Plenty of “dead” furnaces wake right back up after a check you can do in your slippers.
Why Missoula Furnaces Balk in October
A furnace that sat idle all summer is the likeliest one to stall on its first real workout.
The National Weather Service in Missoula logged the city’s second warmest winter since 1893 last year. Furnaces barely broke a sweat.
NOAA now leans toward another mild Northern Rockies winter, driven by a strong El Niño. Mild winters still bring cold snaps that catch furnaces sleeping.
The 5 Minute Furnace Triage
Stop the moment you smell gas.
- Thermostat. Set it to Heat, five degrees above room temperature. A blank screen usually means dead batteries.
- Breaker and service switch. That light switch near the furnace gets flipped off by accident more than you’d guess.
- Filter. A clogged filter overheats the unit and trips the high limit switch.
- Blower door. If the front panel isn’t seated snugly, a safety switch keeps everything off.
- Status light. Many furnaces flash a code through a small window. Count the blinks and match them to the chart inside the panel.
Decode What You’re Hearing
What happens | Likely culprit | Your move |
Nothing at all | Power or thermostat | Check breaker and batteries |
Inducer hums, no flame | Pressure switch or igniter | Call a technician |
Flame lights, then quits | Dirty flame sensor | Schedule a cleaning |
Blower runs cold air | Ignition or gas supply | Call a technician |
A flame sensor is a thin metal rod that proves fire is present. Crusted over, it shuts the gas off.
When to Put Your Flashlight Down
Smell rotten eggs or hear a carbon monoxide alarm? Get everyone outside and call NorthWestern Energy from the driveway.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects natural gas storage to hit its highest preseason level since 2016, and Administrator Tristan Abbey called that extra gas a cushion for winter demand.
Why Missoula Calls Right Now Plumbing and Heating
Right Now Plumbing and Heating is locally owned, does service right now, and has fair pricing. With more than 540 Google reviews, one reviewer said:
“…made an HVAC technician and plumber available for me within one day. They were prompt and communicative as the problems were discovered and resolved!…”
From the Rattlesnake and Grant Creek to Linda Vista, Lolo, and Frenchtown, we’re ready to help!
Furnace Questions Missoula Folks Ask
Why won’t my furnace kick on when the thermostat says Heat?
Dead batteries, a tripped breaker, or a flipped service switch cause most no start calls.
Can a dirty filter really shut my furnace down?
Yes. Trapped heat trips the high limit switch, which shuts the burners off for safety.
Is it safe to reset my furnace myself?
One reset is fine. If it locks out again, call a technician, since repeated resets can mask a combustion problem.
How often should a Missoula furnace get serviced?
Once a year, ideally in early fall before the first cold spell.
Your Next Move
Ran all five checks and still no heat? Call Right Now Plumbing and Heating at (406) 214-8904. Better yet, book a fall tune up so we clean that flame sensor before winter does the diagnosing for you.
Written by the owner of Right Now Plumbing and Heating.
Sources
- Montana Public Radio, “Montana’s warm winter is one for the record books,” April 2026 (citing NWS Missoula)
- NOAA Climate Prediction Center winter outlook, via Unofficial Networks, September 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “EIA expects highest natural gas inventories in a decade heading into winter,” August 11, 2026
- Google Business Profile review, Right Now Plumbing and Heating (Missoula), Jake Harris, March 24, 2026