Troubleshooting Furnace Problems? What To Look For Before Calling A Professional

Some homeowners immediately call a technician when furnace problems arise, but you can often save time and money by troubleshooting furnace problems yourself. Look for these easy to fix problems before you contact a professional.

  • Check Your Thermostat: Thermostats can easily be turned off or have the settings changed by mistake. Make sure your thermostat is on and functioning properly. Check the batteries to make sure they are fresh, then make sure your thermostat is set to “heat” and that the set point is higher than your home’s current room temperature.
  • Check The Filters: Dirty and clogged filters can prevent a furnace from starting, or cause it to overheat and shut down repeatedly. Standard filters should be cleaned or replaced every three months or so.
  • Check Your Vents: If the heating vents or registers in your house are ether closed or blocked by furniture it can cause your furnace to overheat, much like a dirty filter.
  • Check The Power: Inspect your furnace itself to make sure all the switches that need to be on are indeed turned on. Then inspect your circuit breakers or fuse box for tripped breakers and blown fuses; reset breakers and replace fuses as necessary, then restart your furnace.
  • Check The Furnace Switch: Be sure the furnace switch has not been turned off by mistake. If the switch on your furnace has been switched off, flip it back on to restart the furnace.
  • Check The Pilot Light: Relight it according to the manufacturer’s instructions in your furnace’s manual.

If you’ve gotten this far and your furnace still doesn’t start, it is definitely time to call in a professional. To schedule an appointment with a certified technician in the Kansas City area, or for more information on troubleshooting furnace problems, contact Overland Park Heating & Cooling.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about furnace problems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Overland Park Heating & Cooling services Overland Park and surrounding areas in Kansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!