Furnace Repair in Wausau, WI
Furnaces here run from September through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Marathon County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of heat, and nights near zero
Your furnace runs from September through May here. On winter nights averaging 9°F, it can't stay off for long. The burner lights, runs, shuts down, and lights again, over and over through the night, and every start puts wear on the igniter and the flame sensor. Those are the parts most likely to fail first, and when one does, the house goes cold fast at that temperature.
Marathon County has seen 33 winter storms and 82 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Wind like that can knock out power, and in Wisconsin, 18% of households lost power for 24 hours or more in 2024. Most gas furnaces need electricity to run the igniter and blower, so a power outage on a night this cold means no heat until the power and the furnace both come back.
- 9 months
- September through May, your furnace is on duty
- 9°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 56%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 33 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 Marathon County home.
Estimates for a typical Marathon 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.
Registering with the Department of Safety and Professional Services puts the business on file with the state. Nobody tested this contractor's furnace work to get that number, and no exam stands behind it. Wisconsin also keeps counties and cities from layering on their own HVAC license, so wherever in Marathon County you live, this registration is the only state record on the business.
For a furnace repair, the part that matters most is the gas connection, and registration does not check that work. In Marathon County, 56.4% of homes heat with gas, so that connection is part of daily life in most homes here.
Sources: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
- Why won't my furnace turn on?
- Most of the time it's the thermostat, the power, or the gas supply, and it pays to check the simple things first. Make sure the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature. Check the furnace switch, the one that looks like a light switch near the unit, and check the breaker too. If the furnace still won't start, a stuck flame sensor or a failed igniter can also be the cause, and a contractor can test those parts directly.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is coming out cold, the furnace may just be starting a cycle, since it can take a minute for the air to warm up once it kicks on. If the air stays cold, check the air filter first. A clogged filter chokes off airflow and can cause the furnace to shut down its burners while the fan keeps running, which feels like cold air blowing through the vents. If the filter is clean and the air still isn't heating, the igniter or a safety switch may be stopping the burners from firing, and that needs a contractor to look at it.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- This usually comes down to the thermocouple, the small sensor that tells the gas valve the pilot is burning. When it wears out or sits out of position, the gas valve shuts the pilot off as a safety measure, even though the flame was fine. A draft blowing across the pilot can also blow it out on its own. If it keeps happening, a contractor can check the thermocouple and the pilot assembly, since relighting it yourself won't fix the part causing the problem.