Furnace repair in Fort Wayne

A furnace that won't start, one that runs but blows cold, and one that keeps shutting off are different problems with different causes. This page covers what tends to go wrong, which repairs count as major, and the rules that apply to whoever comes out, because Indiana handles HVAC licensing locally rather than at state level. Furnace and air conditioning repair in Fort Wayne is the short version if you just want a quote from a local contractor.

What are the possible reasons why my house heater isn't working?

If your furnace won't run, it's usually the thermostat, the power, a safety switch doing its job, or a failed part. Check the thermostat is set to heat and the batteries are good. Check the furnace switch on the wall and the breaker. Check the filter. If all three are fine, the furnace is shutting itself down for a reason, and that reason needs finding.

Go in that order. The cheap causes are also the common ones.

The thermostat. Dead batteries, set to cool, or a loose wire. You'd be surprised how often it's this on the first cold night of the year.

Power. Most furnaces have a plain light switch on or near them that looks like it belongs to the room. Someone flips it off and nobody remembers. There's a breaker too. Check both.

The filter. A clogged filter starves the blower of air. The furnace overheats, shuts itself down, and then starts and stops every few minutes. Technicians call that short cycling, and a filter costs a few dollars.

Furnace not working takes it symptom by symptom. If there's no heat right now, emergency furnace repair is the faster read.

What is considered a major repair?

A major repair is one where the part runs more than a few hundred dollars and takes real labor to put in: a heat exchanger, a blower motor or a control board. A flame sensor, an ignitor or a pressure switch are minor repairs, usually done in one visit with parts off the van. That split is also where the repair-or-replace conversation starts.

A cracked heat exchanger ends that conversation quickly. It's the metal chamber that keeps combustion gases away from the air you breathe, and a crack means carbon monoxide can get into the house. Nobody patches one.

If the furnace is out of warranty, that's usually the point where replacing it costs less than fixing it. A blower motor is the expensive repair that's still often worth doing, especially on a furnace under fifteen years old. What furnace repair and replacement cost here goes through the ranges.

Should I turn my furnace off if it's blowing cold air?

Not always, and it depends what else it's doing. Cold air at the vents while the burners are lit usually means the furnace is in its normal start-up delay, which lasts a minute or two. Cold air with no burner at all usually means it tried to light, failed and locked out. Switch that one off until someone takes a look.

• Cold for the first minute, then warm. Normal on many models, where the blower starts before the heat exchanger is up to temperature.
• Cold air and the fan never stops. Check whether the thermostat fan is set to "on" instead of "auto". That alone fixes it more often than you'd think.
• Clicks, tries to light three times, goes quiet. The furnace may have gone into ignition lockout. A dirty flame sensor is one possible cause, though the symptom alone doesn't say which part is responsible.
• Cold air plus a burning smell or soot. Switch it off at the wall and get someone out.

What the rules are in Allen County

Indiana doesn't license HVAC contractors at state level. Plumbing is the only trade the state licenses. Heating and cooling is handled locally, and in Fort Wayne that means the Allen County Building Department, which registers HVAC businesses and licenses the supervisors who do the work.

Two things come out of that, and both are worth knowing before you hire anyone.

Mechanical and HVAC alterations need a permit. Ask whether your job needs one and who is responsible for getting it, because if it does and your contractor can't pull one, that tells you something.

An Indiana license doesn't travel. A license from Indianapolis doesn't count here. Each city and county registers separately, so a company working across the state holds several.

Separately, anyone handling refrigerant needs federal EPA Section 608 certification. That covers air conditioning and heat pump work rather than a gas furnace repair. The county licensing office is on East Berry Street and you can call and ask whether a license is current.

Questions people ask

Does Indiana require an HVAC license?

Not at state level. Indiana licenses plumbing, but heating and cooling licensing is local. In Fort Wayne the Allen County Building Department handles it, and its rules work in two parts.

A business installing heating, ventilating, air conditioning or duct systems has to register with the department, and it has to employ a supervisor who holds a county license. A license from another Indiana city doesn't count here, and anyone handling refrigerant also needs federal EPA Section 608 certification.

What is the $5000 rule for HVAC?

It's a rule of thumb, not a regulation. Multiply the age of the unit in years by the cost of the repair. Over 5,000, lean toward replacing. Under, lean toward repairing.

A $400 repair on a 10 year old furnace gives you 4,000, so repair it. The same repair on a 20 year old furnace gives you 8,000, so think about replacing. Use it to start the conversation rather than end it, because it ignores efficiency, warranty, and whether you're staying in the house.

How much does a furnace service cost?

It depends whether you mean a maintenance visit or a repair. A seasonal tune-up is the cheaper of the two and is priced as a flat service. A repair is a diagnostic fee plus parts and labor, and the diagnostic is often credited against the work if you go ahead.

Prices in Fort Wayne vary from company to company, which is exactly why it's worth more than one quote. What furnace repair and replacement cost here goes through the ranges.

Is a higher AFUE furnace worth it?

AFUE is the share of fuel that turns into heat in your house instead of going up the flue. Federal rules set the minimum at 80% for most new gas furnaces, and ENERGY STAR asks for 97% or better in northern states like Indiana.

A Department of Energy guideline puts the payback on going from a 78% furnace to a 90% one at around nine years, for a home spending $1,000 a year on heat. Costs have moved since then. It comes down to how long you're staying.