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When you think about the cold winter months, you don’t want to experience your furnace breaking down. Without a working furnace, your home can get quite cold. While annual maintenance can help lower the risk of your furnace breaking down unexpectedly, there are times when this can still happen. Here are some tips for addressing a furnace that’s not working.
Your Thermostat Could Be To Blame
One of the best places to start is by checking your thermostat. If the screen on your thermostat is blank, it isn’t receiving power. This could be due to something as simple as a tripped circuit breaker or dead batteries. If neither of these is the cause of your issue, your thermostat may need to be replaced, or the wiring connected to your thermostat may be loose and require tightening. One of our residential heating services professionals can assess the latter possibilities to determine the root cause of your issue.
Check Your Fuel Supply
If your furnace runs on natural gas, check the meter to ensure it hasn’t been shut off outside your home. If your furnace runs on propane or heating oil, check your fuel supply to ensure that there’s still adequate fuel for your system to run. If your furnace runs on electricity, ensure you have power at your home. This includes checking to ensure that the breaker leading to your furnace hasn’t tripped during an electrical storm or power surge.
It’s crucial to pay attention to any smells coming from your fuel supply. For example, if you smell rotten eggs and have natural gas in your home, you have a leak. Make sure to shut off the main supply line until you can have the issue repaired by one of our professionals. Vacate and ventilate your home. You never want to let the fuel continue to leak, as it can be hazardous for you and your family.
Examine Your Air Filter
A significant next step is to check the state of your furnace filter. If the filter is overly dirty, it could restrict airflow through your ductwork and cause your system to shut off due to overheating. Hold the filter up to a light source and look through it. If you can still see through it, the filter still has usable life left. However, if you can’t see through it, it’s overly dirty and needs to be replaced. If you have a reusable filter, vacuum it and then wash it, letting it fully dry before replacing it.
Verify That Your Furnace Ignitor Is Lit
If you have a fuel-burning furnace, check the ignition components. An older furnace may still have a pilot light. If the pilot light is out, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to relight it. If you have a more modern furnace that relies on an ignition module, pay attention to whether it’s sending a spark to the burner.
Once you hear your thermostat click and your furnace turns on, the electronic igniter should send a spark directly to the burner. If it’s creating a spark, then you know the issue doesn’t lie with the igniter. However, if there is no spark, you likely have a faulty electronic igniter that needs to be replaced by one of our HVAC technicians.
If you notice that the burner seems to light but then goes out quickly, you likely have a problem with the flame sensor. This component detects when there’s a flame on the burner and shuts off the fuel supply whenever it senses that there’s no flame. Unfortunately, if the flame sensor eye has a buildup of debris, it may falsely detect that there’s no flame when there is one.
You can try cleaning off the sensor eye to see if your system starts working again. If not, one of our HVAC technicians may need to replace this flame sensor.
Try Resetting It
If you’ve checked everything above, you may want to try resetting your furnace. Furnaces typically have a reset button, usually red or yellow, located on the side of the unit. Press down on the button and hold it for a minute before releasing it. The furnace should automatically turn on and start working.
If your furnace turns on but immediately shuts off again, it indicates a different issue. If you have a fuel-fired furnace, it’s important to know that you shouldn’t press the button often, as this can create too much fuel and cause combustion issues.
Reset Blower Components
Upon further inspection, if you notice that your furnace seems to be turning on and lighting, but you don’t hear the blower fan running to distribute the hot air throughout your ductwork, you may need to consider resetting your blower components. Most of them will have a small red button on the blower motor that you can push to reset it. If the motor does start back up after you hit the reset button, ensure you’re paying attention to any operational noises that are out of the norm. These include grinding or humming, as they indicate that the blower motor is likely to fail. When you go to reset the blower motor, make sure to check that the blower fan belt is still in good working condition and hasn’t broken off.
Check for Error Codes
If you have a modern furnace, it may have a built-in LED screen that can help you determine the problem with your system. The screen will usually provide an error code number that you can look up in your owner’s manual, which will guide you to the source of the problem. Sometimes, a smart thermostat may also provide clues about issues with your furnace. Before your system breaks down, the thermostat may indicate that it is running longer than normal to reach the desired temperature or using more energy than it did in the past.
Try a Whole System Power Cycle
Before calling one of our HVAC technicians, the last-ditch effort is to perform a complete system power cycle. This involves shutting off your furnace from the breaker panel for at least 5 to 10 minutes. After waiting, you can turn the breaker back on and press the reset button on your furnace. This may help it turn on if there is an internal electrical malfunction.
Contact a HVAC Contractor
While it is nice to have an understanding of the reasons why a furnace stops working, it is still best to contact an HVAC company that can send an HVAC technician. This is the best solution because they have the expertise to diagnose and fix the issue safely and efficiently. They can identify problems much faster and save you time and money.
Reliable Furnace Repair Service
Atticman Heating and Air Conditioning, Insulation offers reliable furnace repair service for the Sacramento, CA, area. We can also help with all your home heating and cooling installation, replacement, and maintenance needs. Contact us now to schedule your service consultation with our friendly HVAC technicians!
