Furnace Repair in Louisville, KY
Furnaces here run from October through April. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Jefferson County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Seven months of work for your furnace
From October through April your furnace is the thing standing between your house and a 27°F night. That is seven months of the burner lighting, running, and shutting off, over and over, day after day. Each cycle puts a little more wear on the igniter and the parts that control the flame. Sooner or later one of them quits, usually on a night you needed it most.
Jefferson County has seen 10 winter storms and 249 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms here knock out power. Almost a quarter of Kentucky households lost power for at least a full day in 2024. Most gas furnaces will not run without electricity, since the blower and the controls both need it, so a storm that cuts power can leave a house cold even if the furnace itself is fine.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace is on duty
- 27°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 59%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 10 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $100 a year off heating for a typical Jefferson County home.
Estimates for a typical Jefferson County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Kentucky 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.
Kentucky requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Kentucky licenses HVAC contractors through the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The license is issued to the contractor, not to each job, so the same license that covers an installation also covers a furnace repair call.
That license is what stands behind the person working on your furnace. In Jefferson County, 58.9% of homes heat with gas, so a repair like this is common work for a licensed contractor here, and the license is what makes them accountable for it.
Sources: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
- 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 is set below room temperature and has fresh batteries if it uses them. Next check the furnace switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit, and the breaker at your panel. If those are fine, the igniter or a safety switch inside the furnace may be the problem, and that's a job for a licensed contractor to diagnose.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If the air is cold right from the start, the furnace may still be warming up, since it takes a minute or two to heat the air passing through. If cold air keeps coming after that, check the thermostat fan setting. Set to "on", the fan runs even when the furnace isn't heating, which feels like cold air blowing. Set it to "auto" instead, so the fan only runs while the furnace is producing heat. If it's already on auto and you're still getting cold air, the igniter or gas valve likely isn't working and the furnace needs a look from a contractor.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit usually points to the thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the furnace the flame is burning. When it wears out or sits out of position, it shuts the gas valve even though the pilot is lit. A draft blowing across the pilot can also blow it out, so check that the area around it is clear. If relighting it doesn't hold, the thermocouple likely needs to be replaced by a licensed contractor.