Furnace and heating repair in Buffalo

Before anything else

• Gas odor: everyone out, leave light switches alone, and phone the utility or 911 once you're outdoors.
• CO alarm going off: leave, then dial 911. The CDC notes carbon monoxide has no smell and can bring on sudden illness or death.
• After a lake-effect dump, dig out the plastic intake and exhaust pipes on the side of the house. A high-efficiency furnace will lock itself out if either is buried.

Quick checks with the furnace

• Thermostat on heat, setpoint above the current room temperature, batteries good.
• The service switch near the furnace and its breaker in the panel.
• The filter. Too dirty and the furnace overheats, trips its limit and quits.
• The front panel. Many furnaces have a safety switch that keeps them off until that door is seated properly.

Repair prices

Nationally, Fixr puts furnace repairs at $349 to $650 with $485 as the average. Hot surface igniters and flame sensors are the common, cheap ones. A cracked heat exchanger, or a dead control board on a furnace already well into its second decade, is when you get a replacement price before agreeing to anything.

What the City of Buffalo requires

Chapter 238 of the City Code says nobody may install or repair a heating system inside the city without a City heating contractor license, or without working under the supervision of someone who holds one, and it calls for permits on heating installations. Ask the company to confirm the license and tell you who will pull any permit. Amherst, Cheektowaga and the other towns write their own rules.

Doing furnace and AC in one job

If both are getting old, a combined replacement often makes sense, since the cooling coil sits right on the furnace and one crew can handle both in a single visit. It is also the natural point to price a heat pump. Heat pumps in Buffalo.