Furnace Repair in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, MT
If your furnace quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Deer Lodge County will get in touch.
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Your furnace runs all year here, and it works hardest at night
In Deer Lodge County your furnace doesn't get an off season. It runs 12 months a year, and on winter nights that average 13°F, it runs close to nonstop, cycling on and off over and over to hold the house at temperature. Every start puts a load on the igniter and the flame sensor, and that many cycles a night wears those parts down faster than in a milder place.
The county has logged 49 winter storms and 15 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that knock out power. When the power cuts, your furnace stops, and when it comes back the igniter has to relight the burner cold. That's often when a weak igniter finally fails, and you notice because the house won't warm back up.
- 13°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 66%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 49 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 Deer Lodge County home.
Estimates for a typical Deer Lodge County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Montana 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.
Montana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is held by the contractor, not issued job by job. It reflects a business the state tested and put on record, not a stamp on this particular repair. Montana sets one exception worth knowing. Work under $2,500 does not need a licensed contractor, so a small furnace repair can fall outside that requirement depending on the bill.
Gas is the part of a furnace repair that raises the stakes. Most homes in Deer Lodge County heat with gas, and a bad connection is what makes this job dangerous rather than routine. Above the $2,500 line, the state license is what stands behind the person doing the work. Below it, the job may be done without one, and Montana's rule does not name another form of oversight to fill that gap.
Source: Montana Legislature
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, and check that it has power if it runs on batteries. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will shut the furnace down completely. Beyond that, the igniter, the flame sensor, or a safety switch could be keeping it from starting, and a licensed contractor can test each one to find which part failed.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most often this means the burners aren't lighting even though the blower is running. The blower can turn on and push air through the ducts while the burners stay off, so you feel airflow but no heat. A dirty flame sensor or a failed igniter are common reasons the burners won't light. Check your air filter too, since a clogged one can sometimes cause the system to shut burners down as a safety measure while the fan keeps running.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that keeps going out is usually a sign the thermocouple has failed or is out of position. The thermocouple senses the pilot flame and holds the gas valve open. When it can't sense the flame correctly, it shuts the gas off and the pilot dies. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can also cause this. Since this involves the gas valve, it's worth having a licensed contractor check it rather than repeatedly relighting it yourself.