A furnace is an essential home appliance for survival during cold winter. Without an efficient furnace, it is hard for anyone to stay warm and comfortable when the temperature goes down outside. Unfortunately, unlike many low-maintenance home appliances, furnaces need regular and professional tune-ups to run efficiently throughout the winter and many winters to come.
Even with proper maintenance and care, sometimes the furnaces break down by developing problems. If your furnace refuses to turn on or acts differently, you need to go through these troubleshooting tips first before calling the professionals.
3 Common Furnace Problems and Their Solutions
Check the Furnace Filters
The first thing that you need to check in a furnace is its air filter. Over time, the air filters get dirty, and the clogged air filters impede airflow while worsening the indoor air quality. With dirty air filters, you always live under the threat of sudden fire hazards and premature breakdown of your furnace.
- Solution: Changing the furnace filters is the most comfortable option when the air filters are beyond cleanable. Fortunately, replacing the air filters is an easy task, and you can perform it all by yourself. Make sure to turn your thermostat and breaker switch off before you conduct anything on your furnace. Remove the old air filters and replace them with the new ones.
Check the Thermostat
After checking on your furnace filters and replacing them, you need to check the thermostat. A wrong thermostat setting or a malfunctioning thermostat is a barrier to the working of your furnace.
- Solution: Make sure that you have set your thermostat to “heat”, and your temperature setting is at least 5 degrees higher than the room temperature. If you haven’t changed the thermostat batteries ever since you bought a new thermostat or last winter, you need to replace the batteries now. You also can clean the surfaces of the thermostat gently with the help of a soft-bristled brush.
Check the Electrical Panel
Sometimes, when the air filters and thermostat are good, but your furnace is still not working, you need to check for some other problems. The switch, which is located near the furnace, can easily be turned off accidentally. If you find the furnace switch in an “Off” condition or if the power is not turned on at the breaker box, your furnace will definitely not work.
- Solution: The simple solution to this problem is to switch them on. You probably need to reset your breaker. While restoring your power box, you can also check the electrical wirings. If you find any melted or discolored fuse, you can call a professional furnace contractor.
- Warning: While dealing with the electrical panel, make sure that your feet and hands are dry.
When In Doubt, Call A Professional
Dealing with most of the furnace problems may seem easy. Efficiency Heating, Cooling & Fireplaces offers 24/7 furnace repair in Saskatoon and surrounding areas. Thus, if you’re facing any trouble with your fireplace in Saskatoon, give us a call at (306) 384-4328. We assign the most experienced and skilled furnace guys in Saskatoon to your service as soon as we accept your order.
