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Furnace Repair in Post Falls, Idaho

Gas furnace and electric furnace repair across Post Falls and Kootenai County.

Unfinished basement with ductwork along the ceiling and the furnace and water heater along the back wall

Gas and Electric Furnace Repair in Post Falls

Gas heats about six in ten Post Falls homes and electricity most of the rest (Post Falls housing and heating data). In practice that means a forced-air gas furnace in a utility closet, garage or basement in most houses, and an electric furnace or a heat pump with an air handler in the rest. We repair both kinds, from 80 percent furnaces vented through a metal flue to 90 percent and higher condensing furnaces vented through white PVC pipe out the side wall or roof.

A furnace that stops heating has almost always lost one part in a chain. Furnace repair covers these parts:

  • Hot surface igniters and spark igniters that crack or stop glowing
  • Flame sensors coated with residue, so the burners light and shut off a few seconds later
  • Inducer (draft) motors that hum, rattle or will not start
  • Pressure switches and the small rubber hoses and ports that feed them
  • Gas valves on furnaces that light poorly or not at all
  • Blower motors, run capacitors, variable speed motor modules and dirty blower wheels
  • Limit switches and flame rollout switches after an overheat
  • Circuit boards, 24-volt transformers, blower door safety switches and thermostat wire
  • Condensate traps, drain lines and pumps on high efficiency furnaces
  • Heating elements, sequencers and relays in electric furnaces

Why North Idaho Winters Wear Out Furnace Parts

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Coeur d'Alene count about 6,317 heating degree days a year against about 437 cooling degree days (NOAA climate normals for Coeur d'Alene). A heating degree day is a measure of how much heating a building needs, so the heating load here is roughly fourteen times the cooling load. About 120 nights a year drop to freezing or below, and the average first freeze arrives around October 17 and the last one around April 28 (Coeur d'Alene climate summary).

The heating season runs from mid-October into late April. Igniters crack after thousands of cycles, inducer and blower motor bearings wear, and filters load up faster through a long winter. A clogged filter cuts airflow, the heat exchanger runs hot and the high limit switch shuts the burners off. Those wear parts are the usual cause of a furnace that quits in December or January, not the furnace as a whole.

Furnace Service for Newer Post Falls Homes

The median Post Falls home was built in 2005, and roughly six in ten were built in 2000 or later. Post Falls grew from about 17,000 people in 2000 to about 38,500 in 2020 (Post Falls population history), so most furnaces here are high efficiency units with electronic controls. Those furnaces fail differently from older ones: a flame sensor or pressure switch fault, a condensate trap that plugs, a cracked PVC fitting, or a control board that lost a relay. Their intake and exhaust pipes leave the house near ground level, where drifting snow can bury them and shut the furnace down.

Older homes in Dalton Gardens and near downtown Coeur d'Alene are a different job. Many still have 80 percent furnaces on original ductwork and metal flues, where a dirty blower, an undersized return or a worn draft inducer is more likely than a control fault.

Furnace Repair in Post Falls or Replacement

Most furnace failures are single parts, and a furnace in sound condition is worth repairing. Replacement comes up when the heat exchanger is cracked, when the same major part keeps failing, or when parts for an old furnace are no longer made. When the furnace and an air conditioner are both near the end, matching them as one system is worth considering. For the outdoor side of the system, see AC repair in Post Falls and heat pump repair. If the furnace is out in freezing weather, see emergency furnace repair.

We cover Post Falls and the towns around it, including Hayden, Rathdrum and Spirit Lake. The full list is on the service area page.

Furnace Repair Questions

What are the signs that my furnace is going bad?

Short cycling, burners that light and then shut off, cold air from the vents during a heat call, new rattles, squeals or booming at ignition, a blower that runs nonstop, and rooms that never reach the set temperature. Error codes flashing on the control board light are also a sign. Any one of these points to a specific part rather than a furnace at the end of its life.

Why is my furnace running but not heating?

If the blower runs but the burners never light, the cause is in the ignition sequence: the inducer motor, the pressure switch, the igniter or the gas valve. If the burners light and then go out after a few seconds, the flame sensor usually needs cleaning or replacing. A clogged filter can also overheat the furnace so it shuts the burners off on its high limit switch while the blower keeps running.

Why is my furnace blowing cool air when the heat is on?

Check that the thermostat fan is set to Auto, not On. If it is on Auto, the furnace has likely locked out after failed ignition attempts or tripped its limit switch, so the blower moves air through a cold heat exchanger. On high efficiency furnaces, a frozen or plugged condensate line or a blocked PVC vent can stop ignition the same way, which is common after heavy snow.

Why does my furnace keep turning itself off?

A furnace that shuts off early is protecting itself. The usual causes are a dirty flame sensor, a clogged filter or closed vents tripping the high limit switch, a pressure switch that loses its signal, or a thermostat mounted where it heats up faster than the rest of the house. The control board light usually blinks a code that points to which one.

What are the symptoms of a bad blower motor in a furnace?

Humming without the blower turning, a burning smell at startup, squealing or grinding, weak airflow at every vent, or a blower that starts and stops on its own. On furnaces with an older PSC motor the run capacitor often fails first; on newer furnaces the variable speed motor module can fail on its own.

What would cause a furnace to not shut off?

If the burners keep firing after the house is warm, the thermostat or its wiring is still calling for heat, or the gas valve is sticking open. If only the blower keeps running, the fan may be set to On, the limit switch may be holding the blower on after an overheat, or a relay on the control board may be stuck.

Why is my furnace suddenly making a lot of noise?

A loud boom at startup points to delayed ignition from dirty burners. Squealing comes from a worn blower motor bearing or belt. Rattling is often a loose panel or a failing inducer motor. A steady hum with no airflow is usually a capacitor or a seized motor. Each noise points to one part.

How do I know if my furnace needs to be replaced?

A cracked heat exchanger, the same major part failing again and again, rust through the cabinet, or a furnace so old that parts are no longer made are the usual reasons. Most other failures are single parts. The decision comes down to the furnace's condition and the size of the repair.
Furnace Not Heating?

Furnace, heat pump and AC repair in Post Falls and nearby towns. Call TODO_phone.

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