Furnace Repair in Dillon, MT
If your furnace quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Beaverhead County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
In Dillon, your furnace never really gets a break
Winter nights here average 12°F, and homes in Beaverhead County need heat all 12 months of the year. That means the burner is lighting and the blower is running on days most places would call spring or fall. There is no long stretch where the furnace sits idle and rests.
That kind of steady demand wears on the igniter and the flame sensor first, since those are the parts working every single cycle. Add in the storms this county sees, 71 winter storms and 83 damaging wind events over the last ten years, and you get power blinks that force the furnace to restart over and over on the coldest nights. In Montana, about 18% of households lost power for a full day or more in 2024. When the power drops and comes back, a furnace that was already struggling to light often will not catch at all, and that is when people notice the house going cold.
- 12°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 71 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Montana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Montana tests contractors through the Department of Labor and Industry before it licenses them, and that license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job. It stays on record with the state whether the work is a furnace repair, an install, or anything else the contractor takes on.
There's an exception for small jobs. Work under $2,500 doesn't require a licensed contractor in Montana, so where a furnace repair lands depends on the size of the job. A repair that costs more than that has to go through a contractor holding the state license.
Source: Montana Legislature
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat the way it should, or power isn't reaching the furnace. Check that the thermostat is set above room temperature and has working batteries if it uses them. After that, check the furnace switch and the breaker, since either one being off will stop the furnace cold. If those are fine, the igniter or a safety switch inside the unit may be the problem, and that calls for a contractor to look at it. With winter nights here averaging 12°F, a furnace that won't start is worth getting checked the same day.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is moving but it's not warm, the furnace may be running the blower without the burners lighting. A dirty flame sensor or a failed igniter can stop the burners from firing even while the fan keeps pushing air through the vents. It can also mean the thermostat fan setting is on rather than auto, which runs the blower nonstop regardless of temperature. A contractor can test the ignition system and tell you which part has failed.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has worn out. That's the small part that senses the flame and keeps gas flowing to the pilot. Once it fails, the furnace shuts gas off as a safety measure even if you manage to relight it. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can also cause this, and a contractor can check which one it is.