Who to Call for Furnace Repair: A Hiring Guide
An HVAC professional can help make your furnace as good as new
While many projects around the home are perfect for the plucky DIYer, repairing your furnace is not one of them. Who are you gonna call? A furnace repair professional in your area is the best bet. Let’s break down why furnace repair is a job best left to these pros.
Benefits of Hiring an HVAC Pro to Repair Your Furnace
There are two reasons why hiring an HVAC professional to repair your furnace is the right call to make.
Expertise
When you hire an HVAC professional to troubleshoot your furnace and repair it, you’re hiring someone who is an expert in that job. They will be able to fix the damage to your furnace fast and help give you tips for making sure your furnace works optimally for as long as it can.
Savings
If you tackle a job like repairing your furnace yourself, you might think it would save you cash, but very often, that’s not the case. An HVAC professional will save you money on repairs that may have to be made to make up for your novice efforts, however well-intentioned. The average cost to repair a furnace is around $300.
Can I Hire Another Pro to Repair a Furnace?
While general contractors can tackle this job, you are better off hiring someone with years of furnace repair experience. That kind of expertise only comes from an HVAC professional. If you decide to hire someone else who isn’t as qualified but who quoted you a lower price, you’re running the risk of them causing more harm than good.
How Do HVAC Pros Repair Furnaces?
When the HVAC pro that you have hired comes to your home to tackle your furnace repair, they will likely do a complete systems check of your HVAC systems to help identify the problem and rule out others. With this done, they will set to work repairing your furnace.
The repairs they will make depend on the issue with your furnace. If your furnace isn’t igniting, they may need to replace the ignition components. If there is a leaky duct, they will identify it and repair it. Make sure your pro gives you a detailed breakdown of the problem they have identified and how they will set about fixing it.
Can I DIY Furnace Repair?
Because your furnace is such an essential component of your home, you should hire an HVAC professional to tackle big, important repairs. If you’re confident in your HVAC knowledge, you may be able to repair simple furnace problems on your own. Here are a few maintenance tasks that DIYers can do:
Replacing furnace filters
Flushing drain lines
Keeping exhaust flues clear
Checking for blocked or leaky air ducts
Clearing leaves from exhaust and intake vents
Vacuuming the burners
How Do I Find Someone to Fix My Furnace?
If you’ve exhausted the list of DIY furnace repairs or are simply uncomfortable with any repair work on your own, then it’s time to call in a professional. You can start by researching furnace repair specialists, which are typically HVAC companies, in your area with a quick online search. You can also ask friends and family who live nearby for recommendations. Once you have a few names then you can set up appointments to have each company come out and give you a diagnosis and estimate.
Compare vital information from each of the companies, including their diagnosis, the repair estimate, any warranties available, and the estimated time frame. Once you have the information side by side from a few companies, then you’ll likely find one that you’re comfortable with and hopefully within budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
While furnaces can last for years, they can experience their own problems occasionally. Common furnace repairs can include cleaning dirty ductwork, changing old filters, repairing a faulty starting mechanism, or fixing broken blower components. Flickering or weak pilot lights, gas odor and leaks, plus frequent over-cycling are also common problems to deal with.
If you’re having issues with getting the furnace to turn on, try checking the furnace filter first. These filters often clog and need regular replacement. Checking the thermostat is another important step, and the thermostat may need new batteries or a new location (if it’s in direct sunlight). It also helps to check your electric panel and try resetting your furnace breaker switch.
Other ways to diagnose a broken furnace are to check the pilot light and gas valve if you have a type of gas furnace and carefully make sure it’s properly lit. You may also double-check the front panel and make sure it’s secure in place.
If your furnace breaks then you’ll first need to check your thermostat settings and make sure they’re properly set and working. You should also double-check if you’ve accidentally tripped the breaker or blown a fuse. It’s best to call a professional for repairs, and you may want to turn your faucets onto a slow drip while you’re waiting, depending on how cold the outside temperature is.