Furnace and heating repair
Henderson nights do get cold. When the furnace or heat pump will not keep up, an independent contractor can find out why.
Cold enough to matter
Late-December normal lows at the Las Vegas Weather Service station run near 39 degrees (NWS December data), and the station's all-time low is 8 degrees, set on 13 January 1963 (NWS January data). Most homes in the area heat with a gas furnace, often in a garage closet or the attic, that may run only a few months a year. Long idle stretches are when igniters crack, flame sensors foul and dust builds on burners.
Common furnace faults
- 01
Igniter
Hot-surface igniters are brittle and wear out. No glow, no flame.
- 02
Flame sensor
A coated sensor cannot prove the flame, so the furnace lights and shuts off a few seconds later.
- 03
Pressure switch or inducer motor
The furnace must prove its venting is clear before it lights. A blocked vent or a weak inducer stops the sequence.
- 04
Limit switch
Trips when the furnace overheats, often from a clogged filter or closed registers.
- 05
Blower
Burners fire but little air reaches the rooms.
Gas and carbon monoxide safety
Southwest Gas puts it simply: if you smell rotten eggs, leave the area, then call 911 and Southwest Gas from somewhere safe, and do not touch light switches, thermostats or appliance controls on the way out. Headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion and flu-like symptoms at home can point to carbon monoxide, which it treats as an emergency (Southwest Gas safety).
A heating contractor is for the furnace once the emergency is handled. It is never a substitute for the utility or 911.
Ducted heat pumps
Some newer homes and replacements use a ducted heat pump for both seasons. A heat pump stuck in cooling, frosted over without defrosting, or leaning on its backup heat strip all day is a heating repair like any other. The same C-21 license classes cover it.
Questions
The furnace blows cold air at first. Is that a fault?
A short burst of cool air before the burners warm the heat exchanger is normal. Cold air for minutes on end is not.
Should I relight a pilot myself?
Many furnaces from recent decades have no standing pilot. Follow the label on the furnace door, and if you smell gas, follow the Southwest Gas steps instead.
Where these facts come from
Referral notice
This site is a free service to assist homeowners in connecting with local service contractors. All contractors are independent and this site does not warrant or guarantee any work performed. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to verify that the hired contractor furnishes the necessary license and insurance required for the work being performed. All persons depicted in a photo or video are actors or models and not contractors listed on this site.
Talk it through with an HVAC contractor
Say what the equipment is doing and how old it is. An independent contractor who works in Henderson, Nevada takes it from there.