It is early September. The first genuinely cold week is still ahead, and that is when propane furnaces and water heaters usually fail, not in mild October when nobody is asking much of them. They sit quiet through the summer. Then the temperature drops hard, the house calls for heat all night, and a problem that was waiting in the vent or the regulator shows up before sunrise. We would rather look at the appliance now, while the roads out of Montezuma Creek are still ordinary driving.
Why the first cold week is when things quit
A furnace that has not run hard since April has not been tested. Dust sits. A nest can block a vent. A connection that was fine in warm weather gets asked to work in a long, cold night. The water heater has been keeping up with summer dishes and short showers. Then everyone wants a hot bath on the same evening the furnace is already running, and the weak spot shows.
That is why October is a better month for this work than January. In October a service visit is a planned stop. In January the same visit is competing with no-heat calls, and the drive is harder. From the yard at US Route 162 and Route 262 we run through Aneth, Red Mesa, Mexican Water, Bluff, Blanding, and Mexican Hat, and further out to Monument Valley, Kayenta, Dennehotso, Rock Point, Blue Gap, Whippoorwill, Chinle, Many Farms, and Shiprock. The towns we serve are on our service area page. Some of those roads are easy in September and slow after snow. Weather can delay a delivery, and it can delay a service truck too. Getting the appliance looked at before that week is the whole point.
Homes out here stay warm on propane. The practical side of that, in plain language, is on our why propane page.
What a service visit actually covers
When we come out, a technician checks the appliance, the connections, the venting, and the regulator, and confirms it is burning the way it should. That is the visit. It is true for a furnace, a water heater, and other propane appliances in the house.
The technician is looking at whether the unit lights and runs, whether the vent is clear and carrying exhaust out, whether the regulator is doing its job, and whether the connections are sound. If something needs repair or a part, we tell you before we go further. If the unit is at the end of its useful life, we will say that too. We service heating systems, water heaters, and other propane appliances, and we install them. The full list is on our services page.
This is licensed work. We are licensed and insured, our drivers are CETP-certified, and Running Horse Services is Navajo Nation-owned, a subsidiary of Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Company. Appliance service is a technician’s job, not a Saturday project.
What you can do, and what you should leave alone
There are a few things a homeowner can safely do. They are limited, and they matter.
- Keep the vent clear of weeds, nests, snow, and anything stored against it.
- Keep the area around the furnace and the water heater clear, with room to get to the unit.
- Notice changes in smell, sound, and flame color, and call us if something is different.
That is the list. Do not tighten fittings. Do not relight a pilot. Do not thaw a regulator. Do not hunt for a leak. Do not wire a generator. If you smell gas, if a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, or if the unit will not light, get people away from the problem and call. For a leak or a sounding alarm, use the steps in the safety section below. For a furnace that will not start on a cold morning, call us at 435-255-1020 and we will get a technician on the schedule. That number is also the emergency line, and it is answered 24 hours.
A yellow or sooty flame you can see, a new rumble, a new odor, or soot around a vent are all reasons to call the same day. You are noticing. You are not fixing.
Why we ask you to do this in September and October
October still has some mild days, which means the house is not depending on the furnace while we are working on it. In January, you need the heat the same hour we need to shut the unit down to look at it. That is a worse morning for everyone. We do not promise a clock time for service or for delivery. We come as fast as it is safe to.
If the furnace has been cycling oddly, if the water heater has been running out faster than it used to, or if nobody has looked at the system since last winter, now is the week to call.
Use the same visit to get on keep-full
A service stop is a good time to look at how you get propane, not only how you burn it. If you are on will-call, you watch the gauge and you call us. That works if you really do look. If the house is empty during the day, if you are looking after an elder, or if last winter you got lower than you meant to, keep-full is the better plan before the season. On keep-full we track how the household uses propane and schedule a delivery before you get low. You still glance at the dial, and you still tell us if you add a heater, a generator, or more people in the house.
If you want to switch, say so when you book the service visit. We can look at the tank and the appliances on the same trip. You can reach us through our contact page or by calling 435-255-1020.
Carbon monoxide and the smell of gas
Propane appliances work hardest in winter. Every level of the home should have a working carbon monoxide alarm. If you smell an odor like rotten eggs, or a CO alarm sounds, get everyone outside first, call 911 from a safe place, then call us at 435-255-1020. Do not look for the leak yourself. Do not go back inside until responders say it is safe.
The same steps are on our safety page.
Running Horse Services - US Route 162 and Route 262, Montezuma Creek, UT 84534 - 435-255-1020
Questions we get
How often should a propane furnace be serviced?
A propane furnace should be serviced once a year, before the heating season. That visit is when a technician checks the appliance, the connections, the venting, and the regulator, and confirms it is burning the way it should. Summer idle is hard on a unit that then runs all night in the first freeze. Call us at 435-255-1020 in September or October. Waiting until January means you are asking for a repair in a cold week.
Why is my propane water heater not keeping up?
A propane water heater that is not keeping up may be low on fuel, may need service, or may have a vent or burner problem. Check the tank gauge first. If the tank has propane and the water is still cool or runs out fast, call us and we will send a technician. Do not take the heater apart or relight a pilot yourself. A changed flame color, a new smell, or a new sound are reasons to call the same day.
What does a propane appliance service visit include?
A service visit includes a technician checking the appliance, the connections, the venting, and the regulator, and confirming it is burning the way it should. That is true for a furnace, a water heater, and other propane appliances in the house. The technician is looking for problems that show up when the unit finally runs hard. You can help by keeping the vent and the area around the appliance clear. Leave the fittings and the lighting to us.
Should I switch to automatic propane delivery before winter?
Yes, if you heat with propane, switching to keep-full before winter is a good idea. We track how your household uses fuel and schedule a delivery before you get low, which matters when weather can delay a truck. You still glance at the gauge, and you still call us if you add a heater or a generator. Will-call works if you really do check the tank. For most houses here, keep-full is the calmer way through winter.
