Furnace Repair in Clarksburg, WV
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Harrison County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat, and the power doesn't always stay on
Clarksburg needs heat from October through May. That is eight months of the burner cycling on and off, night after night, on winter lows that average 25°F. Every one of those cycles depends on the igniter, and every start puts a little more wear on it. When it finally gives out, the furnace won't light at all.
Most homes here heat with gas, so the furnace is doing this work almost every night for most of the year. Harrison County also sees its share of winter storms and wind, and across West Virginia more than a third of households lost power for at least a day in 2024. When the power drops mid-winter and comes back, a furnace that was already struggling with a weak igniter or a failing part often won't recover on its own.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 25°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 78%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 9 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $170 a year off heating for a typical Harrison County home.
Estimates for a typical Harrison County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, West Virginia 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.
West Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is held by the contractor, not tied to the specific job or address, so it does not change based on where in Harrison County the work happens. The state tested that contractor before issuing it and keeps a record of who holds one.
For a furnace repair, that license is what stands behind the person working on your gas line and burner. A bad gas connection is the real danger in this kind of repair, and the license is the state's way of vouching for the contractor doing that work. With most homes in Harrison County heating with gas, that matters more here than it would somewhere heat pumps are common.
Source: West Virginia Legislature
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most likely the thermostat isn't calling for heat, or the furnace isn't getting power or gas. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room level. If the furnace still won't respond, check the breaker and the switch that looks like a light switch near the unit, since either one being off will stop it cold. A pilot that's gone out or an igniter that's failed will also keep it from starting, and that's a job for a licensed contractor to sort out.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Check the thermostat fan setting first. If it's set to 'on' instead of 'auto', the blower runs all the time, even between heating cycles, and that air will feel cold. If the fan is set to auto and you're still getting cold air, the burners may not be lighting while the blower keeps running anyway. That points to an ignition problem, and it's worth having a contractor look at it before you run the furnace much longer.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot that won't stay lit is usually the thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the flame is burning. When it wears out or sits out of position, it reads no flame even when there is one, and the gas valve shuts off. A draft blowing out the pilot or a dirty pilot opening can cause the same thing. Since this involves the gas valve, have a licensed contractor check it rather than relighting it repeatedly.