When your furnace won’t start, doing your own furnace repair in Port Clinton, Ohio, can feel pretty overwhelming.
Troubleshooting your furnace might feel like an intimidating task when your heat won’t start. But it doesn’t have to be like that.
There are a few time-saving, reasonable fixes you can do on your own to prevent a furnace repair call.
If your furnace won’t turn on, won’t stay on or won’t ignite, try the troubleshooting list below before getting in touch with an HVAC professional.
If you find you need help from a heating and cooling expert and live in Port Clinton, Ohler & Holzhauer Inc. can assist you. We can repair most types of heating systems and also provide emergency furnace repair.
If it’s time for a new heating system, we also offer furnace installation.
While you’re talking with us, think over an annual furnace maintenance plan that could help you avoid repairs in the future. We can tell you how often your furnace should be examined by one of our Certified Pros.
Go through our easy guide below to start troubleshooting your furnace. Most of these steps don’t require mechanical know-how.
Furnace Repair Checklist
1. Check the Thermostat
First, make sure your thermostat is telling your furnace to turn on.
Digital Thermostat
Swap out the batteries if the screen is blank. If the digital screen is jumbled, the thermostat may need to be replaced.
Make sure the switch is set to “heat” as opposed to “off” or “cool.”
Ensure the program is set to the right day and time and is set to “run.” If you’re having a hard time overriding the program, set the temperature by using the up/down arrows and press the “hold” button. This will cause the furnace to start if thermostat programming is causing an issue.
Increase the temperature setting to 5 degrees warmer than the room temperature.
If your furnace hasn’t started within several minutes, make sure it has power by toggling the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t run, your furnace may not have power.
Smart Thermostat
If you have a smart thermostat—like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch—troubleshooting is very model-specific. Refer to the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to work, call us at 419-465-8722 for heating and cooling service.
2. Examine Breakers and Switches
Next, you will need to check if your breaker and furnace switch are on.
Find your house’s main electrical panel. If you have no idea where it is, look for a gray metal box in your basement, garage or closet.
Make sure your hands and feet are dry before touching the panel or breakers.
Find the breaker labeled “furnace” or “heat,” and make sure it’s switched “on.” If the breaker has tripped, it will be in the middle or “off” position.