With the cold weather settling in, it can't hurt to brush up on your furnace troubleshooting skills. A gas furnace that stops dead in its tracks on the coldest day of the year not only impairs your home comfort; it can be downright dangerous. A furnace that isn't heating your home evenly or sufficiently also needs immediate attention. Following are some tips to figure out what's causing your furnace problems.
If the Furnace Won't Operate
- Check the power source for the blower motor. A furnace can't heat the air and then distribute it throughout your home without an operating blower. Make sure the furnace is switched on, the thermostat is set to "heat" with the temperature setting above room temperature, and that the circuit for the furnace hasn't tripped.
- Is something wrong with the pilot light? Check that the pilot light hasn't gone out in older furnaces equipped with pilot lights. If it keeps going out after re-lighting, call for service. Newer furnaces have electronic ignition, and if that's the problem, you probably won't be able to diagnose or fix it on your own.
- If the furnace problems were preceded by rattling or banging in the blower motor compartment, it could signify a problem with that machinery, such as a loose or detached part.
- If you hear small explosions inside the furnace before ignition, it could signal one or more clogged burners, with the gas accumulating and then igniting at once. At some point the burner may become totally clogged, shutting down the furnace. An HVAC professional should address this issue, though you can avoid it entirely with a comprehensive furnace tune-up.
If the Furnace isn't Providing Enough Heat
This could be the result of several furnace problems, including a clogged air filter, closed supply registers, a dirty or un-lubricated blower motor, dirty or leaky ductwork, or just an old furnace that can no longer keep up with your home's heating demands.
To address insufficient heat and other furnace problems in your Fort Wayne area home, please contact us at Hartman Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in New Haven, Indiana and surrounding Fort Wayne area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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