Gas furnaces, electric furnaces, dual-fuel systems — repaired same day or replaced in a day. NATE-certified heating techs, upfront flat-rate pricing, and a safety-first approach when combustion or CO is involved.
Texas winters are shorter than most of the country — which means when your furnace fails during a freeze, it has usually been sitting unused since February. Here are the problems we see most.
Thermostat failure, tripped breaker, failed ignitor, blown transformer, bad control board, or gas supply issue. We diagnose the electrical and gas path end to end. Typical repair $200–$500.
Dirty filter (80% of weak-airflow calls), failing blower motor, slipped blower belt on older units, closed dampers, or collapsed ductwork. Weak airflow can also trip the high-limit safety switch.
Furnace kicks on for 2–3 minutes then shuts off. Usually an overheating limit switch, a failing flame sensor, a dirty filter, or an oversized unit. Short cycling wastes fuel and cracks heat exchangers.
Older furnaces with standing pilots often lose the pilot after a summer of non-use. Usually a bad thermocouple ($200–$300) or a clogged orifice. We relight pilots, replace thermocouples, and clean gas trains.
Newer furnaces use hot-surface ignitors or electronic spark ignition. Failed ignitors are the #1 no-heat call — fragile silicon nitride ignitors often fail after 5–10 years. Replacement runs $250–$400.
Strong gas odor = leave the house and call 911 or your gas utility. Faint odor near furnace = turn gas off, open windows, call us immediately. Never ignore a gas smell. We prioritize these calls over everything.
Loud bang on startup = delayed ignition (dangerous, call immediately). Rattling = loose panel or failing blower bearing. Whistling = undersized return duct or clogged filter. We diagnose by sound profile.
Gas burners should produce a steady blue flame. Yellow or orange flame = incomplete combustion, which produces carbon monoxide. Causes: dirty burners, restricted air supply, or cracked heat exchanger. Safety priority call.
Some rooms don't heat. Usually leaky ductwork, closed dampers, undersized ducts to certain rooms, or a failing blower that can't push enough CFM. We measure room-by-room airflow to find the actual problem.
Sudden bill spikes usually indicate reduced efficiency from a clogged filter, failing blower motor, improper gas pressure, or heat loss through ductwork. We perform combustion analysis and measure gas pressure to find root causes.
If your carbon monoxide detector goes off, leave the house and call 911. Once safe, call us. Common causes: cracked heat exchanger, blocked flue pipe, backdrafting. Never ignore a CO alarm — it's a life-safety device.
Thermostat calls for heat, nothing happens. Could be dead batteries, bad wiring, a failed transformer on the furnace, or a control-board output failure. We diagnose in order, starting with the simplest causes.
For Cedar Grove homes, the choice comes down to whether you already have gas service, your upfront budget, and your long-term operating cost tolerance.
| Factor | Gas Furnace | Electric Furnace |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Installation Cost | $4,200–$7,500 | $2,800–$4,500 |
| Monthly Operating Cost (Cedar Grove winter) | ~$65–$120 | ~$140–$230 |
| Typical Lifespan | 15–20 years | 20–30 years |
| Efficiency Range | 80%–98% AFUE | 100% (at point of use) |
| Combustion / Safety Concerns | Requires CO monitoring | None — no combustion |
| Requires Natural Gas Service? | Yes | No |
| Best For | Homes with gas service, lowest bills, long-term ownership | No gas service, smaller homes, rental properties |
Worth considering: if you don't have gas service, a heat pump is typically a better all-electric heating option than a traditional electric furnace — delivering 2–3x the heat per kWh, plus cooling in the same system, plus up to $2,000 in federal tax credits.
Price ranges based on actual repairs completed across Cedar Grove and surrounding cities. Your exact quote depends on brand, parts availability, and labor time.
| Repair Type | Typical Cost (Installed) | Repair Time |
|---|---|---|
| Flame Sensor Replacement / Cleaning | $200 – $300 | 30–45 min |
| Hot-Surface Ignitor Replacement | $250 – $400 | 45–60 min |
| Thermocouple / Pilot Assembly (older units) | $180 – $280 | 30–60 min |
| Thermostat Replacement | $180 – $550 | 30–60 min |
| Blower Motor Replacement | $450 – $900 | 1.5–3 hrs |
| Gas Valve Replacement | $500 – $900 | 1–2 hrs |
| Inducer Motor Replacement | $500 – $900 | 1.5–2.5 hrs |
| Control Board Replacement | $500 – $1,100 | 1–2 hrs |
| Heat Exchanger (usually signals replacement) | $1,500 – $2,500 | 4–6 hrs |
Diagnostic fee: $89. Waived when you approve the repair. If a cracked heat exchanger is confirmed, we'll walk you through repair-vs-replace math — in most cases, replacement is the right call on a heat-exchanger failure.
Complete installation includes equipment, labor, gas line or electrical connections, flue modifications, thermostat, permits, and haul-away of your old unit.
Electric furnaces (including heat strips for heat pump backup) start at $2,800 installed. Prices are for straight swaps in a 2,000 sq ft home. Complex installations with new flue work, gas line extensions, or ductwork modifications priced after on-site estimate.
Your furnace is the only appliance in your home that combines combustion, gas pressure, and forced air. When something fails, it can produce carbon monoxide — a colorless, odorless gas that's lethal at 400ppm.
Every Meridian heating repair and tune-up includes a combustion analysis and CO test. We don't leave until the numbers are safe.
"Our furnace quit during the February freeze when everybody and their brother needed a tech. Meridian had somebody at our house within 4 hours — faster than any other company could even return a call. Bad ignitor, replaced on the truck, $340 and we had heat. Fair price given the situation."
"Our 22-year-old furnace finally died. Meridian walked us through every option, showed us the math on a standard 80% vs. a 96% high-efficiency unit, and didn't push us toward the most expensive option. We ended up with the mid-tier Carrier. Installed in one day. Runs quieter than we knew a furnace could."
"The tech found a cracked heat exchanger during our fall tune-up. Shut the furnace off immediately, explained the CO risk, helped us get space heaters that night, and had a replacement installed 36 hours later. That honest diagnosis may have saved our family. Can't overstate how much we trust these folks."
Most furnace repairs run $200 to $900 in Cedar Grove. A standard diagnostic is $89 (waived if you approve the repair).
Common fixes: ignitor replacement $250–$400, flame sensor cleaning or replacement $200–$300, gas valve $500–$900, blower motor $450–$900. A cracked heat exchanger is typically $1,500–$2,500 but usually signals replacement rather than repair.
New furnace installation in Cedar Grove ranges from $4,200 to $7,500 depending on fuel type, AFUE efficiency rating, BTU size, and brand.
A standard 80% AFUE gas furnace for a typical 2,000 sq ft home starts around $4,200. A high-efficiency 96% AFUE condensing furnace runs $5,800–$7,500. Electric furnaces typically cost $2,800–$4,500 but have higher operating costs in Cedar Grove.
If you smell a strong gas odor: leave the house immediately, do not use any electrical switches or open flames, and call 911 or your gas utility from outside.
For a faint gas smell near the furnace: turn off the gas valve (usually a quarter-turn valve on the supply pipe), open windows, and call Meridian at (512) 555-0143. We prioritize gas-related calls and dispatch 24/7.
The most common causes of a furnace blowing cold air are:
Note: the blower often runs briefly on startup before burners ignite — this is normal behavior, not a malfunction.
A well-maintained gas furnace typically lasts 15 to 20 years in Cedar Grove's relatively mild winter climate. Electric furnaces often last 20 to 30 years because they have fewer moving parts and no combustion components.
Annual maintenance (included free in all Meridian maintenance plans) can add 3 to 5 years to furnace lifespan by catching small issues before they cause major damage.
For most Cedar Grove homes with existing gas service, a high-efficiency gas furnace (90%+ AFUE) has the lowest operating cost. Electric furnaces have lower upfront cost but higher monthly bills.
If you don't have gas service, a heat pump is typically a better electric option than an electric furnace — heat pumps deliver 2 to 3 times the heat per kWh compared to resistance heating, and qualify for up to $2,000 in federal tax credits.
For a standard 1-inch pleated filter, replace every 60 to 90 days. 4-inch media filters typically last 6 to 12 months. Homes with pets, allergies, or heavy use should change filters more frequently.
A dirty filter is the single most common cause of furnace breakdowns — it restricts airflow, which trips the high-limit safety switch, which triggers the control board to shut down the system. Maintenance plan members receive filter reminders by email and free filter delivery with our Whole Home tier.
Turn off your furnace and call us immediately if you notice:
These signal possible carbon monoxide production or gas leaks — not routine repairs. Continued operation poses a real safety risk to your family.
Real humans answer the phone, NATE-certified techs on the trucks, and a safety-first approach whenever combustion is involved.