Furnace Repair in Fort Dodge, IA
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Webster County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat puts real wear on your furnace
Your furnace runs from October through May here, eight months of the year. On winter nights averaging 13°F, it cycles on and off many times a night just to hold the house steady. Every start puts load on the igniter and the parts that get the burner lit.
Webster County has seen 31 winter storms and 39 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like these knock out power. In Iowa, 15% of households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024. Most furnaces need electricity to run the blower and controls, so when the power goes, so does your heat, right when the cold is at its worst.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 13°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 63%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 31 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 Webster County home.
Estimates for a typical Webster County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Iowa 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.
Iowa requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The state tested this contractor before handing out the license, and the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board keeps that record. It's the contractor who is licensed, not the crew member who shows up, so the name on the license is the one accountable for the work done at your house.
For a furnace repair, that license is what stands behind the job. Gas furnaces are common here, with close to two-thirds of Webster County homes heating this way, and a repair that touches the gas connection is the part that has to be done right. The license is the state's answer for that.
Sources: Iowa Legislature · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat, or something in the safety chain is stopping the furnace from starting. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room level, and check the breaker and the furnace switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit. If those are fine, the igniter, the flame sensor, or a clogged filter restricting airflow can all keep it from starting. With winter lows here averaging 13°F, a furnace that won't start needs a contractor out quickly.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is moving but it isn't warm, the furnace may be running the blower without the burners lighting. A dirty flame sensor is a common cause, since it shuts off gas flow when it can't detect a flame. A clogged filter can also cause the furnace to overheat and shut down the burners while the fan keeps running. If the air has been cold for more than a few minutes, turn the system off and have a contractor look at it before running it further.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit usually means the thermocouple isn't sensing the flame, or there's a draft or dirt affecting it. The thermocouple is a safety part that shuts off gas if it doesn't detect the pilot flame, so when it wears out or gets out of position, the pilot goes out on its own. A dirty pilot orifice or a draft near the burner compartment can cause the same problem. Since a standing pilot doesn't need power to run, this is a mechanical issue a contractor needs to fix, not a power or thermostat problem.