
- Furnace won't turn on at all
- Thermostat malfunctions
- Electronic ignition problems
- Noisy operation
- Blower won't turn off
- Furnace cycles on and off too often
- Pressure switch problems
- Blower running continuously
- Dirty or faulty flame sensor
Quick checks before you call
Some no-heat calls turn out to have simple causes. Before booking a repair, it's worth checking:
- The thermostat is set to Heat, set above room temperature, and has fresh batteries
- The furnace's power switch (it looks like a light switch) is on, and the breaker hasn't tripped
- The air filter isn't clogged; a blocked filter can make a furnace overheat and shut down
- The blower door panel is seated properly, since a safety switch stops the furnace when it's loose
- Outdoor intake and exhaust pipes on high-efficiency furnaces are clear of leaves, snow or nests
How we repair your furnace
A good repair starts with a proper diagnosis. Swapping parts until the furnace fires is expensive and often doesn't fix the underlying problem. Our technicians work through the furnace's sequence of operation, from thermostat call to inducer, pressure switch, ignition, flame proving and blower, and find the step that's failing and why.
Before any work starts, we explain what we found and what the repair will cost. Many common failures, like igniters, flame sensors, pressure switches and capacitors, can be fixed in a single visit. We finish by checking combustion and safety controls, so you know the furnace is running safely, not just running.
Repair or replace?
A newer furnace with a single failed part is almost always worth repairing. The decision gets harder when a furnace is 15 or more years old, needs a major component like a blower motor or control board, and has needed other repairs recently. In those cases we'll give you an honest comparison of the repair cost against a new high-efficiency furnace, and let you decide.
One repair we won't patch is a cracked heat exchanger. It can let carbon monoxide into your home's air, and on most furnaces it means the unit needs to be replaced. Working CO alarms on every floor are your best protection between service visits.
The best way to avoid most of these repairs is regular maintenance. See what an annual furnace tune-up includes.
