What to Do When Your Furnace Won’t Turn On

What to Do When Your Furnace Won’t Turn On

Your furnace becomes all the more important to your household when winter arrives. However, there will inevitably be instances where the heater fails, mainly when it hasn’t been used for a long time. There’s no need to worry about a failing heating system as long as you’re mindful of basic troubleshooting techniques. In this post, your HVAC repair and installation experts list a few. Here are the most common problems you’re likely to encounter:

Thermostat issues. It may sound obvious, but remember that your thermostat should be set to heat. It should be noted that newer electronic thermostats usually display an error code if something goes wrong. You can quickly check the display and see if it tells you what the problem is.

Dirty filters. Cooling and heating service teams iterate that a clogged filter will reduce your unit’s efficiency. Worse, it could lead to your limit switch being damaged.

Over-cycling. Does your furnace seem to be kicking on more frequently than usual? If so, this will result in your power bills going increasing higher.

Weak pilot light. This component of your furnace is more than what it seems. If you notice that the pilot light is flickering, experts note that this could be due to excessive carbon monoxide. 

Faulty blower belt. This will be made evident by a high-pitched sound coming from your system while it’s in operation.

Worn-out ball bearings. Keep in mind that this is designed to keep your motor working properly. However, like any material, it’s prone to wear and tear over time.

Non-existent air. Cooling service providers say this could be due to various factors, but the primary cause is a clogged blower. 

Unpleasant sounds. If you’re hearing rattling or popping noises coming from your furnace, this could be related to your panels being loose, or it could be a ductwork issue.

How to Address Furnace Issues

While it’s critical to make sure you have a functioning heating system over the holidays, you need to understand how to guarantee you’ll be able to fix it once it starts acting up. For your troubleshooting steps, here are some things you can consider doing:

• Reset. Cooling service providers will remind you that there’s always a reset button on your unit’s motor housing. Similar to most appliances and gadgets, you can opt to turn the device off and wait a few minutes for it to cool down. Do this at least twice if it doesn’t work immediately.
  
• Double-check your thermostat settings. Homeowners often neglect the thermostat. Don’t forget that this part of your heating system assesses the room’s temperature and allows you to set and adjust it as desired. The simplest way to do this is by resetting it, putting the fan on auto and seeing if it constantly runs on all settings. You can also opt to change your batteries as needed.
  
• Ensure that the gas isn’t turned off. Your heating service provider will tell you that any gas furnace will have a valve or gas cock located within six feet of the unit. It’s likely that this could have been closed accidentally. If its handle is perpendicular to the pipe, you can open it by turning the little handle. However, if the furnace still doesn’t run once the valve is open, call a professional to assess the situation.
  
• Replace your filter. A filter clogged with dust, hair and debris will prevent your system from working properly. Moreover, this filter needs to be replaced every three months, regardless of any airflow issues. Replacing it won’t solve the problem, so you need to immediately hire a technician to have it inspected, cleaned or repaired.
  
• Check the ignition sensor. This sensor is a safety device that detects whether the furnace is burning gas. It uses the furnace’s increasing temperature to identify flames. When it can’t sense any, it will shut the unit down. Cleaning it will help turn it back on:

• Check error codes to ensure you don’t have severe issues.
• Turn your power and gas off.
• Remove the front panel to locate the sensor and take it out using a screwdriver.
• Carefully tidy up the ignitor’s probe with sandpaper.
• Once clean, slide the sensor back into place and replace the screw that keeps it in place.
• Swith it back on.
• Determine whether there’s electricity. You can conveniently check this by determining if your other home electrical components are working. Call your service provider if they’re not.

Call your local HVAC technician. Although some of the solutions require little to no technical experience, consulting with a professional is still a good idea. This way, you’ll be able to understand and figure out what went wrong. You’ll also be enlightened as to whether it needs minor repairs or an entire replacement. Keep in mind that this will allow you to save more time and money because DIYs may lead to a more stressful, costly outcome.

The Bottom Line

Indeed, prevention is often better than the cure—this makes perfect sense with your heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems too. The best way to guarantee that your furnace will operate smoothly over the winter is to clean it regularly. It’s worth noting that this not only means replacing the oil and air filters and scheduling a combustion chamber clean-up, flue pipe inspection, burner adjustment and floor vent polishing. Don’t forget that finding a reliable contractor to perform these steps is critical as well.

Schedule Your Appointment Today! 

If you need HVAC repairs and installations, we’ll work to find a product that will adequately heat or cool your home that also fits your budget. You can trust the W.E. Beavers Jr. Heating & Cooling  team with all your heating and cooling needs. Call (703) 897-5505  or fill out our contact form today to   get in touch  with our team.