Furnace repair
No heat, cold air from the vents, or a furnace that starts and stops all day? We find the cause, tell you what the fix costs, and do the work once you say yes.
If you smell gas or a carbon monoxide alarm goes off
Leave the house first, then call your gas company or 911 from outside. Do not switch lights or appliances on or off on the way out.
Signs your furnace needs a repair
Furnaces rarely fail without warning. Calling at the first sign usually means a smaller repair than waiting for a breakdown on the coldest night of the year.
- It blows cold or lukewarm air when the heat is on
- It turns on and off every few minutes
- It will not start, or starts and shuts off right away
- Banging, squealing, rattling or humming you have not heard before
- Some rooms stay cold while others are warm
- It runs all the time but the house never reaches the set temperature
- Heating bills climbing for no obvious reason
What usually goes wrong
Most furnace calls come down to a handful of parts. These are the ones we check first.
A clogged filter
A dirty filter starves the furnace of air. It overheats, shuts itself off as a safety measure and starts again, over and over.
Ignition
Newer furnaces light the burners with a hot surface igniter or spark. Igniters wear out and crack, and then the furnace tries to start but never lights.
Flame sensor
A sensor confirms the burners lit. When it gets coated with grime, the furnace lights for a few seconds and shuts down.
Blower and motor
The blower moves warm air through the ducts. A failing motor or capacitor means weak airflow, odd noises or no air at all.
Condensate drain
High-efficiency furnaces make water as they run. A clogged drain line or a failed pump can shut the furnace off to prevent a leak.
Thermostat
Dead batteries, a wrong setting or loose wiring can look exactly like a broken furnace. It is one of the first things we check.
How a repair visit works
Tell us what is happening
Book online or call. A few words about what the furnace is doing helps us come prepared.
We find the cause
We test the furnace, the thermostat and the airflow until we know what is wrong.
You get the price first
You know what the repair costs before any work starts. Nothing happens until you agree.
Fixed and tested
We make the repair, run the furnace through a full heating cycle and check it before we leave.
Heat out right now? Try the quick checks first. They are safe for anyone to do, and sometimes they bring the heat back on their own.
Furnace repair questions
Should I repair my furnace or replace it?
Age, repair history and the cost of the repair all matter. Furnaces commonly last about 15 to 20 years. When an older furnace needs a costly repair, replacing it often makes more sense. Our repair or replace guide walks through it, and we give you the price of both options when it is close.
Why does my furnace turn on and off so often?
Short cycling is often caused by a clogged filter, a dirty flame sensor, a thermostat in a bad spot, or a furnace that is too big for the home. Start by checking the filter. If that is not it, a technician needs to test the furnace.
Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
Check that the thermostat is set to Heat and the fan is set to Auto, not On. If it still blows cold air, the burners may not be lighting, which points to ignition, the flame sensor, a gas supply problem or a safety switch that has tripped.
Is it safe to keep running a furnace that is acting up?
If you smell gas, see soot around the furnace, or a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, turn it off and leave the house. For other problems, a furnace that keeps shutting down is protecting itself, so it is best to have it checked rather than resetting it again and again.
Do you repair boilers and heat pumps too?
Yes. See boiler repair and heat pump repair, or all repairs.
Furnace acting up?
Tell us what is going on. You get the price up front, and we show up on time.