Guide
Repair or replace a furnace
No single number settles it. A handful of plain questions usually does.
Five questions
How old is it?
The manufacture date is on the rating plate or coded into the serial number. A contractor can read it.
Is this a safety finding?
A cracked heat exchanger or a carbon monoxide reading turns a repair talk into a replacement talk.
How often has it failed lately?
One repair in ten years is different from three in two winters.
Are parts still made?
Control boards and inducers for older models can be scarce.
Is cooling due too?
If the air conditioner is near its end, doing both at once saves a second round of work.
What moves the cost of a repair
The part itself, how hard it is to reach, and the time spent finding the fault. A furnace in a tight attic or crawlspace takes longer than one in an open basement. A clear description on the phone, with the blink code, shortens the diagnosis.
What moves the cost of a replacement
Mostly what changes around the furnace. A like-for-like swap on the same vent is the simple case. Moving to a condensing model adds new vent piping and a drain; two-stage or variable-speed equipment may call for a new thermostat; undersized return air may need duct work. The permit, a gas line change and the cooling coil match all add to the scope.
The furnace installation page covers sizing, venting and the permit in detail.
Get the diagnosis in writing
Ask for the fault, the part and the reason in plain words, and for photos if a safety problem is claimed. A written diagnosis makes a second opinion easy, and it is fair to want one before replacing a working furnace.
Cold house? Make the call.
Describe the symptoms and give your street. A heating and cooling business that covers the Fort Collins area, independent of this website, handles everything after that.