If you have lived in St. Louis for the winter season, you know how frigid the winters can get. Once the chill starts to roll in, it is more important than ever that your furnace is working properly in order to keep you and your loved ones warm and cozy during the winter months. If you start to notice any issues with your furnace, do not wait to address them!
Our furnace troubleshooting tips will help you figure out what is going on, and whether or not you need to call a professional.
Easy Furnace Troubleshooting Tips
Check Your Thermostat
This might sound like a no-brainer furnace troubleshooting tip, but if you find that you are having thermostat issues the first thing that you should do is to be sure to check that the circuit breaker has not been tripped. If that does not appear to be the issue, make sure that the thermostat has the proper power going to it, regardless of if it is an electric or battery-operated unit. While it is true that most modern thermostats let you know that the batteries are getting low, it is good to change them every once in a while to ensure your thermostat is working properly. If everything still checks out, another furnace troubleshooting tip is to make sure the furnace door is completely closed – this can sometimes trigger an automatic shut-off of the thermostat.
Look for Ignitor or Pilot Light Problems
If your furnace burns gas or propane, you may be experiencing issues with the electronic ignitor or pilot light. After following our furnace troubleshooting tips for your thermostat, turn off the gas reset valve for about five minutes and then try again. This may reset the ignitor. However, if you still experience problems, you most likely need to reset the pilot or replace the ignitor. If this is the case, your best bet is to contact an HVAC company to handle the issue.
Clean or Change a Dirty Air Filter
The last of our furnace troubleshooting tips involves your air filter. Your HVAC air filter is the main line of defense between your home and the harmful pollutants and particles in the air. As it continues to capture dust and debris, it starts to get clogged, which causes poor performance, reduced efficiency, and overall additional strain on the system.
Remember that your air filter generally needs to be replaced (or cleaned if your system does not use disposable filters) every month or two. This depends on how often your system is used and how much debris and particles are in your air.
Furnace Troubleshooting Tips Not Enough? Call the Experts!
Our DIY furnace troubleshooting tips are great to preliminarily diagnose basic issues with your furnace and HVAC system. However, if you start to notice problems, the most accurate and reliable way to get the issue figured out and resolved is to contact a heating & air conditioning professional. The professionals at Galmiche & Sons in St. Louis are always ready to handle your HVAC issues, no matter how big or small the job is – so call today!
