Furnace Repair in St. Joseph, MO
Furnaces here run from October through April. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Buchanan County will get in touch.
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Seven months of winter wears a furnace down
St. Joseph needs heat from October through April, seven months of the burner lighting, running, and shutting off night after night while winter lows average 21°F. Each cycle puts more strain on the igniter and the flame sensor, the parts that have to work every time or the furnace will not fire at all.
More than half the homes here heat with gas, so when the power goes out, the furnace stops even if the gas is still on. Buchanan County has seen 72 damaging wind events and 8 winter storms over the past ten years, and 19% of Missouri households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. A furnace already struggling with a worn part often will not start back up on its own once the power returns.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace is on duty
- 21°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 54%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 8 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $210 a year off heating for a typical Buchanan County home.
Estimates for a typical Buchanan County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Missouri 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.
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- The most common reason is a thermostat setting or a switch that got bumped, so check that first. If the thermostat is set right, look at the furnace's power switch, usually on or near the unit, and check the breaker for it too. A closed gas valve or a tripped safety switch on the furnace itself will also keep it from starting, and a filter packed with dust can cause the furnace to shut itself off before it gets going. If everything looks right and it still won't start, a contractor needs to check the igniter and the control board.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most of the time this means the blower is running but the burners haven't lit yet, so you're just feeling the fan pushing unheated air through the vents before the system catches up. If the air stays cold, check that the thermostat fan setting is on auto, not on. Set to on, the blower runs constantly, including the minutes between heating cycles when no flame is going. If the fan is set to auto and the air is still cold, the igniter or the gas supply to the burners likely needs a look.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This usually points to the thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve a flame is present. If it's dirty or worn out, it can't confirm the pilot is lit and the valve shuts the gas off. A draft near the pilot or a buildup of soot on the assembly can cause the same thing. Relighting it yourself may work for a night, but if it keeps going out, the thermocouple or the pilot assembly needs to be replaced by a contractor. Furnaces with a standing pilot are older systems at this point, and most newer models use an electronic igniter instead.