Furnace Repair Checklist
1. Inspect the Thermostat
To start, make certain that your thermostat is signaling your furnace to turn on.
Digital Thermostat
- Change the batteries if the display is blank. If the digital screen is mixed up, the thermostat may need to be swapped out.
- Make sure the button is on “heat” rather than “off” or “cool.”
- Make certain the program is displaying the correct day and time and is programmed to “run.” If you’re having a hard time turning off the program, set the temperature by utilizing the up/down arrows and holding the “hold” button. This will cause the furnace to start if thermostat is causing a problem.
- Turn the temperature setting to 5 degrees hotter than what the room temperature currently is.
If your furnace hasn’t turned on within a few minutes, make certain that it has electricity by changing the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t begin to run, your heating system could be without power.
Smart Thermostat
If you have a smart thermostat—like one designed by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch—troubleshooting is very model-specific. Check the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to function, contact us at 812-825-8695 for heating and cooling service.
2. Check Breakers and Switches
Next, confirm your breaker and furnace switch are on.
- Find your main electrical panel. If you aren’t sure where it is, look for a silver metal box in your basement, garage or closet.
- Make certain that your hands and feet aren’t wet before opening the panel or breakers.
- Find the breaker marked “furnace” or “heat,” and make sure it’s switched “on.” If you find that the breaker tripped, it will be in the middle or “off” spot.
- With one hand, quickly switch the breaker to the “on” position. If the breaker trips right away and pops back to “off,” don't try to reset it and get in touch with an expert from Stanford Heating & Cooling at 812-825-8695 quickly.
It doesn’t matter how old your furnace is or what brand it is, it has at least one ordinary wall switch situated on or close to it.
- Make certain the control is moved up in the “on” position. If it was switched off, it could take your furnace up to five minutes to ignite. (If you’re unaware of where your furnace is located, check your basement, garage or utility closet. It might also be in a crawl space or attic.)
3. Buy a New Air Filter
When we consider heating breakdowns, a filthy, clogged air filter is often to blame.
If your filter is too dirty:
- Your heating system won’t stay on, or it might get too warm from limited airflow.
- Your energy bills may increase because your heat is working more often.
- Your heat might stop working too soon due to the fact a dusty filter causes it to work overtime.
- Your heating can lose power if an overly filthy filter causes the breaker to trip.
Based on what type of heater you own, your air filter will be in the interior of the blower compartment of your heating system, an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
To swap out your filter:
- Turn off your heating system.
- Pull out the filter and angle it toward the light. If you can’t see light through it, replace it.
- Insert the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the heating system to avoid damage.
Flat filters need to be replaced every month, while pleated filters should last about three months. If you have children or pets, you might have to put in a new filter more often.
To make changing your filter easier down the line, draw with a permanent pen on your furnace outside or ductwork to indicate the airflow direction and filter size.
4. Look at the Condensate Pan
Commonly known as drain pans, condensate pans hold water your heater removes from the air.
If liquid is seeping from within your furnace or its pan is overflowing, use these guidelines.
- If your pan includes a drain (look for a PVC pipe), check that it isn’t full. If it should be drained, drop in a special pan-cleaning tablet you can get at home improvement or hardware stores.
- If your pan uses a pump, take a look at the float switch. If the button can’t be moved from the “up” position with standing water in the pan, contact us at 812-825-8695, because you will probably need a new pump.
5. Look for Heater Error Codes
If failures persist, peek inside your furnace’s plastic window to check the blower motor’s status. Depending on the model, the light may also be mounted on the exterior of your heating system.
If you see anything except a solid, colored light or twinkling green light, reach us at 812-825-8695 for HVAC service. Your heater might be communicating an error code that needs expert service.
6. Clean the Flame Sensor
If your furnace tries to operate but switches off without distributing heat, a dusty flame sensor can be at fault. When this takes place, your furnace will make an attempt to ignite three times before a safety device shuts it down for about an hour.
If you feel comfortable with taking the panels off your furnace, brushing off your flame sensor is a task you are able to do on your own. Or, one of our heating service professionals is able to do it for you.
If you want to clean the sensor personally, you should have:
- A 1/4” hex screwdriver or wrench
- Bit of light grit sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth
- A fresh paper towel
Then:
- Disable the heating system’s power through its wall switch or breaker. If your gas valve isn’t electric, you must turn off the gas as well.
- Take off the heater’s front panel and trace the wire to the flame sensor.
- Unscrew the rod and use your sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth to carefully scrub the metal rod.
- Clean the rod with a paper towel.
- Put the sensor back in.
- Put the furnace doors back on.
- Restore power to the furnace. It could run through a sequence of examinations before continuing normal running. If your furnace doesn’t turn on, the sensor could have to be replaced or something else could be creating an issue. If this takes place, get in touch with us at 812-825-8695 for heating and cooling repair assistance.
7. Relight the Pilot Light
If you have an outdated furnace, the pilot light could be turned off. To relight it, locate the directions on a sheet on your furnace, or use these guidelines.
- Locate the lever on the bottom of your heater marked “pilot,” “on” and “off.”
- Turn the switch to the “off” position.
- Don’t do anything for at least five minutes to prevent creating a fire.
- Turn the switch to “pilot.”
- Push the “reset” button as you push the flame of a long lighter to the pilot light opening.
- Release the “reset” button once the pilot light is lit.
If you have followed the list twice and the pilot light still won’t light or stay ignited, contact us at 812-825-8695 for furnace service.
Double-Check Your Fuel Source
Try turning on a second gas appliance. If it doesn’t work, your natural gas service may be shut off, or you may have run out of propane.