Furnace Repair in Long Branch, NJ
Furnaces here run from October through April. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Monmouth County will get in touch.
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Long Branch furnaces run long winters with little rest
Long Branch needs heat from October through April, seven months of the year. On winter nights that average 27°F, the burner cycles on and off for hours at a stretch to hold the house steady. Every one of those cycles puts a small load on the igniter and the parts that start the burner, and over a long winter that adds up.
Most homes here heat with gas, so a furnace that will not start is not something to wait out. Storm winds are common along this part of Monmouth County, and when the power goes out, the furnace stops with it. It should come back on its own once power returns. If it does not, or if the burner is slow to catch or shuts off on its own, that is the wear showing.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace is on duty
- 27°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 81%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 28 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $140 a year off heating for a typical Monmouth County home.
Estimates for a typical Monmouth County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New Jersey 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.
New Jersey requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
New Jersey licenses HVAC contractors through the State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors. That license covers the contractor, not each job the contractor does. Cities and towns in New Jersey cannot add their own HVAC license on top of it, so the state board's license is the one that applies no matter where in Monmouth County you live.
A furnace repair often means working on the gas connection, and a loose or corroded connection there is the dangerous part of the job. In New Jersey, the contractor's state license is what stands behind that work, wherever in the state it happens. Most homes in Monmouth County heat with gas, so this is the kind of repair the license was built to cover.
Sources: New Jersey Legislature · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
- 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 below room temperature and has fresh batteries if it uses them. Next check the furnace switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit, and the breaker it runs on. If those are fine, the igniter or a safety switch inside the furnace may have failed, and that's a job for a licensed contractor to open up and test.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is moving but it's not warm, the burners likely aren't lighting even though the blower is running. A clogged filter can also cause this, since restricted airflow trips a safety switch that shuts off the burners but leaves the fan going. Check the filter first. If it's clean and the air still isn't heating up, the igniter, flame sensor, or gas valve needs a contractor to look at it, since a furnace won't fire without all of those working.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This usually means the thermocouple has worn out. It's the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve the flame is lit. Once it wears out, it can't confirm the flame anymore, so the gas valve shuts off even though the pilot lit for a moment. A draft blowing out the pilot is possible too, but if it happens every time, the thermocouple is the more likely cause and a contractor can replace it.