Furnace Repair & Installation in Des Moines
Gas, electric, and high-efficiency furnaces — repaired the same day, installed before the next Iowa cold snap.
How much does it cost?
Typical furnace repairs in Des Moines run $150–$800 — flame sensors and ignitors at the low end, blower motors and control boards higher. Full replacement is $4,000–$9,000 depending on efficiency and tonnage.
What's the process?
We test ignition, draft, flame, gas pressure, and the heat exchanger. Written diagnosis with repair vs replacement numbers before we touch anything.
How fast can you come?
Same-day repair is standard. 24/7 emergency response in winter — when it's 10 below outside, no heat is not a 'wait till Monday' problem.
Typical furnace repair & installation prices in Des Moines
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Furnace tune-up | $129 |
| Furnace repair | $150–$800 |
| Furnace replacement | $4,000–$9,000 |
Planning ranges for the Des Moines metro in 2026. Your written quote depends on the equipment, access and what we find on site — you see the price before any work starts.
No heat? We’ll get you running today.
Iowa winters don’t negotiate. We’ve had stretches where overnight lows sit at -15F for a week straight, and a furnace that’s been quietly limping along all fall picks that night to die. We answer the phone 24/7 from November through March specifically because of that.
What usually goes wrong, in order
Flame sensors top the list. They develop a carbon coating, can’t see the flame, and shut the furnace down on safety. Cleaning takes 10 minutes — a real fix, not a parts swap. Ignitors are second; they’re a $40 part with a finite life, usually 4–7 years.
Blower motors and inducer motors come next, especially in furnaces 12+ years old that have been running through Iowa winters at full tilt. Control boards fail occasionally, usually after a power surge from a winter storm.
The one thing that scares us — and should scare you
Cracked heat exchangers. They’re invisible from outside the furnace, they leak carbon monoxide directly into the air you breathe, and they don’t announce themselves. We inspect every heat exchanger on every service call, and we red-tag any furnace where it’s cracked. CO detectors on every floor are non-negotiable in any home with gas heat.
Why fall tune-ups matter more in Iowa than most places
A $129 fall tune-up catches the weak flame sensor, the marginal ignitor, the loose burner — before they shut you down in February at 11pm.
What's included
- Full system diagnostic and combustion analysis
- Ignitor, flame sensor, and pilot service
- Blower motor, capacitor, and control board repair
- Heat exchanger inspection and crack testing
- High-efficiency furnace installation (95%+ AFUE)
- Gas line install, sizing, and pressure testing
- PVC venting for high-efficiency units
- Annual tune-up and safety inspection plans
Signs you need furnace repair & installation
- Furnace blows cold or lukewarm air
- Short-cycling — turns on and off rapidly
- Yellow or flickering flame instead of steady blue
- Burning, sulfur, or "dirty sock" smell on startup
- Banging, rattling, or screeching when it runs
- Soot or rust around vents or the furnace cabinet
Our process
-
Call
We answer 24/7 in winter. Tell us what's happening (cold air, no air, weird smell, error code) and we dispatch with parts in stock for the most common Des Moines furnaces.
-
Diagnose
Combustion analyzer, gas pressure check, electrical test, flue draft test, and heat exchanger inspection. Written quote with repair-vs-replace numbers.
-
Fix
Most repairs done same visit. We carry ignitors, flame sensors, capacitors, and common control boards. Full replacements typically scheduled within 1–2 days.
-
Done
We verify combustion is clean, the heat exchanger is sealed, gas pressure is correct, and CO levels are zero. You get a copy of the safety check.
Furnace Repair & Installation: frequently asked questions
How much does a new furnace cost in Des Moines?
An 80% AFUE gas furnace installed runs $4,000–$5,500. A 95%+ high-efficiency unit is $6,000–$9,000 depending on size and brand (Lennox, Trane, Carrier, Bryant). The price includes permit, gas line work if needed, and a full safety check.
80% AFUE or 95% — which one for an Iowa winter?
For most Des Moines homes, 95%+ is the math. You'll burn 4–5 months of heavy heat every winter, and the extra $1,500–$2,500 up front pays back in 5–7 years on gas alone. The exception is short-term ownership or homes without a good condensate drain path.
My heat exchanger is cracked — what now?
Replace the furnace. A cracked heat exchanger leaks carbon monoxide into your home's air stream. It's not a repair item — even if we could weld it (we won't), the rest of the furnace is the same age and the warranty is void. We red-tag cracked exchangers and recommend immediate replacement.
Why does my furnace fail in the worst cold snap?
Furnaces run a few hours a day in mild weather. In a -10F stretch, they run nonstop for days. Any weak component — flame sensor with carbon buildup, marginal ignitor, weak inducer motor — fails under that load. That's why annual fall tune-ups exist.
How long does furnace installation take?
A like-for-like swap is 6–8 hours. Going from 80% to high-efficiency adds PVC venting and a condensate drain, so plan on a full day. We pull permits and schedule the city inspection.
Furnace Repair & Installation across Central Iowa
Same crew, same upfront pricing in every city we serve:
Guides about furnace repair & installation
HVAC · 7 min ·
Do Heat Pumps Work in Iowa Winters? Cold-Climate and Dual-Fuel Systems Explained
Do heat pumps work in Iowa? Yes, with limits. How cold-climate and dual-fuel systems handle sub-zero nights, what they cost and when they make sense.
Read the guide →Iowa Homeowner Tips · 7 min ·
Daylight Saving Ends: The Fall-Back Home Safety Checklist for Iowa
Clocks fall back Nov. 1, 2026. Use the extra hour for this November home maintenance checklist: alarms, furnace filter, sump pump, water heater and more.
Read the guide →HVAC · 7 min ·
Furnace Filters Explained: MERV Ratings, 1-Inch vs 4-Inch, and How Often to Change Them
Change a 1-inch furnace filter every 1–3 months and a 4-inch media filter every 6–12 months. Which MERV to buy, and which way the arrow goes.
Read the guide →Related services
Got a leak? A weird noise? No AC?
We answer 24/7. Same-day service across Central Iowa.