What to do if your heater isn’t working
It’s going to be cold this weekend in the greater Philadelphia area. For some, they love the look and feel of winter in the air. They get to come into a home that is nice and toasty and out of the cold winter weather. What happens if your furnace is not functioning properly?
Follow these steps to get to the source of the heating problem:
Philadelphia Heating Repair
- Is the system selector switch in the “heat” position?
- If your thermostat is electric, it could be that the batteries are weak. Try changing the batteries to see if it helps.
- Is the display showing?
- Check that the circuit breaker is on and that the fuse for the furnace has not blown.
- Is the temperature set at least 3 degrees above current room temperature?
- The motor in your furnace may need to be reset if it was overloaded. There should be a reset button near the motor. Press the button. If nothing happens, wait a half hour and try again.
- Turn off the power to the furnace at the main electrical panel or sub-panel. Look for a fuse on the power switch. If there is one, it may have blown and you should change it by following the manufacturer’s instruction manual.
- Forced Air Furnaces Only. If your thermostat has a switch to control the furnace fan, switch the fan “ON”. (This switch will usually be located at the bottom of the thermostat, closer to the left side and will be marked “ON” and “AUTO”.) Listen to hear the furnace fan coming on. If you cannot hear the fan, go to one of the supply registers and see if you can feel any air coming up. If the fan is not running, there may be no power to the furnace.
According to How Stuff Works, “Heating systems are usually trouble-free and easy to maintain. Efficient operation is a function of good regular maintenance. No matter what type of furnace you have, there are several things you can do to keep your heating system in top condition. In this article, we will tell you how to service and troubleshoot your furnace, regardless of the type.” Read the full article here.
