Furnace Repair in Delta, CO
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Delta County will get in touch.
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Nine months of heat wears a furnace down
Your furnace works from September through May here, nine months of the year. On winter nights that average 17°F, it runs long and often, lighting the burner again and again to keep up. Each cycle puts wear on the igniter and the flame sensor, the parts that have to work every single time or the furnace won't fire.
Delta County has seen 192 winter storms and 42 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and statewide, 13% of households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024. A furnace that depends on electricity to run its blower and controls goes down when the power does, even if nothing inside it is broken. More than half the homes here heat with gas, and when a cold snap hits after a power outage, that is when a weak igniter or a failing sensor finally gives out.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 17°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 51%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 192 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $110 a year off heating for a typical Delta County home.
Estimates for a typical Delta County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Colorado 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.
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- The most common cause is a thermostat set wrong, a tripped breaker, or a furnace switch that got bumped off. Check the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature, and check the breaker panel and the switch that looks like a light switch near the furnace. If those are fine, the igniter or flame sensor may have failed, or the furnace may be locked out from a safety switch. With winter lows here averaging 17°F, a furnace that won't start needs attention the same day.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If the air only feels cool at first, that is normal. Furnaces take a minute or two to warm up before the air coming out feels hot. If the air stays cold the whole time it runs, the igniter or flame sensor may be failing to light the burners, or the furnace could be stuck blowing without heating at all. A dirty filter can also choke airflow enough to trip a safety limit and shut the burners off while the fan keeps running.
- 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 sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep the gas flowing. When it fails, the valve shuts the gas off as a safety measure, even though the flame was fine. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can cause the same problem, so a contractor will check both before replacing anything.