Furnace Repair in Presque Isle, ME
Furnaces here run from September through June. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Aroostook County will get in touch.
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Ten months of heat, four degrees outside
Your furnace in Presque Isle runs from September through June. That is ten months of the year, with only a short break in summer. On winter nights averaging 4°F, it cycles on and off for hours at a stretch to hold the house at temperature, and every one of those cycles puts wear on the igniter and the burner.
Most homes here heat with fuel oil, and an oil furnace depends on a clean nozzle and a strong ignition to light properly. When the cold snaps hardest, a furnace that has been struggling all season is the one that finally quits. Aroostook County also sees its share of winter storms and the power outages that come with them, and a furnace with a failing igniter or a dead blower motor will not run at all once the lights flicker back on if the part itself has given out.
- 10 months
- September through June, your furnace is on duty
- 4°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 179 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat, or power to the furnace is interrupted. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, then 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 may have failed or the flame sensor may be dirty, and either one will keep the furnace from starting. With winter lows here averaging 4°F, it's worth getting this looked at quickly rather than waiting.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- The furnace is likely running the blower without a flame, so air is moving but nothing is heating it. This happens when the igniter has failed, the flame sensor is dirty, or the gas valve isn't opening, all of which stop combustion while the fan keeps circulating air. It can also mean the furnace is in the middle of its normal startup or shutdown cycle, when a few seconds of cooler air is normal. If the cold air keeps coming for more than a few minutes, the burners aren't lighting and a contractor needs to find out why.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot that won't stay lit usually means the thermocouple isn't sensing the flame and is shutting off the gas as a safety measure. It can also mean a draft is blowing the pilot out, or the pilot orifice is partly clogged and the flame is too small to hold. A standing pilot doesn't use electricity, so power outages won't affect it, but a weak or failing thermocouple will need to be replaced by a contractor. With most homes here on fuel oil and heat needed from September through June, a furnace that won't hold a flame is worth fixing before the next cold stretch.