Call Immediately If You Smell Gas or Rotten Eggs
If you notice a smell like rotten eggs or sulfur, that's a possible gas leak. Get out of the house and call us at 320-582-4822, or call your gas utility. Don't wait on this one.
A sharp "burning dust" smell the first time you run the furnace each season is normal and usually clears within an hour. A smell that doesn't go away is not.
Signs Your Furnace Needs Attention
Furnaces usually tell you something's wrong before they quit entirely. Here's what to watch for:
- Weak heat output - Air from the vents feels tepid, or the house never reaches the temperature on the thermostat
- Metallic, rattling, or scraping sounds - This would include grinding, loud pops, or a persistent hum that wasn't there last season
- Running constantly - The furnace never shuts off, or it short-cycles (turns on and off every few minutes)
- A yellow pilot flame - On gas units, the flame should burn a steady blue. Yellow or flickering is a warning sign.
- Cold spots - Some rooms stay freezing while others are warm, often a blower or distribution problem
- Rising energy bills - Increases in cost that don't line up with the weather
- Dry, dusty air - A sudden jump in static electricity, creaking furniture, or dust everywhere
- An unresponsive thermostat - The furnace ignores commands, or an auxiliary-heat light stays on
- Age plus frequency - A 15+ year old unit that needs service more and more often
If a few of these sound familiar, it's worth having someone look at it.
What We Do on a Furnace Repair Call
1. You call, we come out. Our vans are stocked with the parts that fix most furnace problems, so there's a good chance we can finish the job on the first visit.
2. We diagnose it properly. We check the igniter or pilot assembly, the flame sensor, the gas valve, the blower motor and its amperage draw, the limit switches, and the heat exchanger. The goal is to find out what actually failed and why.
3. We check the heat exchanger. On any gas furnace, this is important. A cracked heat exchanger can leak carbon monoxide into your home. We inspect it, and if there's a problem, we'll tell you straight and shut the system down if it isn't safe to run.
4. We tell you what we found and what it costs. You get the honest picture and a clear number before we do anything. There's no pressure to have us repair.
5. We fix it and test it. If you give the go-ahead, we will make the repair and verify the system is running properly and safely before we leave.
Common Furnace Failures We See
Igniter and flame sensor problems. These are among the most common reasons a furnace won't fire, and they're usually a straightforward fix.
Blower motor issues. If the furnace is producing heat but not moving it, the blower is often the culprit. You'll notice weak airflow or cold spots.
Short-cycling. A furnace that fires and shuts off repeatedly is having stress placed on the unit. Sometimes it's a sensor or airflow issue, but often it's a system that was oversized when it was installed. This is an artifact from when the prevailing wisdom in the HVAC world was "bigger is better". Short-cycling wears out equipment and causes comfort and humidity problems.
Cracked heat exchanger. This one that matters most for safety.
Thermostat and control failures. Sometimes the furnace is fine, it's just an issue with the controls.
Should You Repair It or Replace It?
If your furnace is 20-plus years old and is looking at a significant repair, this is where we start to take the question seriously. A newer furnace with a one-off failure is usually worth fixing. A 20-year-old unit that needs an expensive part is usually money better spent on a replacement you can plan for.
See our furnace replacement page for what a replacement actually involves, or furnace services for the full picture.
How We Work
- Licensed, bonded, and insured
- We repair any furnace, regardless of who installed it - Any brand, gas, LP, or electric. We're licensed throughout McLeod County and surrounding counties in south central Minnesota.
- One thing we DON'T do - We don't service oil-burner systems. We will replace them, converting older oil setups to LP or natural gas.
- Family-owned. Brian and his sons do the work. The people who fix your furnace are the people you call back if something isn't right.
- Honest assessments. If your system has years left, we'll tell you. We're not looking for reasons to sell you a new one.
- We're local. Our shop is in Dassel, but we spend most of our time across south central Minnesota.
Furnace Repair Across Our Area
We repair furnaces throughout Dassel, Hutchinson, Litchfield, Glencoe, Buffalo, and the surrounding communities. Based in Dassel, we're usually working somewhere nearby.
