A no-heat call during a January cold snap can put children, older adults, pets, and rural homes at real risk. Hooten Heating & Cooling repairs gas and propane furnaces, electric heat, and heat pumps across Goodman and McDonald County, with fast response when the temperature is dropping and honest diagnosis every time.
Because so many homes out here run on propane or a heat pump, we are used to the whole range of rural Missouri heating setups. We find the true cause — ignitor, flame sensor, gas valve, blower, control board, or a safety lockout — and give you written pricing before we touch a thing.
Common Heating Problems We Fix
Furnace won't start
A failed ignitor or flame sensor, a tripped safety switch, or a thermostat fault can leave you with no heat on the coldest night.
Blowing cold air
The blower runs but the air is cool — often a burner, gas supply, or heat-pump defrost problem.
Short-cycling
The furnace lights and shuts off repeatedly, which can signal overheating, a dirty flame sensor, or airflow restriction.
Loud bangs, booms, or squeals
Delayed ignition and blower noises need attention before they become bigger, costlier failures.
Burning smell or repeated breaker trips
Shut the system down and call — these are safety concerns, not something to reset and ignore.
Carbon monoxide worry
If your CO alarm sounds or you suspect a cracked heat exchanger, leave the area and request urgent professional help.
No Heat? What to Do in the First 30 Minutes
You can safely check a few things before we arrive — without opening the combustion chamber, bypassing a safety control, or testing live electrical components.
If your furnace won't heat
- 1Confirm the thermostat is set to heat and above room temperature; replace the batteries if the screen is blank.
- 2Check the filter — a clogged filter can overheat the furnace and trip a safety limit. Note the size before replacing it.
- 3Make sure the furnace power switch is on and the breaker hasn't tripped; don't keep resetting one that trips again.
- 4Confirm you have fuel — check the propane tank gauge or that natural-gas service is on.
- 5If a gas or propane furnace won't stay lit, don't relight it repeatedly. Record the thermostat message and call us.
Keep vulnerable family members and pets in the warmest room, and let faucets drip if pipes could freeze.
If you smell gas or suspect carbon monoxide
- 1Don't flip switches or light anything. Get everyone and pets outside to fresh air right away.
- 2If you smell gas, leave the door open as you go and call your gas provider and 911 from outside.
- 3If a carbon-monoxide alarm sounds, treat it as real — ventilate, get to fresh air, and seek help.
- 4Once everyone is safe, call us so we can inspect the system before it's used again.
Never bypass a furnace safety control or open the combustion chamber yourself.
Our Process
Every job follows a clear, honest process — so you always know what's happening and why.
- 1
Safety-first phone triage
We help you stay safe on the phone and gather the symptom, equipment type, and access details.
- 2
Full heating inspection
We inspect ignition, gas or propane supply, heat exchanger, blower, safeties, and the thermostat.
- 3
Confirm the fault
We test to pinpoint the real cause instead of replacing parts on guesswork.
- 4
Written pricing
You approve the repair cost in writing before we begin.
- 5
Repair, test & CO check
We repair, verify safe operation and airflow, and confirm the system heats properly.
We take combustion safety seriously. On every gas or propane repair we check for safe operation and rule out carbon-monoxide concerns before we call the job done. If we find a cracked heat exchanger or an unsafe condition, we tell you plainly and lay out your options rather than patching over a hazard.
January lows in the Goodman area average around 26°F, and a cold snap turns a dead furnace into an emergency fast — especially in older rural homes with limited backup heat. Never use an oven or an unvented heater to stay warm, keep a working carbon-monoxide alarm near sleeping areas, and call us right away if the alarm sounds or you smell combustion. Because so many McDonald County homes run on propane or a heat pump, we arrive prepared for the full range of rural heating setups.
What Affects the Price
Heating repairs vary widely by fault and fuel type. We separate diagnosis, labor, and parts on every quote so you understand the price, and we always tell you honestly when an aging furnace is better replaced than repaired.
Furnace Repair
$75–$3,500
By component & fuel
Emergency Heating
$150–$3,500
After-hours varies
Hourly Labor
$55–$225
Avg. total $210–$650
Heat Pump Repair
$95–$4,110
National range — verify
Researched, aggregated ranges to help you plan — not a quote. Your written price depends on the specifics below.
- Fuel type (natural gas, propane, electric, or heat pump)
- Part required (ignitor, flame sensor, gas valve, board, motor)
- Diagnostic and labor time
- Equipment age and safety condition
- Access to the furnace (closet, attic, crawlspace)
Repair or Replace Your Furnace?
When a furnace is older, unsafe, or expensive to fix, we lay out three honest paths — and we never patch over a safety hazard just to make a sale.
Repair
A single failed part — igniter, flame sensor, or blower motor — on an otherwise sound furnace is usually a straightforward, worthwhile fix.
Stabilize
A safe temporary repair restores heat now and buys time to compare replacement quotes before the next cold snap.
Replace
A cracked heat exchanger, repeat failures, or a furnace past 15–20 years often makes replacement the safer, more economical choice.
Need Furnace Repair Now?
Call Hooten Heating & Cooling for fast, honest furnace & heating repair across Goodman, McDonald County & Southwest Missouri.
Where We Provide Furnace Repair
Serving Goodman and communities across McDonald County and Southwest Missouri: