Heater Repairs - Troubleshooting Steps For The Average Joe

When the temperature starts dropping outside, you need to have your ducks in a row on the inside. Heater repairs can be costly and it’s not something you want to run into when you need that heat more than anything. In some areas, having a working system is a luxury. In others, it is a matter of survival. Whatever the case, it doesn’t hurt to have a decent knowledge base you can pull from when something goes wrong. Even knowing a few troubleshooting steps could keep you from having to wait until a repairman can make his way out to you. 

If you think you may be facing expensive heating repairs because your system won’t turn on, the first thing you should check are your circuit breakers. That system needs juice to run, after all, and it actually requires quite a lot of it. You’re probably familiar with this fact by perusing your electric bill after a cold month. Anyway, it is entirely possible that there was a circuit overload. Go and check the box and make sure this isn’t the case. If a breaker did trip, you might want to think about shutting off some electrical devices before you flip it back on again.

It would seem to go without saying, but do make sure that your system is turned on. If you’re working with a gas furnace, go check and make sure the pilot light is coming on. Check the thermostat and see if someone else might have changed the settings inadvertently. These are the kinds of simple things that go wrong and many people overlook them because they are so obvious. You don’t want to endure a cold night and pay for a company versed in heater repairs just so they can come out and flip a switch. 

Keep in mind that it could be the thermostat itself that is the problem. Perhaps the temperature sensor needs to be recalibrated. Try pushing the temperature higher and see if that makes the system come on. If so, it could be a problem with the thermostat. That will require repair, of course, but it probably won’t be expensive and you can get through the next few days knowing that you still have a working system.

Not all heater repairs are suitable for in home troubleshooting. If you feel the problem is beyond you, don’t hesitate to call a serviceman to your house for inspection and repair. Better to spend the money now than to try to fix it yourself and make the problem worse.