Your furnace or heat pump isn’t working, what should you do? Checking these simple items first might save you the cost of a service repair call.
Before you call for repair:
- Is the thermostat set in the correct mode? While this may seem simple, many people miss this as the seasons change. Verify that it is set either to “heat” or “auto”, and that the fan is set to “auto” or “on”. Most systems have a built in delay, so wait a few minutes after making any adjustment to see if your system comes on.
- Many thermostats have batteries. Verify those batteries are not dead. In general, it is a good idea to change your thermostat batteries every six months when you change the batteries in your smoke detector. Often there is an indicator on the display (look for a message that says “batt” or something similar) when the batteries are weak. If you are not sure how to access the batteries (or if your thermostat has them at all), have our technician show you at your next preventive maintenance appointment.
- Check your airflow. If a decrease in your system’s airflow is concerning you, make sure that something is not blocking your supply or return air registers, and that they are in the open position. This is also a good time to make sure that the filter is clean or replaced with a fresh one. Clogged filters are one of the most common, and easily preventable, causes for heater failures.
- Check your fuse box. Sometimes resetting the breaker is all that is needed to get your system running again. Be careful with this one though, if it happens more than once, you should call a professional to determine the reason.
If your furnace or air conditioner does not come on, it is time to call us and have one of our highly-trained technicians get your system up and running again.
