When old man winter is blowing outside and the temperatures drop into the single digits, you may find yourself suddenly without heat in your home. A broken furnace is every homeowner’s worst nightmare, but luckily there can be multiple reasons why your heating system has stopped working properly. Chesterfield Service explains some of the common furnace problems that lead to no-heat calls, and what you can do to investigate the cause of the problem.
Common Reasons Why Your Furnace Has Stopped Working
Chesterfield Service is always there for you when you need it, but to save time and energy, it’s a good idea to investigate these common causes of furnace issues. You may even restore the heat to your home yourself.
Clogged Filter
Your furnace needs air to flow into the furnace so it can heat the air that flows through your duct system and around your home. The air is filtered by an air filter first, which removes pollutants, dust, and debris from circulating in the air. It’s important that you change your furnace’s air filter every three months. Oftentimes, insufficient airflow is the cause of a malfunctioning furnace. Check your air filter and if it is dirty, replace it. You can buy new air filters at your local hardware store.
No Power to the Furnace
First, check your home’s thermostat to make sure that it is receiving power. Change the batteries in the thermostat if applicable. If your thermostat is hardwired, check your home’s circuit breaker to make sure the breaker to the furnace or the thermostat hasn’t been tripped. Flipping the breaker may restore power to the furnace, but if it turns off again quickly, then you may want to call for furnace repair services.
The furnace should also have a power disconnect switch located near it. Check this switch to make sure it wasn’t accidentally hit and see if that restores heat to your home.
Lack Of Maintenance and Repairs
Many times before furnaces stop heating homes, they’ve been performing poorly. Oftentimes furnaces that need repairs are neglected for too long and issues develop. Furnace issues don’t go away on their own, and if you notice issues with your home’s furnace, call a furnace repair professional to look at your system. When one part breaks it can cause other parts to break as well which could be the reason why your furnace won’t turn on.
You should also have your furnace looked at every year. Furnace maintenance done by a professional HVAC technician can identify parts that are experiencing wear and tear and they can be replaced before they break.
An Issue with Your Gas Line
If you have a gas furnace, make sure that your furnace is receiving natural gas. Make sure the gas valve is open. Try the stove or other gas appliances to see if they are working. If not, talk to the gas company to see if there is an outage in your area.
Dirty Ignition Sensor
The ignition sensor is a safety device that detects whether your furnace is burning gas. Residue buildup on top of this sensor can prevent it from detecting when gas is burning and will shut down the furnace to prevent unburned gas from escaping. If you are confident in your skills, you can clean this sensor yourself. Turn off the power to the furnace and close the gas valve. Then, look for a small metal rod near the pilot light. Remove the rod and gently clean the metal rod with steel wool to remove buildup. Once it is clean, put the rod back into position and turn the gas on.
Call Chesterfield Service For Furnace Repairs
If you don’t feel confident in troubleshooting your furnace issues, or you’ve tried everything but need more help, call Chesterfield Service for quality furnace repair services. We can solve your furnace problems and restore heat to your home quickly. Call us right away.