Furnace Repair in Dover, DE
Furnaces here run from October through April. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Kent County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Seven months of work, most of it on cold nights
Your furnace runs from October through April here, seven months out of the year. On winter nights averaging 28°F, it cycles on and off for hours at a stretch to hold the house steady. That is a lot of starts, and every start puts a little more wear on the igniter and the burner.
Power does not always stay on through a storm. Delaware saw 12% of households lose power for 24 hours or more in 2024, and the last ten years brought 10 winter storms and 120 damaging wind events through the area. A furnace that cuts out hard and comes back on is more likely to show a problem the next time it fires.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace is on duty
- 28°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 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 Kent County home.
Estimates for a typical Kent County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Delaware 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.
Delaware requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Licenses are issued by the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners.
Look up a contractor's license on the Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners' website.Sources: Delaware Code Online · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to heat and the set temperature is above room temperature, and check the batteries if it uses them. If that's fine, check the furnace switch, which looks like a light switch near the unit, and check that the breaker hasn't tripped. A furnace that still won't start after that may have a bad igniter, a failed flame sensor, or a clogged filter tripping a safety switch, and those need a licensed contractor to diagnose.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most often this means the blower is running but the burners haven't lit. Check your filter first, since a clogged one can choke airflow enough to trip a safety switch that shuts off the burners while the fan keeps going. It can also mean a dirty flame sensor, a cracked heat exchanger, or a control board issue. With winter lows here averaging 28°F, cold air from the vents is worth getting looked at quickly rather than waiting it out.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has failed or is out of position. The thermocouple is the small sensor that tells the gas valve the flame is actually burning, and once it stops reading properly, the valve shuts the gas off as a safety measure. A draft blowing out the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can cause the same problem. This is a gas component, so have a licensed contractor check it rather than relighting it repeatedly.