Furnace Repair in Brookings, SD
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Brookings County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat, and nights near zero
Your furnace works from September through May here, nine months of the year. On winter nights that average 8°F, it runs long and hard just to hold the house at temperature. That kind of steady demand wears on the igniter and the blower motor faster than a mild climate ever would.
Brookings County has also logged 34 winter storms and 77 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Wind that strong can push a vent pipe or knock a chimney cap loose, and a furnace that senses a blocked vent will shut itself down rather than run unsafe. If your furnace quits during a storm or won't restart after one, that is often why.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 8°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 34 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $100 a year off heating for a typical Brookings County home.
Estimates for a typical Brookings County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, South Dakota 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.
In South Dakota, HVAC licensing for homes is left to the cities and towns.
South Dakota leaves the question to whatever city or town the house sits in, so there is no state license to check for this job. Whether Brookings requires HVAC contractors to be licensed, or leaves it open, comes down to the town, not the state.
On a furnace repair, the gas connection is the part that matters most, since that is where a bad repair turns dangerous. In Brookings County, 44.9% of homes heat with gas, so this kind of repair is a regular part of the work here.
Source: South Dakota Legislature
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the power to the furnace. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, then check the breaker and the switch on the furnace itself, which looks like a light switch and is sometimes mistaken for a spare. If those are fine, the igniter or the flame sensor may have failed, or the furnace could be locked out from a safety switch tripping. A furnace that won't start in weather this cold needs a contractor out quickly, since homes here rely on heat from September through May.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most often the blower is running but the burners haven't lit, so air is moving without being heated. This can happen if the igniter is failing, the gas valve isn't opening, or the flame sensor can't detect a flame and shuts the burners off for safety. It can also mean the thermostat fan setting is on instead of auto, which runs the blower continuously between heat cycles. If the air stays cold after checking the thermostat, the furnace needs a contractor to find out why the burners aren't firing.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has failed or gotten out of position. The thermocouple senses the pilot flame and holds the gas valve open. If it can't sense the flame well, the valve closes and the pilot goes out even though the flame was burning. Drafts near the furnace and a dirty pilot orifice can also cause this, but a worn thermocouple is the most common reason and it's a straightforward part for a contractor to replace.