Furnace Repair in Ann Arbor, MI
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Washtenaw County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat puts a real load on your furnace
Your furnace in Washtenaw County runs from October through May, eight months of the year. On winter nights averaging 19°F, it cycles on and off for hours at a stretch to hold the house steady. Every start puts a little more wear on the igniter and the flame sensor. Those parts tend to fail first. The furnace tries to light, doesn't get a good flame, and shuts itself down before the house gets cold.
Most homes here heat with gas, so a furnace that won't stay lit leaves you without much backup. Over a third of Michigan households lost power for a day or more in 2024, and the area has seen 16 winter storms and 89 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A furnace needs both gas and electricity to run, so either one going out can leave you without heat.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 19°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 75%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 16 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $140 a year off heating for a typical Washtenaw County home.
Estimates for a typical Washtenaw County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Michigan 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.
Michigan requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The state tests and licenses the contractor, not the individual job. That license is tied to the person or business doing the work and stays on record with the Board of Mechanical Rules, so the same contractor is accountable whether they're repairing a furnace in Ann Arbor or installing a water heater across the state.
For a furnace repair, that license is what stands behind the work. Gas furnaces are common here, most homes in Washtenaw County heat with gas, and a repair that touches the gas line or the connection to it is the part that has to be done right. The state's licensing rule is what puts a name and a record behind whoever makes that connection.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat the way you think it is, 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, the one that looks like a light switch near the unit, and the breaker in your panel. If those are fine, the igniter or the flame sensor may have failed, and that's a job for a licensed contractor to test and replace.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If the fan runs but no heat comes with it, the burners aren't lighting even though the blower is. That usually points to the igniter, the flame sensor, or the gas valve not doing its job. Check your air filter first, since one that's badly clogged can trip a limit switch and shut the burners off while the fan keeps going. If the filter is clean and you still get cold air, have a contractor check the ignition system.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot that won't stay lit usually means the thermocouple has worn out. That's the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep sending gas. When it fails, the valve shuts the gas off as a safety measure, even though the pilot lit fine a moment ago. A draft blowing out the flame or a dirty pilot orifice can also cause this, but with 8 months of heating season here, it's worth having a contractor replace the thermocouple rather than relighting it over and over.