Now that winter has settled over the Twin Cities, you’re probably relying on your home’s furnace for maximum comfort. But no matter how new or well-maintained your furnace is, there’s always a chance it could conk out at the very worst possible time.
Your first instinct when this happens may be to pick up the phone and call your trusted HVAC technician. However, b
efore taking this step, try implementing a few troubleshooting tips, and you might figure out how to repair your home furnace.
Steps to Troubleshoot a Malfunctioning Furnace
- First, make sure your thermostat is set properly. If it’s on “cooling,” your heating system won’t kick on. Additionally, the temperature set on your thermostat dial needs to be higher than the temperature in your room.
- Next, check the battery in your thermostat (if it uses one) to make sure it’s working.
- Inspect your breaker box to make sure the circuit for your furnace blower hasn’t tripped. Also, you’d be surprised at how often furnace repair technicians show up to repair a non-operating furnace before quickly ascertaining that the furnace switch has been turned off.
- Find the fuel line to your furnace, and make sure the valve is parallel to the pipe, signaling that the system is getting gas.
- If your furnace is working, but just not delivering sufficient warmth, the culprit could be your air filter. A clogged air filter can severely undermine furnace performance, as the system struggles to meet the set thermostat temperature. A dirty air filter will also waste energy and stress furnace parts, including your blower motor. To avoid this problem, inspect your filter monthly and change it when it looks dirty or clogged.
- If you have a high-efficiency furnace, it should drain several gallons of water daily while in use. If it’s not, check the drain line to make sure it’s not clogged. A clogged line can result in automatic furnace shutdown.
If these troubleshooting steps don’t repair your home furnace, please contact Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We serve homeowners throughout 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.
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