You can save yourself some money by following this step-by-step advice to checking our your funace system. You will learn what you can fix and when you should call a professional. It will give you confidence to do all you should do.
When your furnace stops working,
it can be disheartening. Before you call a service professional, there are a few things you can check to fix your heating. Utilize caution, because furnaces are inherently dangerous.
The first preventative maintenance is to change your filter and do it every month. Simply stock up on filters and keep them in a closet somewhere. If your cover grate is hard to remove, it is simple enough to buy an easy change replacement grate at one of the big box home improvement centers.
An inspection of your duct work is next in order of importance. Ductwork joints fail easily. The duct tape gives way and all of a sudden you are blowing your expensive warm air right into your attic and out the eaves. Double check to make sure that nothing is blocking your air return grate, too.
When your furnace will not come on, check your thermostat. It should be set to auto. An older thermostat can cost you money. Switching to a new digital one is reasonable and not to hard to do-it-yourself. Expect a new thermostat to cost around $35. Read the instructions carefully and you should not have any problems with the install.
Does your system have power? Sometimes fuses blow and breakers can trip. Carefully replace the fuses or reset the breakers. Watch them closely, because there may be something seriously wrong with your furnace that caused them to fail in the first place.
If power is not the problem, but the system is not working, there may be an issue with your blower. These are known to fail and replacement should be done by a qualified professional. The blower unit typically looks like a drum or cylinder. It will have fins on it to catch and propel the air. A look inside your furnace may reveal where the blower is and whether or not is has jammed. Sometimes a screw will come loose and impede your blower from working. Other times, though, it has come off the motor shaft and both the motor and the blower may be ruined.
If the blower looks ok, but is difficult to turn by hand, then most likely the bearings in the motor are shot and you are looking at a motor replacement. Be careful if you should touch the blower cylinder, as the fin edges can be as sharp as razors.
In newer units, there may be warning lights on the system. If they are blinking, then a quick power reset may be all you need to correct the problem. You will feel stupid paying for a service call, if all the technician does is turn your breakers off and then back on again. Surely you can do this first and see if that resets the furnace and fixes the problem. If you unit is cutting off when it is trying to light, then you have a problem that is beyond your scope and you need to call a professional.
Additionally, look for these warning signs that something is wrong with your furnace. Call a heating and air repairman if you experience any of the following symptoms: Is there a funny smell? You need to know what gas smells like. Natural gas does not have a smell, but the gas utility company actually put a smell into it so you can detect a gas leak. If you should ever smell gas in your home, get out immediately and call the utility company!
The flames in your heating unit should be blue and not yellow. If they are yellow, then your unit is not operating properly or efficiently. Blue flames are hotter than yellow flames.
If you hear odd sounds coming from your unit, then most likely something which is starting to obstruct one of the moving parts. Attend to it quickly, because a larger, more expensive failure is imminent.
Follow these steps and you will have peace of mind knowing that you took reasonable measures to fix the unit yourself and save yourself a service call. If you have any doubts or fear though, do not hesitate to call a professional for your heating repair.
