Furnace Repair in Buffalo, WY
Furnaces here run from September through June. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Johnson County will get in touch.
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Ten months of heat wears a furnace down fast
Your furnace runs from September through June here, ten months of the year. On nights that average 14°F, it is not cycling on and off for comfort, it is holding the line against real cold, and that means long burner runs night after night. That kind of demand wears on the igniter and the flame sensor faster than it would somewhere milder.
Wyoming also loses power hard. Statewide, 8% of households went at least a full day without power in 2024, and this area has seen 84 winter storms and 110 damaging wind events over the past ten years. A furnace that cuts out mid-cycle in weather like that has to restart into cold ductwork, and that restart is harder on the ignition system than a normal one. If yours is struggling to light or won't stay lit after the power comes back, that is why.
- 10 months
- September through June, your furnace is on duty
- 14°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 56%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 84 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $140 a year off heating for a typical Johnson County home.
Estimates for a typical Johnson County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Wyoming fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when one part has failed and the heat exchanger is sound.
Replacement makes sense when the heat exchanger is cracked or the furnace keeps needing parts.
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the power switch, since those cause more no-heat calls than a bad part does. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and a few degrees above room temperature, and check the switch that looks like a light switch on or near the furnace itself. If those are fine, look at the furnace door, since most furnaces won't run unless the door is seated and the safety switch behind it is pressed in. Past that, it could be the igniter, a clogged filter choking airflow, or a tripped breaker, and a contractor can narrow it down from there.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most of the time this means the furnace hasn't caught up yet, or it isn't lighting at all. Right after it kicks on, the blower runs for a short while before the air coming out of the vents actually warms up, so a few minutes of cool air is normal. If it stays cool the whole cycle, the burners likely aren't lighting, which can come from a dirty flame sensor or an igniter that's failing. A clogged filter can also starve the burners of air and cause this, so check that first before calling anyone out.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This almost always comes down to the thermocouple, a small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to stay open. When it wears out or gets coated with soot, it stops sensing the flame correctly and shuts the gas off, which puts the pilot out. A draft blowing across the pilot can also snuff it out, so check that the area around the burner compartment isn't getting outside air. If you relight it and it goes out again within a minute or two, the thermocouple is the likely cause and it's a straightforward part for a contractor to replace.