Furnace Repair in Akron, OH
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Summit County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat wears a furnace down
From October to May your furnace is the thing standing between you and a 22°F night. That is eight months of the burner lighting, running, and shutting off, night after night. Each cycle puts a little more wear on the igniter and the parts that control the flame.
Most homes in Summit County heat with gas, so when a furnace quits it is usually the burner not lighting or not staying lit. Power is part of it too. Ohio saw 18% of households lose power for 24 hours or more in 2024, and a furnace that was already struggling won't restart on its own once the power comes back. If the house is losing heat, or the furnace runs longer than it used to before it shuts off, that is worth having someone look at before the next cold night.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 22°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 83%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 12 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $160 a year off heating for a typical Summit County home.
Estimates for a typical Summit County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Ohio 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.
In Ohio, HVAC licensing for homes is left to the counties.
Summit County is one of the places in Ohio that sets its own rule for who can do this work, so what protects you here comes from the county, not the state. Ohio does define what a home contractor is, and that definition includes carrying at least $250,000 in liability insurance. That is not a license and nothing is tested to meet it. It just tells you what has to be true of the business before it can call itself a home contractor here.
For a furnace repair, the part that matters most is the gas connection, since that is where a mistake turns dangerous. With no state license standing behind the work, what accountability exists comes from the county's own rule and from whatever inspection the local building office requires for gas work. Most homes in Summit County heat with gas, so this is not a small detail here. It is the reason the gas line and the connections around your furnace are the part worth getting checked.
Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most of the time it's the thermostat, the power to the unit, or the igniter. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature, and that its batteries are good. Next check the breaker and the furnace's own switch, the one that looks like a light switch near the unit. If those are fine, the igniter may have failed, and that's not something to test yourself. A contractor can check it safely.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Air can feel cold for a few seconds when the furnace first starts, that's normal while it warms up. If it stays cold, the burners may not be lighting even though the blower is running, often the igniter or the flame sensor. A dirty filter can also block airflow enough to trip the furnace's safety switch before it heats properly. With lows around 22°F here, it's worth having this looked at quickly rather than waiting it out.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This usually means the thermocouple has worn out. It's the small part that senses the pilot flame and tells the gas valve to stay open. When it fails, the valve shuts the gas off as a safety measure even though the flame is still there. It's a simple part to replace, but the gas valve itself needs checking too if replacing it doesn't fix the problem.