Furnace Repair in Newark, NJ
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Essex County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat, and nights that don't let up
Newark needs a working furnace from October through May. That's eight months of the year your system carries the load, and on winter nights that average 25°F, it runs long and starts often to keep up. Every start puts wear on the igniter, and over enough cold nights that part is often the first to fail. When it does, the burner won't light at all.
Most homes in Essex County heat with gas, so a furnace that won't start means no heat until it's fixed, not a backup system to fall back on. And storms here are part of the picture too. Essex County has seen 36 winter storms and 61 damaging wind events over the past ten years, the kind of weather that knocks out power and takes a furnace down with it, even one that was running fine the day before.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 25°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 72%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 36 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $150 a year off heating for a typical Essex County home.
Estimates for a typical Essex 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 tests HVAC contractors through the State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors before it lets them hold a license. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it travels with them from one house to the next. Towns and cities in New Jersey cannot add their own license on top of it, so the state board is the one record that matters no matter where in Essex County you live.
For a furnace repair, that license is what stands behind the person working on your gas line and burner. Most homes in Essex County heat with gas, and a loose fitting or bad connection at the furnace is the part of the job that can actually hurt someone, so the license is what says the contractor has been tested on getting that right.
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 you think it is, or power isn't reaching the furnace. Check that the thermostat is set above 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 at your panel. If those are fine, the igniter or the flame sensor may have failed, and that's a job for a licensed contractor to test and replace.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is moving but it's not warm, the furnace may be running the blower without the burners lighting. That points to an ignition problem, a dirty flame sensor, or a gas supply issue. It can also mean the thermostat fan is set to "on" instead of "auto", which pushes air through the ducts even between heating cycles. If the fan setting is right and you're still getting cold air, have a contractor check the ignition system.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit usually means the thermocouple has worn out. That's the small sensor that tells the gas valve the flame is burning, and once it fails, the valve shuts off the gas as a safety measure. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot opening can cause the same problem. Either way, this isn't something to keep relighting on your own. It calls for a licensed contractor to inspect the pilot assembly and replace the part that's failing.