Furnace Repair in Danielson, CT
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Danielson will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat puts real wear on a furnace
From October to May your furnace is the thing standing between you and a 20°F night. That is eight months of the burner lighting, running, and shutting off, over and over, most winters here. Each cycle puts a little more wear on the igniter and the parts that control the burner.
Most homes in this area heat with fuel oil, which means the oil burner, the nozzle, and the ignition system are what tend to give out after years of that kind of use. When the igniter fails or the burner won't stay lit, the furnace stops keeping up, and on a night in the 20s that shows up fast.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 20°F
- the average winter night it heats against
NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals
Connecticut requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Connecticut tests contractors before granting this license, and the Department of Consumer Protection keeps a record of who holds one. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same credential covers the furnace repair on this page along with any other HVAC work that contractor takes on.
A bad gas connection is the dangerous part of a furnace repair. In Connecticut, the license is the state's record that the contractor working on it has been tested and is accountable to the Department of Consumer Protection.
Sources: Connecticut General Assembly · Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to heat and the set temperature is above room temperature, and check that the batteries aren't dead. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel and any switch that looks like a light switch near the furnace, since that shuts off power to the unit. Furnaces with a standing pilot need that flame lit to run at all, and furnaces with electronic ignition need power to spark. If the furnace still won't start, a contractor licensed by Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection can find out which part failed.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most often the blower is running before the burner has caught up, which is normal for a short stretch after startup. If cold air keeps coming for more than a few minutes, the burner may not be lighting even though the fan runs, which can come from a dirty flame sensor or a failed igniter. A clogged filter can also starve the burner of the airflow it needs to stay running. With winter lows here averaging 20°F, a furnace stuck blowing cold air needs a look soon, and a licensed contractor can tell you which part is at fault.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- The most common reason is a worn thermocouple, the small part that senses the pilot flame and tells the gas valve to stay open. When it wears out it can't sense the flame reliably, so the gas valve closes and the pilot goes out. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can cause the same thing. Since homes here run the furnace from October through May, a pilot that won't hold is worth having a licensed contractor look at before the next cold stretch.