Furnace Troubleshooting Tips From An HVAC Pro

Colorado has some of the wildest weather in the US. It’s possible for us to break records with a heatwave one day, followed by breaking records for snowfall the next.

While that may be hard for your body to adjust, imagine what it does to your HVAC equipment. Your air conditioner may be running for hours one day, only to need your furnace for the first time in months the next.

What happens if it doesn’t work as intended? What if your furnace doesn’t produce warm air? These furnace troubleshooting tips may come in handy as the temperatures continue to fall.

Check your thermostat

This may sound obvious, but we have many calls each year where the fix is nothing more than turning the thermostat to the on position. The switch can easily get moved by a child or if you accidentally move it while cleaning around the house. Check to ensure the switch is on, then move the temperature up or down a few degrees to ensure either your furnace or air conditioner turns on.

Check your air filter

Air filters are the second most common reason furnaces don’t work correctly. If you haven’t changed yours out in a while, it may be impacting the way your furnace operates. A dirty filter limits the airflow, which can cause problems with the way your furnace operates. As a general rule, replace your air filter at the start of each season, more often if your furnace has been put to heavy use.

Check the battery

Thermostats operate either by battery or electricity. If your thermostat operates by battery, check the low-battery indicator to see if it’s receiving power. You should also add this to your list of equipment you change the battery out regularly with. Twice a year, when we move the clocks forward and back is always a good time.

Check the circuit breaker

If you haven’t found the problem and your furnace still doesn’t turn on, check the circuit breaker for your furnace’s controls. Look to see if the switch has moved to the off position because the circuit breaker was tripped. If you’re not sure why it was tripped, be cautious as you move forward. It could be an indicator of a bigger problem with your equipment.

Check the furnace power switch

Depending on where your furnace is located, the power switch might be accidentally turned off. It can either be on the furnace itself, or on a wall nearby. It often looks like a regular light switch, which means it often gets pushed to the off position.

Look for an indicator code

Today’s modern equipment often comes with an indicator panel that will flash a code if it has a problem. This can help you determine what problem exists within your heating equipment. Once you have the code, you can usually find the code key behind the furnace access panel. Or check with the manufacturer online for a complete listing.

Check the gas valve

The furnace’s gas valve should always be in the on position. While this isn’t usually a problem, it’s a good idea to check it anyway, especially if you have a lot of activity in your home.

Now that cooler weather is upon us, and you’ll be using your furnace more, use these troubleshooting tips to ensure your equipment is working the way it should. Now is also the time to schedule your annual maintenance visit, to ensure your HVAC equipment will be operating well for months to come.