When you have a problem with your furnace, you shouldn’t rush to a furnace repair service professional. This is because you can troubleshoot and even fix your appliance by yourself.
Even if you don’t fix the unit, troubleshooting the unit will help you know the areas that might be problematic, which comes in handy when preparing for the repair costs.
To help you out, here is a short troubleshooting checklist that you can use to your advantage:
Start with the thermostat.
Make sure the thermostat is set to “Heat.” You can turn the switch at the bottom of the thermostat to “Cool,” causing your furnace to turn off. If it is not already set to heat, turn it on and make sure the temperature is high enough to activate the furnace.
Check the program settings: Check that the application is displaying the correct day, time, and a.m./p.m… settings.
Adjust the temperature manually: If you are unable to make the program settings work, you can disable them altogether. Simply enter the desired temperature using the up/down control button, then press and hold it. This will overwrite any thermostat settings, ruling out any programming issues.
Check your batteries: Some thermostats are connected to your home’s electrical system. Some operate on batteries. If your thermostat’s batteries are dead, it cannot communicate with the furnace. Replace the batteries and see if it resolves the issue.
Check the furnace switch.
Furnaces have a power switch that resembles a light switch found on your furnace or a nearby wall. Every furnace, regardless of age or type, contains one somewhere. And all you need to do is find it.
Flip the switch and wait a minute or two to see whether the furnace turns on. Sometimes there is a second switch at the top of the basement steps.
Some furnaces feature emergency cut-out switches that turn on when a door or service panel is removed or not properly closed after servicing. It is typical for this switch to be mistakenly turned off. Check that all access panels and doors to the furnace are entirely closed.
Check the filter
A filthy air filter is obstructed, which causes your furnace to work harder. A dirty air filter can cause excessive energy costs and harm to your furnace, limiting its lifespan if not cleaned.
A dirty furnace filter makes it difficult for the fan to circulate air, increasing the amount of power required to complete its work and driving up energy expenses.
To keep your energy expenditures low and indoor air quality excellent, check your furnace air filter on a regular basis, usually every one to two months during the heating season.
A furnace that is too tiny will not be able to create enough heat to keep the home warm, so it will run longer than intended in order to compensate, resulting in higher energy expenditures.
This is essentially the same problem as if the system were too large, with the same results: increased wear and strain on the equipment, resulting in a shorter furnace lifespan and greater running expenses.
Pay attention to the size of the furnace.
Another common furnace issue is an incorrectly sized heating system. It may sound contradictory, but furnaces that are overly large for their homes produce significantly more energy than is required.
This happens regularly, and the thermostat turns off the furnace before it has completed a full heating cycle. Furnaces of all sizes are designed to work in cycles, each providing a specific amount of output over a set period of time.
If your furnace is unable to finish a complete heating cycle, it will not heat your home effectively, cycling on and off repeatedly.
You should consult professionals and determine whether you are using an appropriately sized unit. If this isn’t the case, you should highly consider replacing your unit with a better one.
Check whether you have a gas issue.
The pilot light can sometimes be the source of a problem with an older furnace. Check the pilot light to ensure it is not out and that the gas is turned on. It might happen when the pilot opening is clogged or when the valve is closed.
If you have a newer unit without a pilot light, trace the gas line from the furnace to the meter and ensure that the handle is parallel to the gas pipe (which signifies it is turned on) if it was previously perpendicular.
Check for error codes.
If your furnace was manufactured after 1990, it should feature an indication light to self-diagnose any problems it may be experiencing. The light will flicker as the furnace resets after you turn it off and back on.
The flashing is intended to give you an idea of what the problem is. Look at one of the furnace’s access panels for the key that explains what each sequence represents.
Even if you are unable to resolve the issue yourself, it will serve as a helpful starting point when you contact an HVAC professional.
Check the drain lines.
High-efficiency furnaces can drain several gallons of water every day. If the drain lines become clogged with silt or mold, your furnace will shut down. If the drain hose appears unclean, remove it, fill it with a mixture of bleach and water (25% bleach), and flush it after a few minutes.
Parting shot
These are some of the things you should check before you hire heating service repair Huntington professionals to look into your unit and fix it.
If you have tried troubleshooting the unit without success, go ahead and hire a professional. When hiring, don’t hire the first one you come across. Instead, hire an experienced one who knows what they are doing.
One of the worst things you can do is to hire a cheap one in the name of saving money, then you realize that they aren’t experienced, and they end up ruining your unit.
To be on the safe side, hire a reputable and highly experienced professional. They might be expensive, but they will be worth it in the long run.
While this is the case, keep your eyes out for those charging extremely exorbitant prices, as they might be simply ripping you off, and you don’t want this, do you?