Furnace Repair in Winston-Salem, NC
Furnaces here run from October through April. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Forsyth County will get in touch.
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Seven months of work every year
Furnaces in Winston-Salem run from October through April. That is seven months of the year the burner and blower are cycling, night after night, to hold the house against lows that average 30°F. Most homes here heat with electricity, so the furnace is doing that work on its own, not sharing the load with a fireplace or other backup.
Forsyth County has seen 12 winter storms and 174 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Wind and ice bring down power lines, and across North Carolina a quarter of households lost power for at least a day in 2024. When the power drops mid-storm and comes back, most furnaces restart on their own, but the ignition system takes that restart as another cycle. An igniter or flame sensor already worn from a full winter of use is what tends to fail right after, and that is when a homeowner notices the burner will not light at all.
- 7 months
- October through April, your furnace is on duty
- 30°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 12 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
North Carolina requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. That board tests contractors before they can legally take on furnace work in North Carolina, and it keeps a record of who holds a license and who does not. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license that qualifies someone to repair your furnace qualifies them for the next one too.
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 job, and in North Carolina the license is the state's answer to that risk. It tells you the contractor was tested and is on record with the board before they touch your furnace.
Sources: North Carolina General Assembly · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most often the thermostat isn't calling for heat the way it should, or power isn't reaching the furnace. Check that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature, and check the furnace switch and breaker. If those look fine, the igniter or a safety switch inside the unit may have failed, and that calls for a contractor to check it. With winter lows here averaging 30°F, it's worth getting a furnace that won't start looked at the same day.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is moving but it's not warm, the furnace may be running the blower without the burners lighting. That points to an ignition problem or a safety switch stopping the burners from firing. It can also mean the thermostat fan is set to on instead of auto, which runs the blower even between heating cycles. A contractor can tell which one it is.
- 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 is no longer sensing the flame. It can also mean a draft is blowing the pilot out or the gas valve isn't holding steady. This isn't something to keep relighting on your own since it's a sign the safety system isn't working right. A licensed contractor can replace the part and confirm the furnace is burning gas safely.