If you run into problems with your furnace this winter, you can avoid extra costs and hassle if you can address them yourself without the assistance of an HVAC professional. While some problems are definitely better left to the pros, you can do many tasks yourself to get your home back to the comfort levels you have come to expect.
Listed are some of the most commonly experienced furnace problems and some quick and easy furnace troubleshooting tips that may be able to resolve them. Before you do any work to your furnace, however, shut off the electricity and gas to the heating system.
FURNACE PRODUCES NO HEAT
Check to see that your thermostat isn’t still set to its cooling mode. If the temperatures have only recently dropped, you may not have switched it yet. If this is OK, then check to see if you need to relight your pilot light (unless you have electronic ignition). You should also check to see that the furnace’s circuit doesn’t need resetting.
INEFFICIENT HEATING
The most common cause of system breakdowns is a dirty air filter, and one of the main symptoms of this is poor heat distribution in your home. When your furnace filter gets neglected for too long, the captured debris forms a thick dust screen that prevents air from flowing through easily. This not only impacts your comfort but it actually makes your heating costs rise by overworking your furnace. This extra work can also shorten its lifespan.
Holes and leaks in your ducts may also be the culprit. You can patch these up with duct mastic, an inexpensive material that spreads over problem areas and hardens to keep your conditioned air from leaking out before ever reaching your supply ducts.
If none of the furnace troubleshooting tips helps you resolve your issues, it’s time to contact the HVAC professionals at Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning. Located in South Windsor, we have proudly served the state of Connecticut since 1994.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace troubleshooting and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
Glasco Heating & Air Conditioning services South Windsor, Connecticut and the surrounding areas.