Furnace Repair in Rupert, ID
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Minidoka County will get in touch.
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Nine months of heat, and cold winter nights
Your furnace works from September through May here, nine months out of the year. On winter nights that average 18°F, it runs long and often to keep the house warm. That kind of steady demand wears on the parts that start the burner and keep it running.
Most homes here heat with electricity, so when the power goes out, the furnace stops with it. Minidoka County has seen 28 winter storms and 42 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and across Idaho, 11% of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024. When the power comes back, most furnaces restart on their own, but one already struggling with a worn part may not start up right when it does.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 18°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 28 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Idaho requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Idaho issues this license to the contractor, not to the job. The HVAC Board has tested the person or company before they take on any work, and that record does not change from one furnace repair to the next.
For a furnace repair, that license is what stands behind the work. Gas is what makes this job different from most home repairs, and a bad connection at the furnace is the kind of mistake the board's licensing is meant to screen for before someone is ever let near your gas line. The contractor's license is the accountability here.
Sources: Idaho Legislature · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat the way it should, or power isn't reaching the furnace. Check that the thermostat has a working battery and is set to heat, 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 be keeping it from starting, and that calls for a licensed contractor to check.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- The blower may be running before the burner has lit, which is normal for the first minute or so. If cold air keeps coming, the igniter might not be lighting the burner, or the flame sensor is shutting the furnace off right after it starts. A dirty filter can also make the air feel cooler than it should, since it cuts down how much warm air moves through the ducts. If changing the filter doesn't help, a contractor will need to look at the burner and ignition parts.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has worn out or is out of position. The thermocouple senses the flame and holds the gas valve open. If it can't sense the pilot properly, it shuts the gas off as a safety measure, even though the pilot was burning fine a moment before. A draft blowing across the pilot can also blow it out, but if it happens over and over, the thermocouple needs to be checked or replaced.