Furnace Repair in Garrison, ND
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers McLean County will get in touch.
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Nine months of heat, five below outside
Garrison needs the furnace running from September through May. On the coldest nights, when the temperature outside drops to an average of 5°F, that furnace is cycling on and off most of the day and night to keep up. Each start puts a load on the igniter and the flame sensor, and after enough winters one of them gives out. When it does, the burner won't light and the house starts to cool fast.
McLean County also sees its share of winter storms and high wind, and the power goes out with them. If your furnace runs on gas, the burner still needs electricity to light and to run the blower, so a power cut means no heat until it comes back on.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 5°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 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 McLean County home.
Estimates for a typical McLean 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.
The Secretary of State issues the license, and it covers the contractor rather than the job itself. The same licensed business can take on your furnace repair and the next one without being tested again for that specific work. Work under $4,000 does not need a licensed contractor at all, and a lot of furnace repairs fall under that line.
Above that $4,000 line, the license is what stands behind the person working on your furnace. In McLean County, 42.5% of homes heat with gas, so the gas connection is part of what that license is meant to cover here.
Sources: North Dakota Legislative Branch · North Dakota Secretary of State
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- The most common reason is a problem in the ignition system, the thermostat, or the power supply to the unit. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature, and check that the furnace switch and breaker are on. If those are fine, the igniter, flame sensor, or control board may have failed, and that needs a contractor to test and replace. With winter lows here averaging 5°F, a furnace that won't start is worth getting looked at the same day.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Usually the blower is running but the burners haven't lit, or the furnace is still warming up before the air turns hot. A dirty flame sensor or a failed igniter will stop the burners from lighting even while the fan keeps pushing air through the vents. If the air stays cold for more than a few minutes, the furnace needs a contractor to find why the burners aren't firing.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is almost always a worn thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the flame is burning. When it fails, the valve shuts off the gas as a safety measure even though the pilot was lit a moment before. A draft blowing out the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can also cause it. If relighting it doesn't hold, the thermocouple or gas valve needs a contractor to replace it.