Walking You Through Common Furnace Repair Problems

Furnaces are incredibly important to every home owner, especially during the cold winter months. They keep your home at a comfortable temperature while the weather outside may literally be freezing! As with any home appliance, furnace repair is sometimes required to maintain your home's heated temperatures.

If you have a gas heating system, it's important to be aware of any leaking problems which may come up. Usually you can smell a gas leak. If you do begin to smell natural gas, it's important to call your gas company right away. When the smell is strong, they'll advise that you leave the house both for your own health and to keep you out of danger in case the gas combusts. Any type of spark could cause drastic consequences.

When your pilot light simply will not stay lit, you may have one of many problems. The thermocouple may be loose, requiring a technician's repair. Or the orifice may be clogged, not allowing gas to come through. You can actually remedy this problem with a thin piece of wire and some do-it-yourself furnace repair. Turn off the gas and shut off the furnace at the circuit breaker first, then stick a thin piece of wire into the tiny hole where the gas comes through to feed the pilot light. This procedure should knock out any ash or other debris that is clogging the tube. Finally, your gas flow may be turned down too low to keep the flame lit. Your owner's manual will give information on how the flame should look and how to adjust the amount of gas to achieve the perfect flame.

If you feel that your furnace doesn't seem to be giving out enough heat, there are several aspects to check before you call the technician. Check to see if anything is blocking the flow of warm air - perhaps a piece of furniture, a child's toy bin, a pillow, or other random item. Make sure that your thermostat is set properly. You may want to raise the temperature about five degrees and see if that kicks the heat on. Check the room's heating registers. They may not be opened. You can also check on the filter, since a dirty filter may block the air flow. If you find a dirty filter, replace it with a new one and see if that improves the heating system. Finally, if all these measures prove fruitless, it's time to call a professional furnace repair technician.

Sometimes the heating unit may be turned off by a tripped circuit breaker or even a blown fuse, so if you're unit doesn't seem to be working at all, there are a number of items you can check. First of all, make sure the thermostat is set to heat. If it's been switched to the cooling or off position, it won't trip the heat on. Look at the circuit breaker and make sure the switches are turned to the on position. Make sure that the heating unit's switch is turned on, and possibly reset the motor if it needs to be reset. If all else fails, it's time to call your technician!