Furnace Repair in Buffalo, NY

The symptom usually points at the part. This list matches what the furnace does to the most common faults we find.

• Clicks, then nothing: the ignitor has cracked or weakened and cannot light the burners.
• Lights, then shuts off in a few seconds: the flame sensor is coated and cannot prove a flame exists.
• Blowing cold air: the burners went out, a limit switch tripped, or the blower is running while the burners are locked out.
• Runs but heat is weak: a packed filter, a dirty blower wheel or a restricted return.
• Starts and stops repeatedly: a blocked vent, a stuck pressure switch or overheating from poor airflow.

Run time is the main enemy, along with lake-effect weather. NOAA’s normals show about 124 nights a year at or below 32°F, as reported by MyWild.Report, so ignitors and blower motors cycle thousands of times a season. Newer condensing furnaces vent through plastic pipe in the sidewall, and a drift can seal the intake or exhaust. The furnace then shuts itself off, which is the safety system working as intended.

Older houses bring different problems. Census data via Point2Homes shows about 61 percent of City of Buffalo housing units date from 1939 or earlier, and many of those homes still send furnace exhaust up a masonry chimney that may be cracked, cold or partly blocked. Damp basements, dust from renovation and clogged condensate drains add to the list.

1. 1Listen first. What did the furnace do, when did it start, and has it happened before? Your answers shorten the search.
2. 2Rule out the easy causes. Thermostat settings and batteries, the service switch, the breaker, the filter and the gas valve.
3. 3Watch it run. We start a heating call and follow the sequence from inducer to ignitor to flame to blower. The place it stops names the suspect.
4. 4Test the part. Ignitor resistance, flame sensor current, pressure switch operation and motor amperage are measured with a meter.
5. 5Check venting and the heat exchanger. Intake and exhaust, condensate drain, and a close look at the heat exchanger for cracks or rust.
6. 6Show you and quote it. You see the part or the reading, hear the choices, and approve the work. Nothing is replaced on assumption.

A cracked heat exchanger changes the conversation. The metal wall between the flame and your house air has failed, and combustion gases can reach the living space. We show you the crack or the test result, explain why the furnace should stay off, and walk through furnace replacement options without hurrying you.

Who may repair a furnace in Erie County, and what should you ask?

New York has no statewide HVAC contractor license, so the rules come from each municipality, according to Erie County Consumer Protection. The City of Buffalo requires a Heating Contractor license for heating work, and the Fuel Devices office at Permit & Inspection Services, (716) 851-4959, can tell you who holds one. The county list says the Town of Cheektowaga licenses plumbers and HVAC contractors, Orchard Park licenses plumbers and electricians, and West Seneca, Depew and Williamsville license plumbers.

Ask your town or the city whether a particular repair needs a permit, since Buffalo can charge double fees on work started before a permit is issued under Buffalo Code Chapter 175. These lists change, so confirm with the municipality that covers your address.

Ignitors, flame sensors, capacitors and vent clearing are usually finished in one visit. A blower motor or control board that has to be ordered can mean a second trip. We tell you which situation you are in once we have tested the furnace.

We do not publish a flat price list. The cost follows the part that failed, the age and model of the furnace, and how hard it is to reach. As one outside reference, a contractor-supplied figure for replacing an ignitor or flame sensor is about $150 to $350, which we could not verify independently and which is not our quote. You get your own number before work begins. Our post on what to do when there is no heat at night lists safe first steps.

• The part itself: a flame sensor rod and a control board sit at opposite ends of the price scale, and some boards are specific to one model.
• Availability: a common part is often on the truck, while a motor or board for an older furnace may need to be ordered.
• Access: a furnace squeezed into a closet or an attic takes longer to open up than one in a clear basement.
• Age and condition: on an old furnace we tell you whether a second repair is likely soon, so you can weigh it against replacement.

• Confirm the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature, and replace its batteries if it takes them.
• Check that the furnace switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit, is on and the breaker has not tripped.
• Replace a clogged filter, since a starved furnace can overheat and shut down.
• Look outside at the white intake and exhaust pipes and clear snow and ice from them, as National Fuel advises.