Why furnaces run into trouble here
Arvada furnaces work hard from October through April, and the swing between a mild afternoon and a cold night means a lot of start-stop cycling. Most no-heat calls come down to a handful of common symptoms homeowners notice before anything else.
Trouble starting or staying lit
If your furnace kicks on and then shuts off again within moments, or never seems to light at all, that's a common sign something in the ignition process needs attention. It's generally an inexpensive, quick fix once a local HVAC professional takes a look.
Furnace shutting itself off repeatedly
Furnaces are built with safety features that shut the system down when something isn't right — often related to airflow. A dirty filter, closed registers, or a blocked vent can all contribute. Repeated shutoffs are the system protecting itself, and it's worth having a professional look rather than continuing to reset it.
Unusual noises
A high-pitched screech on startup or a rumble that continues after the burners shut off are both worth having checked out promptly rather than living with.
Safety items that outrank everything else
- Carbon monoxide alarm sounding: get out of the house and call 911 or the gas utility from outside. This is not a service call.
- Smell of gas: don't flip switches, leave, and call the utility.
- Soot near the furnace or an unusual flame color: stop using the furnace and have it looked at before running it again.
- Repeated shutdowns: resetting a furnace over and over works against a safety feature that has detected something is wrong.
A few things to check first
- Thermostat is on Heat, fan is on Auto, the setpoint is above room temperature, and the batteries are fresh.
- The furnace's power switch — it looks like a light switch on or near the unit — is on.
- The breaker hasn't tripped.
- The filter is clean, and supply registers throughout the house are open.
- For high-efficiency furnaces, the intake and exhaust pipes outside aren't blocked by snow or debris.
Repair or replace?
A newer furnace with a single issue is often worth repairing. Replacement becomes a bigger part of the conversation when a heat exchanger is a concern, when a repair estimate is a large fraction of a new system's cost, or when breakdowns keep repeating season after season. A local HVAC professional can walk you through the options so the decision is yours to make.