It’s cold out and your furnace has stopped working. But before you call a professional, you want to make sure it’s not something easy you could fix yourself, right?
Then you’re in the right place. Here are a few things you can check before calling a furnace repair company.
Make sure your thermostat is on
This sounds silly, but it happens. (It’s easy to accidentally bump your thermostat.) Go to your thermostat and check that the thermostat is:
- On and functioning (if not, you may need to replace the battery)
- Set to “heat”
- Set to “auto”
- Set at least 3 degrees above room temperature
Change your air filter
A dirty air filter can restrict the airflow to your furnace, causing it to overheat and shut off. If your furnace seems to turn on for a short time and then shut off before heating up your home, your air filter could be the culprit.
Check the filter and change it if it looks dirty.
Check your circuit breaker
If there’s no air coming out of your vents at all, then your furnace might not be getting power at all. Go to your main electrical panel and look for a circuit labeled “furnace” or “heater”.
Try flipping it all the way off and then back on again. If you have a fuse-type panel, make sure the fuse is still good.
Note: If your furnace continues to flip your circuit breaker or blow fuses, stop using it and get a professional electrician to take a look. There’s likely a larger problem and you could be making it worse by running it.
Look for a power switch near your furnace
Some furnaces are plugged into an outlet that has a switch to turn off the power. This switch looks a lot like a regular light switch so it can sometimes be inadvertently flipped (while putting away a few Christmas decorations, perhaps?)
Look for the switch near your furnace and try flipping it on to see if that solves your problem.
Now, call a professional
Still need help? It’s time for a professional furnace repair company. Ragsdale has been serving the Atlanta metro area since 1996 and provides expert heating repair, service and installation.