How Much Do Furnace Repairs Cost?

The cost of a furnace repair will depend on the type of the repair your heating system needs. Service fees typically range from $50 to $100 – the fee may be higher during emergency periods, such as overnights, holidays, or weekends. The average cost for a furnace repair is $268.

Approximate Costs of Common Furnace Repairs

Prices for furnace repairs will range between HVAC companies. On average, this is what you can expect to pay for common repairs on a furnace.

• Faulty ignitors: $300 to $400
• Replacing the thermostat: $20 to $200+, depending on the new model you select
• Flame sensors: $80 to $250
• Furnace motor: $400 to $1500

Signs Your Furnace Requires Repair

While a lack of heat or a system that won’t turn on is an obvious sign it’s time to call for furnace repair, a malfunctioning system isn’t always so easy to spot for homeowners. Certain malfunctions don’t necessarily prevent your system from operating, but doing so as they are present can worsen the issue, leading to more costly repairs or even damaging your unit beyond repair.

Watch for the following signs that may indicate it’s time to call for furnace repair:

• New or sudden noises as the furnace starts up, operates, or ends a cycle. Grinding, screeching, hissing, rattling, or clanking are indicators that furnace components may be malfunctioning.
• Your furnace emits troublesome smells, such as the smell of rotten eggs (which could indicate gas leaking), electrical burning, chemical odor, or metallic smells. The slight smell of burning is normal when you first fire up your furnace for the first time each season – it’s likely just dust burning off components, that has gathered over the warmer months.
• Your furnace is unable to keep your home at comfortable, consistent temperature, or must run longer to maintain comfort.
• Your energy bills are rising without any obvious explanation, such as adding additional appliances to the home or more people in the household.

To Repair or Replace a Furnace?

When faced with a high furnace repair quote, you may question whether or not it makes sense to go ahead and upgrade to a new furnace. The answer will vary from one homeowner to the next, but these factors can help you make the decision for your household.

• Age of your furnace: Furnaces have a life expectancy of approximately 15 years – sometimes more or less depending on how well you’ve maintained your system. If your furnace is approaching 15 years of age and needs repair, it may make more financial sense to replace it instead of pouring funds into a system likely to give out for good in the near future. Older furnaces not only started out at lower efficiency ratings versus new models, but lose efficiency over time – replacing your older furnace with a new, high-efficiency model can save you money in operating costs, helping to offset the purchase cost.
• Cost of repairs: If the quote for furnace repair totals 50 percent of the cost of a new furnace, the better investment may be to replace the unit rather than repairing it.
• Frequency of repairs: Furnaces typically experience more frequent repair needs in their last two years of service life. If you’ve been seeing a lot of your furnace repair company because your system has required several fixes recently, it may be time to go ahead and purchase a new unit, as yours is more likely to fail for good in the near future.