HVAC Repairs: What to do if your furnace won’t turn on

If you wake up in a cold house one cold winter morning, you might experience a lot of shock and panic. This is not supposed to happen! If this happens to you, take a few deep breaths, and begin to think logically and efficiently. Look for the obvious things before you call for the repair technician. What should you do next?

If the furnace is not running, look for some obvious issues.

• Check the thermostat. Is the screen blank? Most thermostats are battery-powered; the battery might have died. Make sure it was not bumped to the OFF position. Check the Heat/Cool setting and the thermostat setting. Any of these problems might result in the furnace not working.
• Check the electric service panel to see whether the breaker marked Furnace or HVAC has tripped. If the circuit breaker has tripped, flip it on. If the furnace comes on and stays on, great job! If the circuit breaker does not remain on, call a repair technician.
• If the circuit breaker stays on, but the furnace does not come on, check the furnace cabinet for an appliance circuit breaker. If this breaker does not stay on, call a repair technician.
• If the furnace is gas-powered, check the supply valve near the burner assembly. The valve should be in line with the supply tube. If not, turn the valve to the on position and watch whether the burner assembly ignites.

These simple HVAC Repairs steps might make your home warm again.

If the furnace is running but not producing heat, again, look for more obvious issues.

• Check the thermostat settings for this problem as well; the temperature setting might have been bumped down.
• Check the air filter. A clogged air filter can severely restrict air movement. If heat is produced by either the heating element or the burner assembly, but not enough airflow is available to move the heat, the home will be cold.
• Also, check the burner assembly. If the pilot light is not lit or the automatic ignition is malfunctioning, heat will be wanting.
• For heat pumps, it is essential to keep the condenser coil clean. The timing might be all wrong, but the solution might be outside in the cold.
• If rooms are unevenly heated, check the supply vents. It is not unusual for vents to be covered by furniture, drapes, clothes, or even toys.

If the solution is not obvious, calling an HVAC Repairs technician will be necessary.

When your family is cold and uncertain of when they will get warm, any delay seems like an eternity. If your problem happens during extremely cold weather, finding a technician with an empty schedule might be difficult. Again, don’t panic, but take your time.

Better yet, it is best to know a professional technician team in advance of emergencies. HVAC systems need to be inspected, cleaned, and serviced regularly to ensure peak performance. By scheduling an annual visit from a trained technician, someone will be very familiar with your system. Regular cleaning and HVAC Repairs will prevent problems from developing earlier. A professional relationship might increase the urgency and reduce the wait time.

If you have HVAC Repairs, R.M. Mullinix can help!

For more information about R.M. Mullinix and our HVAC Repairs service, schedule an appointment or visit our HVAC maintenance information page.