Gas & Electric Furnace Services
In Cody and the Big Horn Basin, your furnace is not a luxury -- it is a lifeline. With winter temperatures regularly dropping below zero and heating seasons that can stretch from October through April, a reliable furnace is essential to your family's comfort and safety. Wrangler Plumbing & Heating has been repairing, maintaining, and installing furnaces in the Big Horn Basin since 1986.
We service all major brands of gas and electric furnaces, from older single-stage units to modern variable-speed, high-efficiency systems. Whether your furnace needs a simple ignitor replacement or you are ready for a complete system upgrade, our licensed technicians diagnose the problem accurately and provide honest recommendations about repair versus replacement.
Gas furnaces are by far the most common in Wyoming, accounting for the majority of heating systems in the Big Horn Basin. They use natural gas or propane to produce heat, which is then distributed through your home via ductwork and registers. Electric furnaces, while less common, are found in homes without gas service and use electric heating elements to warm air. Both types require regular maintenance to operate safely and efficiently.
Common Furnace Repairs
Furnaces are complex mechanical systems with many components that can fail over time. Here are the most common furnace repairs we perform in the Cody area.
Ignitor Replacement
The hot surface ignitor is one of the most common failure points in modern gas furnaces. When the ignitor fails, the furnace cannot light the gas burner and no heat is produced. Ignitors are relatively inexpensive to replace and most repairs can be completed in under an hour.
Flame Sensor Cleaning or Replacement
The flame sensor is a safety device that detects whether the gas burner has ignited. Over time, the sensor becomes coated with carbon residue and can no longer detect the flame, causing the furnace to shut down after igniting briefly. Cleaning or replacing the flame sensor is a quick, affordable repair that restores reliable operation.
Blower Motor Repair or Replacement
The blower motor circulates heated air through your ductwork. When it fails, you may notice reduced airflow, strange noises, or no air movement at all. Blower motors can sometimes be repaired, but older motors often need replacement. Modern ECM (electronically commutated motor) blower motors are more efficient and quieter than older PSC motors.
Heat Exchanger Inspection
The heat exchanger is the most critical component in a gas furnace. It separates the combustion gases from the air circulating through your home. A cracked heat exchanger can allow carbon monoxide to enter your living space, creating a serious safety hazard. If we detect a cracked heat exchanger, we recommend immediate furnace replacement -- this is not a repair that can be safely postponed.
Thermostat Issues
Sometimes the problem is not the furnace at all but the thermostat. Faulty wiring, dead batteries, or a malfunctioning thermostat can prevent the furnace from receiving the signal to turn on. We diagnose thermostat problems and can install programmable or smart thermostats that improve comfort and efficiency.
Annual Furnace Maintenance: Prevention That Pays
A $150 annual tune-up is the single best investment you can make in your heating system. Regular maintenance prevents the vast majority of mid-winter breakdowns, extends the life of your furnace, and keeps it running at peak efficiency. Consider this: a furnace replacement costs $3,000-$8,000. Spending $150 per year on maintenance to get the full 15-20 year lifespan from your furnace is a fraction of the cost of premature replacement.
What Our Annual Tune-Up Includes:
- Complete system inspection and safety check
- Burner cleaning and flame adjustment
- Heat exchanger inspection for cracks
- Blower motor and belt inspection
- Thermostat calibration and testing
- Air filter replacement
- Electrical connection tightening and testing
- Gas pressure verification
- Carbon monoxide testing
- Flue and venting inspection
We recommend scheduling your annual tune-up in September or October, before the heating season begins in earnest. This ensures your furnace is ready when the first cold snap arrives and gives us time to order any needed parts before they are in high demand.
Signs Your Furnace Needs Repair
Do not wait until your furnace fails completely on the coldest night of the year. Watch for these warning signs and call for service before a minor issue becomes a major breakdown.
Call for Repair Immediately
- No heat output at all
- Carbon monoxide detector alarm
- Gas smell near the furnace
- Yellow or flickering pilot flame
- Furnace will not turn off
- Visible damage to the heat exchanger
Schedule Service Soon
- Strange noises (banging, squealing, rattling)
- Uneven heating throughout the house
- Higher than normal heating bills
- Furnace cycles on and off frequently
- Furnace takes a long time to reach set temperature
- Age 15+ years with no recent maintenance
Furnace Installation & AFUE Ratings
When it is time to replace your furnace, choosing the right system makes a significant difference in comfort, efficiency, and long-term cost. The AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) rating tells you how efficiently a furnace converts fuel to heat.
An 80% AFUE furnace converts 80 cents of every dollar spent on gas into heat, losing 20 cents up the flue. A 95% AFUE furnace converts 95 cents, losing only 5 cents. Over a Wyoming heating season that runs six to seven months, the energy savings from a high-efficiency furnace are substantial -- often $300-$600 per year depending on home size and fuel costs.
We recommend 95% AFUE or higher for all new installations in the Big Horn Basin. High-efficiency condensing furnaces extract so much heat from combustion gases that the exhaust is cool enough to vent through PVC pipe rather than metal flue, simplifying installation in many homes.
Sizing for Big Horn Basin Homes
Proper furnace sizing is critical. An undersized furnace cannot keep up on the coldest days, while an oversized furnace short-cycles -- turning on and off frequently -- which wastes energy and causes uneven heating. We perform a Manual J heat load calculation for every installation, considering your home's square footage, insulation levels, window efficiency, ceiling height, and the extreme low temperatures common in the Big Horn Basin (often -20 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit).
24/7 Emergency Furnace Repair
A furnace failure in the middle of a Wyoming winter is not an inconvenience -- it is a dangerous situation. When temperatures drop well below zero, your home can lose heat rapidly, risking frozen pipes, water damage, and unsafe living conditions for your family.
Wrangler Plumbing & Heating provides 24/7 emergency furnace repair service throughout Cody and the Big Horn Basin. Call (307) 587-3713 any time, day or night, and we will respond as quickly as possible to restore heat to your home. Our technicians stock common replacement parts on their service vehicles so many repairs can be completed on the first visit, even during emergency calls.
Furnace Installations in Cody & Big Horn Basin
New furnace with complete ductwork in a Wyoming shop
Champion furnace in spray-foam insulated barn
Complete heating system with new ductwork runs
Furnace FAQs
Furnace repair costs in Cody range from $150-$500 for common issues like ignitor replacement, flame sensor cleaning, or thermostat repair. More complex repairs like blower motor or heat exchanger replacement can cost $500-$2,000. We provide a diagnosis and written estimate before performing any repairs.
We recommend annual furnace maintenance, ideally in September or October before the heating season begins. A $150 tune-up catches small problems before they become expensive breakdowns and keeps your furnace running at peak efficiency throughout Wyoming's long winter.
Common warning signs include strange noises (banging, squealing, rattling), uneven heating throughout the house, higher than normal heating bills, a yellow or flickering pilot flame instead of steady blue, frequent cycling on and off, and the furnace not reaching the set temperature. If you notice any of these, call for service before the problem worsens.
A well-maintained furnace typically lasts 15-20 years. Wyoming's harsh winters put extra demand on furnaces, which can shorten lifespan if maintenance is neglected. Regular annual tune-ups, filter changes, and prompt repairs help your furnace reach its full lifespan.
Yes. A furnace failure in a Wyoming winter is a genuine emergency. We provide 24/7 emergency furnace repair service in Cody and the Big Horn Basin. Call (307) 587-3713 anytime, day or night, and we will respond as quickly as possible to restore heat to your home.
For Wyoming's climate, we recommend a furnace with an AFUE rating of 95% or higher. A 95% AFUE furnace converts 95 cents of every dollar spent on gas into heat, compared to 80 cents for an older 80% AFUE unit. The energy savings from a high-efficiency furnace are significant over Wyoming's 6-7 month heating season.
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