A malfunctioning heating system in your Kansas City home can not only be a major inconvenience, it can also be quite expensive if you have to call in a professional. Before spending your hard-earned money, follow these tips for troubleshooting your heating system first.
Clean the Air Filter
Open the filter housing and inspect the heating system’s air filter. If it looks extremely dirty or clogged, you should clean or replace it. A dirty or clogged air filter can restrict air movement in the system, making the furnace overheat and run excessively. It can also shut the system down if the airflow lets the heat exchanger become too hot. During the heating season, you should check the filter at least once a month, and every year, you should have the heating system inspected and maintained to keep it running properly.
Check the Thermostat
Make sure the thermostat has power. If it doesn’t, replace the batteries in battery-operated models. you can verify the thermostat has the necessary voltage by simply switching the fan selection switch from “auto” to “on”- if you hear the fan run then you have voltage and if not, check the breaker serving the furnace to be sure its on and not tripped.
If there’s still no power, check to be sure the furnace switch mounted to the side of the furnace is in the on position. And last but not least, make sure that all access doors on the furnace are properly closed.
Reset the Igniter or Relight the Pilot Light
If your system uses an igniter, turn off the gas reset valve, wait five minutes, and then turn it back on. For systems with pilot lights, if the pilot is not lit, relight it according to the instructions, usually located on the furnace itself. Call a professional if the burners still won’t light.
For more information about troubleshooting heating systems, talk to our experts at Overland Park Heating & Cooling, Inc. We’ve been serving the Kansas City area since 1983.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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