Furnace Repair in Sheboygan, WI
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Sheboygan County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat puts real wear on a Sheboygan County furnace
Your furnace works from September through May here, nine months of the year. On winter nights averaging 15°F, it is not idling. It cycles on and off for hours at a stretch, and every start puts load on the igniter and the burner assembly.
Most homes in the county heat with gas, so that furnace is the only thing standing between the house and a 15°F night. Sheboygan County has seen 19 winter storms and 46 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that knock out power. In 2024, 18% of Wisconsin households lost power for 24 hours or more. A furnace that was already struggling to light can fail the moment power comes back on, right when you need it most.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 15°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 74%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 19 winter storms
- in ten years, the nights a failure hurts most
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new furnace would cut about $120 a year off heating for a typical Sheboygan County home.
Estimates for a typical Sheboygan County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Wisconsin 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.
Wisconsin requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the Department of Safety and Professional Services, nothing more. Nobody tests the contractor's gas or furnace knowledge before that number is issued, and no exam or state agency stands behind the work afterward. Wisconsin also keeps this the same everywhere. Counties and cities can't layer on their own HVAC license, so a contractor registered here meets the same bar as one anywhere else in the state.
In Sheboygan County, 74.3% of homes heat with gas, and on a furnace repair the gas connection is the part that has to be right. Registration doesn't test for that. It confirms the business is on file with the state, not that anyone checked the work on your furnace.
Sources: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to heat and the set temperature is above the room temperature, and if it runs on batteries, try new ones. If the thermostat looks right, check the furnace switch, the one that looks like a light switch near the unit, and the breaker for the furnace at your electrical panel. Furnaces also have a flame sensor and igniter that fail over time, and if either has gone bad, the furnace won't stay running or won't start at all. A contractor can test these parts and tell you which one needs replacing.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- Most often this means the furnace is running the blower without the burners lit. That happens when the igniter has failed, the flame sensor is dirty or worn, or the gas valve isn't opening. A clogged filter can also cause the furnace to overheat and shut the burners off while the fan keeps running. If you've swapped the filter and it's still blowing cold, the problem is likely in the ignition system and needs a contractor to check it.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This usually points to the thermocouple, the small part that senses the pilot flame and tells the gas valve to stay open. When it wears out or sits out of position, the gas valve shuts off even though the pilot is lit. A draft blowing across the pilot or a dirty pilot orifice can also put it out. Since gas is involved, have a contractor look at it rather than adjusting the thermocouple yourself.