Furnace Repair in Trenton, NJ
Furnaces here run from October through April. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Mercer County will get in touch.
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Seven months of heat puts real wear on a furnace
Trenton needs heat from October through April, seven months of the year. On winter nights that average 26°F, the furnace cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and each start puts a small strain on the igniter and the flame sensor. Over a winter that adds up, and it usually shows up as a furnace that takes a few tries to light or won't light at all.
Most homes here heat with gas, so a working igniter and a clean flame sensor matter more than they would elsewhere. This area also sees its share of winter storms and wind, and a furnace depends on power to run even when gas is doing the heating. If the power goes out and the heat doesn't come back on once it's restored, that's worth a call.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace is on duty
- 26°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 71%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 14 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 Mercer County home.
Estimates for a typical Mercer 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.
The State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors tests contractors before it licenses them, and it keeps a record of who holds one. That license covers the contractor, not each job, so it stands behind the company itself rather than any one repair. Cities and towns in New Jersey cannot require their own HVAC license on top of it, so the same state requirement applies anywhere in Mercer County, Trenton included.
For a furnace repair, that license is what stands behind the person working on your gas line and burner. A bad gas connection is the dangerous part of this job, and in New Jersey it is the licensed contractor who answers for that work, tested and on record with the state. Most homes in Mercer County heat with gas, which puts a furnace repair like this squarely inside what 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 to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, and check the breaker and the furnace's own power switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit. If those are fine, the igniter or a safety switch may have failed, and that calls for a contractor to test it.
- 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 dirty flame sensor or a bad igniter will stop the burners from staying lit while the fan keeps pushing air through the vents. It can also mean the thermostat fan setting is on instead of auto, which runs the blower without calling for heat.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has worn out or is out of position. That's the small sensor that tells the gas valve the flame is present, and once it fails the valve shuts the gas off as a safety measure. A draft blowing across the pilot or a partly clogged pilot tube can cause the same thing, so a contractor will need to look at it in person to tell which it is.