Furnace Not Working - What Should I do?

Furnaces tend to stop working at the worst time – When the weather is the coldest and the furnace is working the hardest. 

If your furnace is not working – what should you do? 

The basic function of a furnace is:

1. Thermostat calls for heat
2. The flame is ignited
3. The Blower Fan turns on to blow the heat through your home

If one of these steps doesn't happen, the furnace won’t work.  Here are a few things that you might want to try on your own, before giving us a call: 

1. Check your Thermostat

Is your thermostat battery powered? Does your thermostat require a battery change? 

Is your thermostat working?  Is the thermostat calling for heat? 

Try turning up the temperature and see if the furnace kicks in. 

2. Check Power to Furnace

Does your thermostat have power to the screen? If not, the furnace may not be getting power.  Go to your furnace room and check to see if the power switch in the furnace room has been turned off.  If the switch is on, try turning it off and on.  If this still doesn’t get power to the furnace or the thermostat, have you blown a breaker?  Go to your electrical panel and check to make sure that the breaker for your furnace is on.  

3. Check your filter

If your furnace is running, but not giving enough heat – Check your filter!

A dirty filter will impact the airflow and the ability of the furnace to heat your home.  Some filters you buy from a box store do not fit properly, so make sure you call us to get the exact furnace filter you need. The filter does matter!

If a filter is too restrictive, it might also cause the furnace to overheat.  Some of the 1” filters that are available in higher MERV ratings are very hard on your furnace.  If you’d like to have better filtration without hindering the airflow of your furnace, we have better options, here.  If your filter is dirty – Change it!

***Remember: The arrow on the filter indicates airflow and should be pointing towards the furnace.***

Outside of these basic steps, we recommend you give us a call. 

Our HVAC technicians are trained to discern what is wrong, and know how to work safely and efficiently.  

To minimize the need for emergency service, an annual checkup will help keep your system running at it’s best and heating when you need it the most.  For more information about repair and maintenance, please click here.