A burning furnace is an important component of the HVAC system in a home, especially during the cold season. The furnace provides warmth in the houses during the cold seasons or at night when the cold is at an optimum level and the house gets uncomfortable. Nevertheless, it becomes disheartening when you find out the furnace went out during this time. After realizing this, most individuals would prefer to get a heating technician to fix the problem. However, this article outlines what you can do after realizing your furnace went out.
Check the thermostat
When the furnace goes off, the main problem might be the thermostat. The thermostat controls the heat settings of the HVAC systems. Firstly you need to check to ensure you’ve set the furnace to heat but not to cool. It’ll be good to set the temperature five degrees higher than the room temperature to see if it picks up. Additionally, check if the thermostat wires leading to the furnace have any breakages. If you notice any breakages, you can repair them by taping them using electrical tape. Lastly, it’ll also be good to open and dust the thermostat and attach it when it’s dust-free, also ensure there are no loose wires.
Ensure the gas and furnace valves are on
Sometimes you might think the furnace went out due to breakages, but the cause may be because you hadn’t put it on for a longer time. This scenario mostly happens during the warmer months or after a repair. Thus, you’ll need to look for a wall switch around the furnace to keep it back on. More so, it’ll be important to ensure your gas valve is always on. Remember, when you switch off the gas valve, there will be no gas for the furnace to burn.
Shutting the blower motor panel
The furnace may have issues if you haven’t completely shut the blower motor. You may have forgotten to shut the blower motor completely after repairs on the furnace. It may be the main reason for your furnace going off. As part of a safety feature, the furnace won’t run when you haven’t securely fastened the motor panel. Thus, to securely shut the panel, you’ll need to press in the panel. Your furnace might pick up and start working after shutting it well.
Check and make replacements for the air filter
The main reason for the furnace to go off is a lot of dirt accumulating in the filters and blocking the airflow. The dirt clogging the filter causes the furnace to run for long and overheats, thus leading to the furnace shutting down. If your furnace went out, you can switch the furnace and thermostat off, then inspect the filters. After finding dirt or dust clogging or blocking the filters, you can replace the air filters to allow the furnace to start working.
Inspecting the air ducts
When you realize your furnace has stopped working, the problem might be the air ducts. It’ll be important to check the air ducts. When checking the air ducts, you need to open the dampers that control the airflow completely. In addition, you need to check if the ducts have gaps or leaks, which may be allowing the warm air to escape from the furnace. You can replace the air ducts if you notice any leaks or gaps.
Final thoughts
Having a furnace that’s not working in cold seasons can be quite stressful. However, when you switch on and find the furnace went off, you don’t need to worry or call the heating technician. There may be some common cause of the problem, which you can use the tips above to correct.
Furnace not working as it should? Call the team at North NJ HVAC on (908) 845-8496