Simple Troubleshooting Tips For Gas Furnaces

When your gas furnace isn’t working as it should, your first instinct may be to call a Cleveland furnace repair company immediately. However, there are some times when you may actually be able to fix the issue yourself. Here are some simple troubleshooting tips for common problems:

Basics

Make sure that the furnace has power- occasionally, the power switch on the furnace can be jostled and inadvertently knocked off.  Be sure that the breaker to the furnace is in the correct position and is in the operating position.  Make sure the thermostat is set to heating and set to the correct temperature.

Low Airflow

If the air is warm but there doesn’t seem to be enough of it flowing through the registers, you may just need to change the furnace filter. An air filter that’s not changed often enough can accumulate excessive dirt, eventually blocking airflow through the ducts. Just pull the old filter out and slide a new one into its place. Make sure to put the filter in with the proper direction to air flow- look for an arrow o the filter.  If the airflow still seems restricted, you might have a blockage in one of the ducts. This is a problem best solved by the professionals.

No Heat At All

Newer furnaces no longer have pilots lights- the small flame that lights the main burner.  If your furnace is older, it may still have one.  If so, when your furnace completely fails to produce heat, the issue may be that the pilot light has blown out. Remove the furnace’s cover and locate the pilot light with the help of the owner’s manual. Hold a long-handled lighter up to the pilot in and attempt to re-light it. If it doesn’t light, you may need to have a HVAC company replace the pilot burner or the thermocouple, an instrument that regulates the safe, flow of gas to the furnace.

Increased Heating Bills

There are a few things you can try when your furnace seems to be working fine, but your heating bills have skyrocketed:

• Change the air filter. It takes a lot more energy for the furnace to push air through a dirty filter than through a clean one
• Make sure none of the registers or vents are blocked
• Make sure the thermostat is working properly. Measure the temperature of your home with another thermometer you know to be accurate. If the reading is more than a degree or two different than the temperature on the thermostat, you might want to have the thermostat replaced

Some simple furnace problems can be solved with basic know-how and a little elbow grease. If you run into a serious problem, contact P.K. Wadsworth, your Cleveland furnace repair specialist.