Furnace Repair in Graytown, OH

Most furnace calls in this area start the same way: the first sustained freeze arrives, the furnace has sat idle through a humid summer, and it fails on its first real firing. Here is what that looks like at the house, and what is yours to check.

• Furnace starts, then shuts off after a few minutes. The limit switch is tripping because air cannot move through. A clogged filter or closed registers are the usual cause. Safe check: swap the filter and open the supply and return registers. Shut it off at the breaker now if you see scorch marks, smell something burning, or the limit keeps tripping with a clean filter.
• Furnace clicks and the blower runs, but no flame, or the flame drops out after a few seconds. A flame sensor coated in oxide cannot prove a flame, so the control shuts the gas valve. A worn hot surface ignitor, or a pressure switch held open, gives the same symptom. Safe check: thermostat set to heat and above room temperature, furnace power switch on, fresh thermostat batteries, and the propane tank gauge if you heat with propane. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas or propane supplier or 911 from outside. Do not reset it again.
• Air conditioner runs but the air is warm, or the outdoor unit hums and does not start. A weak run capacitor is a common cause. So is cottonwood fluff or grass clippings packed into the outdoor condenser coil. Safe check: clear debris from around the unit and rinse the coil gently with a hose from the outside, with the unit's disconnect off. Shut it off at the breaker if the unit buzzes with the fan not turning, you smell burning, or the breaker trips twice. Never open the panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge.
• Water around the furnace or air handler, or the system quits on its own. A blocked condensate trap or a frozen condensate line causes this. In winter, an exterior line from a high-efficiency furnace can freeze solid in an unheated basement or crawl space, and the backed-up water can hold the pressure switch open so the furnace will not start. In summer, the same blockage can shut down the air conditioner. Safe check: set the thermostat to off, mop up the water, and look at where the drain line leaves the house or runs through cold space. Shut it off at the breaker if water is pooling near the unit's wiring or electrical panel.

What drives the cost of a repair is access to the equipment, which parts or materials are involved, how much has to be opened up or removed, and any permit or code requirement. Replacing a furnace or adding air conditioning to an existing system is a different matter, since Ottawa County's Department of Building Inspection has a heating permit for that work. You describe the symptom, and Pro HVAC refers you to an independent Ohio HVAC professional. Call (321) 463-9811.