Furnace Repair in Roanoke, VA
Furnaces here run from October through April. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Roanoke will get in touch.
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Seven months of heat puts real wear on your furnace
Roanoke needs a working furnace from October through April. That is seven months of the year, and on winter nights that average 29°F, the burner is cycling on and off most of the night to keep up. Every one of those cycles asks the igniter to light the burner again, and that part wears down faster than people expect.
The county has also seen 19 winter storms and 34 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Storms like that knock out power, and in Virginia last year 22% of households went at least a full day without it. When power drops in the middle of a cold snap and comes back on, a furnace that was already struggling can fail to restart the way it should.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace is on duty
- 29°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 19 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the Board for Contractors, and it belongs to the contractor, not to any one job. Virginia does carve out an exception for small jobs. Work under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor at all.
A furnace repair can land on either side of that line depending on what the job costs. Above $1,000, the contractor doing the work is required to hold that state license. Below it, the law does not require one.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat the way it should, or the furnace isn't getting power. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, and check the breaker for the furnace hasn't tripped. If those are fine, the igniter may have failed, or a safety switch is stopping the furnace from starting because it senses something wrong. A furnace won't run with a safety switch open even if everything else looks fine, and that switch is doing its job. A contractor can test which one it is.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- A furnace blows cold air for a few seconds when it first starts, while the burners light and the heat exchanger warms up before the blower kicks in. That's normal. If air stays cold the whole time it's running, the burners likely aren't lighting even though the blower is, which usually points to the igniter or a gas supply problem. If the air is cold and the furnace is running less than it used to, check the filter. A clogged filter cuts down the air moving past the heat exchanger, and the air coming out will feel cooler even though the furnace is heating.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- Newer furnaces use an electronic igniter instead of a pilot light, so it relights on its own every time the furnace calls for heat. If your furnace has one of these and won't stay running, the problem is more likely the igniter or the flame sensor, not a pilot. If your furnace does have a standing pilot, it usually won't stay lit because the thermocouple has worn out. The thermocouple senses the pilot flame and shuts off the gas if it doesn't detect it, so when it fails, the gas valve closes and the pilot goes out. A drafty vent or a dirty pilot opening can cause the same thing. A contractor can tell you which one it is and replace the part.