Furnace Repair in Bismarck, ND
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Burleigh County will get in touch.
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Nine months of heat, and nights near 5 below zero
Your furnace runs from September through May here, nine months of the year. On winter nights that average 5°F, it is not cycling on and off so much as running long and hard, hour after hour, to hold the house at temperature.
That kind of steady demand wears on the igniter and the blower motor, the parts that carry the load every time the furnace fires and every time it pushes air. Burleigh County has seen 27 winter storms and 96 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and across North Dakota, 7% of households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024. When the power drops on a night that cold, a gas furnace with an electric igniter will not restart until it comes back, and a house can lose its heat fast.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 5°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 64%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 27 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $110 a year off heating for a typical Burleigh County home.
Estimates for a typical Burleigh County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, North Dakota fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when one part has failed and the heat exchanger is sound.
Replacement makes sense when the heat exchanger is cracked or the furnace keeps needing parts.
North Dakota requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
North Dakota licenses HVAC contractors through the Secretary of State. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it covers the person or company doing the work rather than the repair itself. The state sets one exception. Work under $4,000 does not need a licensed contractor.
A furnace repair can fall on either side of that line depending on the job. A gas furnace depends on a tight connection at the gas line, and that connection is the part of the job where a mistake can actually hurt someone. In Burleigh County, 63.6% of homes heat with gas, so this is not a rare setup here. Where the repair costs $4,000 or more, the state license is what stands behind the work.
Sources: North Dakota Legislative Branch · North Dakota Secretary of State
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat the way it should, or power isn't reaching the furnace. Check that the thermostat is set below room temperature and has fresh batteries if it uses them. Next check the furnace switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit, and the breaker at your panel. If those are fine, the igniter or a safety switch inside the furnace may be the problem, and that's a job for a licensed contractor to diagnose.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- A furnace blows cold air for a few seconds at the start of every cycle while it warms up, and that's normal. If cold air keeps coming, the burners may not be lighting even though the blower runs. This can mean a bad igniter, a dirty flame sensor, or a gas supply issue. With winter lows around 5°F here, this isn't something to leave for long, and a contractor should look at it the same day if possible.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This usually means the thermocouple isn't sensing the flame and is shutting the gas valve as a safety measure. It can also mean a draft is blowing the pilot out, or the pilot orifice is dirty and the flame is too weak to hold. A standing pilot doesn't run on electricity, so a power outage isn't the cause here. If relighting it doesn't hold, the thermocouple likely needs replacing, and that's a licensed contractor's job.