Furnace Repair in Hastings, NE
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Adams County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat, and nights near zero
Hastings needs a working furnace from October through May. That is eight months of the year, and on winter nights that average 17°F, the furnace is not just running, it is working hard to keep up. The burner cycles on and off many times a day, and every one of those cycles puts wear on the igniter and the parts that control the flame.
Most homes here heat with gas, so when the furnace stops, there is no backup warming the house. Adams County has also seen its share of winter storms and high wind events over the past ten years, the kind that knock out power. Most furnaces need electricity to run the blower and controls even when the heat itself is gas, so a power outage can mean no heat right when it is coldest outside.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 17°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 62%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 24 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 Adams County home.
Estimates for a typical Adams County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Nebraska 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.
Nebraska requires contractors to register with the state.
Registration puts the business on file with the Department of Labor. There is no trade exam behind it, so it does not mean anyone tested this contractor's gas work or checked their repairs. Nebraska does not license furnace contractors, so no state credential stands behind the name on the truck.
For a furnace repair, the part that matters most is the gas connection, since a bad one is what makes the job dangerous. In Adams County, 62.2% of homes heat with gas, so that connection is a common part of the work here. Registration does not speak to whether that connection was made safely. It only confirms the business is on file with the state.
Source: Nebraska Legislature
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat, a safety switch has tripped, or power isn't reaching the unit. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature. Check the breaker too, since a tripped one will shut the furnace down completely. If those are fine, the igniter or a safety switch inside the furnace may be at fault, and that's a job for a contractor to check.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- The blower is running but the burners aren't lighting, or they're lighting late. A dirty flame sensor or a failing igniter can cause this. It can also mean the gas valve isn't opening when it should. Any of these need a contractor to look at the burner assembly directly.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A weak or dirty thermocouple is the usual cause. The thermocouple senses the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to stay open. When it's coated with soot or starting to fail, it reads the flame as out even when it isn't, and shuts the gas off. A draft blowing across the pilot can also do it. Either way, it's worth having a contractor check it soon, since a furnace that won't hold a pilot light won't heat the house through a Hastings winter.