Furnace Repair in Gardnerville Ranchos, NV
Furnaces here run from September through June. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Douglas County will get in touch.
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Ten months of heat wears a furnace down fast here
Gardnerville Ranchos needs heat September through June, ten months out of the year. Winter nights average 24°F from December through February, so the burner is lighting and shutting off night after night through most of the year. Each start puts a little more wear on the igniter and the parts that control the flame.
Most homes here run on gas heat, so that burner cycle is doing the work all winter long. The power behind it is not always steady either. Across Nevada, 13 percent of households went at least 24 hours without power in 2024, and the region has seen its share of winter storms and damaging wind over the years. When the power drops mid-storm and comes back, a furnace that was already worn may not restart clean, and that is usually when you notice.
- 10 months
- September through June, your furnace is on duty
- 24°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 71%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 221 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $140 a year off heating for a typical Douglas County home.
Estimates for a typical Douglas County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Nevada 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.
Nevada requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Nevada State Contractors Board tests contractors before it licenses them, and it keeps a record of who holds that license. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license that covers a furnace repair in Douglas County covers the next contractor's job across the state.
For a furnace repair, that license is what stands behind the work. Gas furnaces need a sound connection at the gas line, since a bad one is the dangerous part of the job, and the licensed contractor doing the repair is the one accountable for getting that right. Most homes in Douglas County heat with gas, so this is the repair the board's licensing exists for.
Sources: Nevada Legislature · Nevada State Contractors Board
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- The thermostat is the first thing to check. Make sure it's set to heat and the temperature is set above room temperature, and check that it has power if it runs on batteries. If the thermostat looks fine, the problem is often a tripped breaker, a switch near the furnace that got bumped off, or a clogged filter that's shutting the system down as a safety measure. Gas furnaces also won't start if the pilot is out or the igniter has failed. With winter nights here averaging 24°F, it's worth getting this looked at quickly rather than waiting.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most often this means the furnace is running the fan but the burners haven't lit. A dirty flame sensor is a common cause. It's a small part that tells the furnace a flame is present, and once it's coated with residue it can shut the gas off before the air ever warms up. A clogged filter can also starve the burners of airflow and trigger the same result. If the air coming out is only lukewarm rather than cold, the furnace may be undersized for how cold it's gotten outside, or it may be partway through its startup cycle before the blower catches up to the heat.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This usually comes down to the thermocouple, a small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to stay open. When it wears out or sits out of position, the valve shuts the gas off soon after you light it. A draft reaching the pilot can also blow it out, as can a dirty pilot orifice. Homes in Douglas County rely on gas heat more than most, at 71.3%, so a furnace that won't hold a pilot through the winter is worth having checked rather than relit over and over.