Furnace Repair and Heating Repair North New Jersey
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When your furnace won’t start, tackling the problem yourself can feel pretty overwhelming. Fixing your furnace might feel like a daunting process when your heat won’t power on, but it doesn’t have to be. There are several fast, low-cost fixes you can do by yourself to avoid a furnace repair call. If your furnace won’t turn on, won’t stay on or won’t ignite, try the troubleshooting list below before contacting an HVAC professional. If you find you need help from a heating and cooling pro and live in North Jersey, Willco Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Inc. can help you. We can repair most makes of heating systems and also provide emergency furnace repair.
If you’re ready for a new heating system, we also do furnace installation. Join our comfort club and avoid expensive repairs in the future. We can tell you how often your furnace should be examined by one of our NATE-certified professionals. Use our easy guide below to get started on troubleshooting your furnace. Most of these steps don’t require mechanical know-how.
1. Check the Thermostat
To begin, make sure your thermostat is instructing your furnace to start
Digital Thermostat
Change the batteries if the screen is blank. If the digital screen is jumbled, the thermostat may need to be replaced.
Make sure the switch is set to “heat” rather than “off” or “cool.”
Ensure the program is set to the appropriate day and time and is set to “run.” If you’re having problems overriding the program, set the temperature by using the up/down arrows and press the “hold” button. This will cause the furnace to ignite if the thermostat programming is causing a problem.
Increase the temperature setting to 5 degrees warmer than the room temperature.
If your furnace hasn’t kicked on within a couple minutes, make sure it has power by toggling the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t run, your furnace could be without power.
Smart Thermostat
If you have a smart thermostat, like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch, troubleshooting is very model-specific. Refer to the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Smart thermostat to work, call us at 973-270-9244 for heating and cooling service.
2. Breakers and Switches
A furnace that is completely dead can simply be unpowered. There is a switch near the unit that looks like a light switch, and it does get knocked off by accident, so that one is worth a look. The breaker panel is a different matter: if a breaker has tripped, leave the panel alone and note which circuit it was. Repeated tripping means something in the system is drawing more current than it should, and that is a diagnosis for a licensed technician rather than a reset. Call us at 973-270-9244 and we will test it properly.
3. Replace the Air Filter
When it comes to furnace issues, a dirty, clogged air filter is often the top culprit.
If your filter is too dirty:
- Your furnace won’t be able to stay on, or it could overheat from restricted airflow.
- Your energy bills could increase because your furnace is turning on more often.
- Your furnace could stop working prematurely because a dirty filter causes it to work overtime.
- Your furnace can be cut off from power if an excessively dirty filter causes the breaker to trip.
- Depending on what model of furnace you own, your air filter will be inside the blower compartment of your furnace, an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
To replace your filter:
- Turn off your furnace.
- Remove the filter and tilt it toward the light. If you can’t see light through it, replace it.
- Put in the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the furnace to avoid damage.
Flat filters should be replaced once a month, while pleated filters should last about three months. You can also get a washable filter that will last about 10 years. If you have children or pets, you may have to put in a new filter more often.
To make the process go more quickly in the future, use a permanent marker on your furnace housing or ductwork to indicate the airflow direction and filter size.
4. Inspect the Condensate Pan
Otherwise known as drain pans, condensate pans catch water your furnace draws from the air.
If water is leaking out of your furnace or its pan has standing water in it, follow these steps.
- If your pan has a drain (look for a PVC pipe), check that it isn’t full. If it needs to be drained, use a special pan-cleaning tablet you can purchase at home improvement or hardware stores.
- If your pan contains a pump, check the float switch. If the switch is stuck “up” with liquid in the pan, contact us at 973-270-9244, because you will possibly need a new pump.
5. Check for Furnace Error Codes
If malfunctions keep on happening, look inside your furnace’s plastic window to verify the status of the blower motor. Depending on the model, the light could also be attached on the outside of your furnace.
If you see anything other than a steady, colored light or blinking green light, call us at 973-270-9244 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be communicating an error code that needs professional service.
6. A Dirty Flame Sensor
If your furnace tries to start but shuts off without producing heat, a dirty flame sensor is one of the common causes. The system will usually attempt to ignite three times, then lock itself out for about an hour on a safety.
Cleaning the sensor means opening the furnace and working next to the burner assembly, so it is not a job to take on yourself. It is also a quick one for a technician, and while he has the panel off he can check why the sensor fouled in the first place, which is often the more useful answer. Call us and we will sort it.
7. A Pilot Light That Has Gone Out
To begin, make sure your thermostat is instructing your furnace to start
Digital Thermostat
Older furnaces use a standing pilot, and it can go out. Relighting one means operating the gas valve and introducing a flame by hand, which is not something we would ask a homeowner to do.
If the pilot is out, leave the gas valve alone and call. A pilot that will not stay lit usually points at the thermocouple or the gas supply rather than the pilot itself, so relighting it would not have fixed the cause anyway. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house first and call from outside.
Check Your Fuel Source
Try turning on another gas appliance. If it doesn’t work, your natural gas service could be turned off, or you could be out of propane.
What Our Customers Are Saying
Common Furnace Problems We Repair
Most calls fall into three shapes. The symptom narrows it down, but it does not identify the fault on its own, which is why the visit starts with testing rather than parts.
No Heat at All
The system will not light or will not run. On gas and propane that is usually the igniter, flame sensor, gas valve or a tripped safety. On oil it is more often the nozzle, pump, filter or electrodes, or simply a tank that has run low.
Short Cycling or Unusual Noise
A furnace that starts and stops in short bursts is usually overheating and shutting itself off, often from restricted airflow. Banging, screeching or rumbling each point somewhere different, and some of them should be looked at the same day.
Weak or Uneven Heat
Air moving but not warm enough, or some rooms never catching up. Causes run from a blocked filter to a failing blower motor to ductwork that was never right. We find which before quoting anything.
What to Expect From a Willco Furnace Repair Visit
It’s Easy to Reach Us
Call, text, chat, or book a visit from the website. When the heat is out we prioritise it, and we offer same-day service where scheduling allows.
The office takes the details before the technician leaves, so he arrives knowing the fuel you are on, the symptom, and how old the system is.
Diagnosis, Not Guesswork
A furnace that will not light can be the igniter, the flame sensor, the gas valve, a safety switch, the thermostat, or on oil equipment the nozzle, pump or filter. The technician tests the system rather than swapping the most likely part and hoping.
Findings and a Flat-Rate Price
You get told what failed and why, and the price in writing before any work starts. Flat rate, so the number does not move while the technician is on site.
The Repair
Common ignition, control and blower parts ride on the truck, so most repairs finish on the first visit. If a part has to be ordered we tell you then rather than after.
Safety Check and Test Cycle
Before we leave, the system is run through a full cycle and checked for combustion and venting problems. If we find a cracked heat exchanger or a carbon monoxide concern we shut the unit down and explain the options. That is not a repair to defer.
After the Visit
We leave a written record of what was done. If the system is at the age where this is likely to repeat, we say so plainly rather than waiting for the next call.
Heating Systems We Repair
North Jersey runs on three different fuels depending on the street, and each one fails in its own way.
Gas Furnaces
Failures usually sit in the igniter, flame sensor, gas valve or a safety switch. Condensing models add a condensate drain that blocks and shuts the unit down.
Propane Furnaces
Most propane faults look like gas faults, with the addition of regulator and supply problems. A tank that runs low in a cold snap will stop a working furnace cold.
Oil Furnaces
Oil equipment has more moving parts and a different service pattern. Nozzles, pumps, filters, electrodes and the cad cell are the usual suspects, and a tank left low over a cold weekend will draw sludge and block the line.
Factors That Affect Furnace Repair Cost
Repair pricing is not one number. Here is what moves it.
Which Part Failed
A thermostat or a flame sensor is a different job from a control board, a blower motor or an inducer. The diagnosis settles the price, which is why we quote after testing rather than over the phone.
Fuel and Equipment Type
Oil and propane systems have parts a gas furnace does not, and oil burners take longer to set up properly after a repair. That shows in the labour as much as the parts.
Parts Availability
Current models are straightforward. On older equipment a control board or heat exchanger can be slow to source, and that is often the point where a repair stops being the better use of the money.
Age and Condition
A system in its second decade with a maintenance history behind it is a different proposition from one that has not been serviced in years. Both get repaired; only one is worth repeating.
Furnace Repair FAQs
How much does furnace repair cost
There is no single number, because it depends on which component failed, the fuel you are on, and how accessible the equipment is. What we can tell you is how we price it: a flat-rate figure in writing after the technician has diagnosed the fault, before any work starts. No hourly meter running while he works.
Do you offer same-day furnace repair
There is no single number, because it depends on which component failed, the fuel you are on, and how accessible the equipment is. What we can tell you is how we price it: a flat-rate figure in writing after the technician has diagnosed the fault, before any work starts. No hourly meter running while he works.
Do you repair oil and propane furnaces
Often, yes. We offer same-day furnace repair across our service area where scheduling allows, and no heat in a cold snap goes to the front of the queue. Call early in the day where you can and we will tell you honestly what we can reach.
What can I safely check before calling
Three things, and none of them involve opening the furnace. Check the thermostat is set to heat and the batteries are good. Check the filter, because a blocked one can shut a system down on the limit switch. If you are on oil or propane, check the tank gauge. Beyond that, leave the panels on and call. If you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide, leave the house first and call from outside.
Is my furnace worth repairing
Age, repair history and parts availability usually settle it. Under about twelve years with a first significant repair, repairing generally makes sense. Past fifteen, with repeated failures or parts getting hard to source, replacement is normally the better use of the money. Sussex County’s 3 degree design temperature is worth weighing too: a marginal system has further to fall here than in most of the state. We give you an honest read during the visit rather than a sales pitch.
Do you repair furnaces throughout North Jersey
Yes. We work across Sussex, Morris and Warren County and nearby North Jersey communities from our Branchville shop. Pick your town from the list below for local detail on fuel, equipment and what we see most often there.
Serving North Jersey and These Areas
- Blairstown
- Branchville
- Chatham
- Denville
- Dover
- East Hanover
- Florham Park
- Franklin
- Fredon
- Hamburg
- Hope
- Jefferson
- Kinnelon
- Lafayette Township
- Madison
- Milford
- Morristown
- Newton
- Ogdensburg
- Parsippany
- Randolph
- Rockaway
- Sandyston Township
- Sparta
- Stillwater Township
- Sussex
- Vernon
- Wantage Township
- West Milford
- Whippany
Need HVAC Service? Get Expert Help Now!
We Can Help with HVAC Repair Followed our troubleshooting guide but your furnace still won’t work?
Call us today at 973-270-9244 or contact us online. We’ll come out and figure out the problem.
- 15 Mill Street, Branchville, NJ 07826
- 973-270-9244
- info@willcohvac.com
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