Furnace Repair in Warren, MI
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Macomb County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat, on nights near 21 below freezing
Your furnace works from October through May here, eight months of the year. On winter nights averaging 21°F, it is running long stretches to keep up, and the burner is cycling on and off for hours at a time. Each cycle puts wear on the igniter and the flame sensor, the parts that start the burner and confirm it caught. Over a winter of that many cycles, one of them gives out, and the furnace stops firing.
Most homes here heat with gas, and Macomb County sees its share of winter storms and wind. When the power drops, a gas furnace with a standing pilot stays lit, but the blower still needs electricity to push warm air through the house. If your furnace is running but the house is not getting warm, or it will not start at all, that is worth a look before the next cold night.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 21°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 88%
- 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 $130 a year off heating for a typical Macomb County home.
Estimates for a typical Macomb 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 license is held by the contractor, not issued per job, so it is the company or tradesperson who was tested and is on record with the Board of Mechanical Rules, not this particular repair. That board is who licensed them in the first place.
For a furnace repair, the license is what stands behind the person working on your gas connections. Most homes in Macomb County heat with gas, and a bad connection is the part of this job that can hurt someone. The license means the state has already tested this contractor's knowledge of that kind of work before letting them touch it in your home.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most times it comes down to the thermostat, the power, or the gas supply. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature, and check the breaker for the furnace. If those are fine, the igniter may have failed or the flame sensor may be dirty, and either one will keep the furnace from starting even though everything looks normal. With winter lows here around 21°F, this isn't something to leave for a few days. A licensed contractor can test the igniter and sensor and tell you which one it is.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is moving but it isn't warm, the furnace likely isn't igniting the burners even though the blower is running. This can mean a bad igniter, a flame sensor that needs cleaning, or the gas valve not opening. It can also mean the thermostat fan is set to "on" instead of "auto", which pushes air through even when the furnace isn't heating it. A contractor can check the burners and the ignition system to find out which it is.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is usually a thermocouple problem. The thermocouple sits in the flame and tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. Once it wears out or sits out of position, it shuts the gas off even with the flame lit. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can also put it out. A standing pilot doesn't need power to run, so this isn't an electrical issue, and a contractor can replace the thermocouple or clean the assembly.