Furnace Repair in Tulsa, OK
When it's 18°F outside and your furnace won't fire, that's not a wait-until-Monday problem. We dispatch 24/7 across Tulsa and the metro for no-heat calls — and we carry common furnace parts on every truck so most repairs get done on the first trip.
What's Actually Wrong With Your Furnace
The most common furnace failure in Tulsa — by a wide margin — is a failed igniter. Silicon carbide igniters run incredibly hot every time the furnace lights, and they crack after 5–8 years of cycling. The furnace tries to start, the igniter doesn't glow, no gas lights, and the system goes into lockout. Your thermostat says it's calling for heat, but nothing comes out of the vents. Usually fixable in under an hour.
Second most common: dirty flame sensor. The flame sensor is a metal rod that sits in the burner flame and tells the control board that ignition succeeded. When it gets coated with oxidation (happens after 3–5 years), the board doesn't get a clean signal and shuts off the gas within 3 seconds. You may hear the furnace try to light a few times, then nothing. A quick clean or sensor swap fixes it.
The one we take seriously every time is a cracked heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is the metal chamber where combustion gases are contained while your air circulates around the outside. When it cracks — from years of thermal expansion and stress — combustion gases including carbon monoxide can leak into your living space. CO is odorless. It kills. If a tech flags a cracked heat exchanger, the system should come off immediately.
We check heat exchangers on every service call using a combustion analyzer and visual inspection. If there's a question, we do a CO test at the supply vents. This isn't upselling — it's the job.
What We Check on a Furnace Repair Call
Igniter and flame sensor
We test igniter resistance (should be 40–90 ohms for silicon carbide types) and watch the ignition sequence. Flame sensor micro-amp output should read 2–5 µA — less than 1 µA means clean or replace.
Heat exchanger inspection
Visual inspection with a mirror and camera, combustion analysis at the flue, and CO measurement at the supply registers. On two-stage condensing furnaces, we also check the secondary heat exchanger and condensate drain.
Pressure switches and inducer motor
Pressure switches confirm the inducer (draft) motor is moving enough combustion air. A clogged condensate drain on a two-stage furnace floods the pressure switch hose and trips the furnace offline — common call in Tulsa's humid spring.
Gas pressure and valve
We check manifold gas pressure at the burner (spec varies by furnace — typically 3.5 inches water column on natural gas). A gas valve that's stuck closed or failing causes ignition but no main flame.
Control board and safety limits
The control board has a fault code readout on most systems manufactured after 2000. We pull the error codes before touching anything else — they narrow the diagnosis significantly. High-limit trips usually point to restricted airflow.
Blower motor and belt (older systems)
The blower distributes heated air through the ductwork. A failing blower motor causes the heat exchanger to overheat and the high-limit to trip. On older systems with belt-drive blowers, we check belt condition and tension.
Furnace Repair in Tulsa: What the Local Climate Does
Tulsa winters are shorter than most northern cities but considerably harder on furnace systems. Here's the pattern we see every year: mild November and December, then January brings a week of sub-20°F temperatures in a row and the phone rings nonstop. The February 2021 winter storm (Winter Storm Uri) hit -11°F in Tulsa — the coldest recorded temperature in decades — and furnaces that hadn't been maintained in years failed all at once.
Ice storms are Tulsa's other furnace hazard. Freezing rain can coat a two-stage furnace's PVC exhaust vent in ice, blocking combustion air. The furnace trips on a pressure fault and won't restart until the vent clears. We see this every January and February. If your furnace goes out during an ice storm, check the PVC pipes coming out of the side of your house — if they're iced over, that might be all it is.
Many Tulsa homes in 74106, 74107, and 74119 still run natural gas furnaces from the 1990s — 80% AFUE units that cost significantly more to operate than a 96% condensing furnace. If your furnace is over 20 years old and needs a major repair (heat exchanger, control board, blower motor), the replacement math often pencils out better. We'll walk you through it honestly. See our furnace installation page for replacement details.
Oklahoma Natural Gas serves most of Tulsa County. If you're on propane in an outlying area (Collinsville, Skiatook, rural Wagoner County), our technicians work on LP systems too. LP furnaces run at a different manifold pressure (typically 10–11 inches water column vs. 3.5 for natural gas), and the orifices are different. Don't let anyone convert gas jets on an LP furnace without checking the conversion kit specs.
What Furnace Repairs Cost and What Drives It
Typical repair costs
- Igniter replacement: $150–$300
- Flame sensor clean or replace: $100–$200
- Pressure switch replacement: $150–$250
- Blower motor replacement: $350–$700
- Control board replacement: $400–$850
When to consider replacement instead
- Cracked heat exchanger (CO risk — replace immediately)
- Furnace over 20 years old with major component failure
- 80% AFUE unit — significant annual savings possible
- Repeated repairs within 24 months
We give you the full repair cost before any work starts. If replacement makes more sense, we'll say so — and can quote it at the same visit.
Real Calls We Get in Tulsa
The January no-heat call at 2 AM: A family in Sand Springs called during the January 2024 cold snap — 15°F outside, heat had been out for 3 hours, house at 58°F. Fault code pointed to the igniter. Tech had a replacement on the truck. Heat back on by 3:30 AM. The furnace was 9 years old with no prior service — good candidate for a fall tune-up going forward.
The cracked heat exchanger: A Broken Arrow homeowner called for a "furnace not heating well." Tech found the furnace was short-cycling — it would run 5 minutes, then the high-limit would trip. Cause: a crack in the secondary heat exchanger on a 2003 Lennox. CO was reading 8 ppm at the supply vents. System red-tagged, replaced within 48 hours. Family had no idea.
The ICE storm call: Owasso homeowner, February morning. Two-stage Rheem won't fire. Condensate and PVC exhaust completely frozen over. Thawed the lines, checked the condensate trap, confirmed inducer was clear. Furnace back online with no parts needed. We walked the homeowner through what to watch for in future ice storms.
The 25-year-old system: A rental property in 74120 with a 1999 Carrier that needed a blower motor — $580 in parts and labor. Owner asked us straight: fix it or replace? Furnace was 25 years old, 80% AFUE, in declining shape. Replacement at $5,000–$6,000 was the honest answer. We did the repair temporarily so tenants had heat while the owner made the decision.
Furnace Repair FAQ
Why is my furnace not heating?
Most common: failed igniter, dirty flame sensor, tripped pressure switch, or blocked condensate drain. We work through these in order — 30 minutes covers most diagnoses. Check your furnace's fault code light first if you have one (usually a flashing LED on the control board).
Is a cracked heat exchanger dangerous?
Yes, absolutely. Carbon monoxide from a cracked exchanger can enter your home's supply air. We check for CO at the supply vents on every service call. If a cracked exchanger is confirmed, we advise immediate system shutdown. No exceptions.
How much does furnace repair cost?
Igniter: $150–$300. Flame sensor: $100–$200. Pressure switch: $150–$250. Blower motor: $350–$700. Control board: $400–$850. Full repair cost quoted before we start. Diagnostic fee credited against the repair.
My furnace runs but doesn't heat the house — what's wrong?
Could be excessive duct leakage (especially in older Tulsa homes), a high-limit that keeps tripping due to restricted airflow, or an undersized system struggling in extreme cold. We check all three at the service call.
How old is too old for furnace repair?
Under 12 years old with a single failed part: fix it. 15–20 years old with a major component failure: compare repair cost to replacement. Over 20 years: replacement usually makes more sense — especially if it's 80% AFUE equipment.
How fast can you get to a no-heat call?
Business hours: within 60 minutes across most of the metro. After hours: 60–90 minutes. We prioritize no-heat calls when temperatures drop below 35°F. Call 918-200-9111 — the after-hours line goes to a real tech, not a call center.
Do you work on all furnace brands?
Yes. Trane, Carrier, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, American Standard, Bryant, York, Heil, and all major brands. We stock common parts on the truck — most repairs are first-trip completions.
Furnace Repair Across the Tulsa Metro
We cover all of Tulsa and the surrounding metro for furnace repair. Suburb-specific pages:
Also serving: Claremore, Catoosa, Coweta, Collinsville, Glenpool, Skiatook, and surrounding Tulsa County communities.
No heat? Call us now.
24/7 dispatch. Parts on the truck. Most furnace repairs done same-day.
Emergency heat calls get priority when temperatures drop below freezing.
Also see: Furnace Installation | HVAC Maintenance