If your home’s furnace is malfunctioning – either it’s not providing sufficient heat or it’s not turning on at all – the problem may be something simple you can address without calling in a professional. Learning some simple furnace fixes can save you a lot of time and money, while making you better at assessing when to call a professional for help.
Some Simple Furnace Fixes
- If your furnace won’t kick on, make sure it’s actually turned on. Someone may have inadvertently turned off the switch, usually located on the wall near the furnace or on the furnace itself. Similarly, the circuit-breaker for your furnace may have tripped. Check the circuit box to make sure the circuit is in the correct position.
- If your furnace won’t turn on, another problem might be the thermostat. Make sure it’s set to the proper mode – heating. The set temperature should be higher than the temperature in your room, or the furnace won’t kick on. If your thermostat runs on batteries, make sure they still have juice.
- The pilot light in your furnace may have gone out if you can’t get the system to turn on. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions for lighting the pilot, which is often pasted right to the metal hatch that covers the ignition area. If you have a newer furnace, the electronic ignition could be faulty, in which case, you’ll want to call a professional.
- If your furnace is operating, but just isn’t delivering adequate heat, the problem might be a clogged air filter. If the filter is dirty, your furnace will struggle to deliver heated air throughout your home. Inspect your filter, and change it if it looks dirty.
- Check your ductwork to make sure no duct sections have become separated. This could be the issue if a single room or area isn’t getting enough heat.
If none of these simple furnace fixes have done the trick, it’s time to call in a professional. Contact Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning today. We provide quality HVAC services to the Twin Cities area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Dennis-Cox/Shutterstock”