Furnace Repair in Hempstead, NY
Furnaces here run from October through May. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Nassau County will get in touch.
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Eight months of heat wears a furnace down
Furnaces in Hempstead run from October through May. That is eight months of the year, with winter nights averaging 28°F from December through February. A furnace that starts and stops that often, for that long, puts real hours on its igniter and its blower motor.
Most homes here heat with gas, so a furnace that will not fire usually means a problem at the burner or the igniter. Nassau County has also logged 37 winter storms and 143 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and 11% of New York households lost power for at least 24 hours in 2024. When the power drops on a cold night, a gas furnace will not restart on its own once it comes back, so a house that stays cold after the lights come on is often just a furnace waiting to be turned back on.
- 8 months
- October through May, your furnace is on duty
- 28°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 62%
- of homes here heat with gas, so most furnaces here burn gas
- 37 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 Nassau County home.
Estimates for a typical Nassau County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New York 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.
- 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 below room temperature and has fresh batteries if it uses them. Next check the furnace switch, the one that looks like a light switch near the unit, and the breaker at your panel. If those are fine, the igniter or a safety switch inside the furnace may have failed, and that needs a contractor to check.
- Why is my furnace blowing cold air?
- If air is blowing but never warms up, the burners likely aren't lighting even though the blower is running. A dirty flame sensor is a common cause, since it shuts the gas valve off as a safety measure when it can't detect a flame. It can also mean the furnace is still warming up right after it kicks on, which is normal for a few minutes. If cold air keeps blowing past that point, have a contractor look at the burners and flame sensor.
- Why won't my furnace pilot light stay lit?
- A pilot light that won't stay lit is usually a sign the thermocouple has worn out. That's the small sensor that sits in the pilot flame and tells the gas valve it's safe to keep sending gas. When it fails, the valve shuts off the gas as soon as you let go of the reset button. Wind or a draft near the pilot can also blow it out, so check for anything drafting near the burner compartment before assuming it's the thermocouple.