Furnace Repair in Willmar, MN
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Kandiyohi County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat, and nights near zero
Willmar homes run the furnace from September through May. That is nine months of the burner cycling on and off, and on the coldest nights, when the average low sits at 7°F, it runs almost constantly to keep up. Every cycle is another start, and the igniter and flame sensor are what wear down from all that starting.
Winters here also bring the storms. Ten years of records show 30 winter storms and 40 damaging wind events in the area, and statewide, 13% of households lost power for a day or more in 2024. A furnace with no power will not light no matter what shape it's in, and when the power comes back, a furnace that would not run before the outage usually will not run after it either.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 7°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 50%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 30 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $130 a year off heating for a typical Kandiyohi County home.
Estimates for a typical Kandiyohi County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Minnesota 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.
Minnesota has no state license for HVAC contractors.
Minnesota does not test, license, or register HVAC contractors doing residential work. There is no state record that says a given contractor is qualified before they walk into your house. Whatever trust you place in the person working on your furnace has to come from somewhere other than a state credential, because Minnesota does not issue one.
A furnace repair still touches gas, and the gas connection is the part of the job that can hurt someone if it is done wrong. Over half the homes in Kandiyohi County heat with gas, so this is ordinary work here, not a rare one. Minnesota has no license behind it either way.
Source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat, the power to the furnace is off, or the igniter has failed. Check that the thermostat is set above room temperature and has working batteries. If it's a gas furnace, a dead igniter or a switch on the furnace or its access panel left open can stop it cold. With lows around 7°F here in the depths of winter, a furnace that won't start needs a contractor out quickly, since a home can lose heat fast at those temperatures.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is moving but it's not warm, the furnace may be stuck in fan-only mode, or it could be failing to ignite even as the blower runs. A clogged filter can also starve the burner of the airflow it needs to fire properly. Check the thermostat fan setting is on auto, not on. If the air stays cold, a contractor needs to check the ignition system itself.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit usually means the thermocouple has worn out and can no longer hold the gas valve open. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot opening can also cause this. The thermocouple is a cheap part to replace but it takes a contractor to test and swap it safely, since it sits right at the gas valve.