There’s nothing better than cranking up the heat when the cold winds blow. What should you do if your furnace begins to behave strangely? Perhaps you notice a strange scent, hear a loud noise, or find it difficult to get your home to warm up.

Any furnace issues you may be having may be resolved by a trained, licensed HVAC specialist. But try these troubleshooting steps to see if you can fix the issue yourself before calling for expert heater repair.

The furnace won’t turn on

Does the temperature in your home feel lower than it should? Why hasn’t the furnace started operating yet? Use this advice to solve your heating issues:

• Too low of a setting on the thermostat: Increasing the temperature a few degrees and seeing whether the furnace goes on is the easiest fix.
• Nothing is powered: If changing the thermostat doesn’t work, look for tripped circuit breakers in your breaker box and reset any that you discover.
• The power switch is not on: Verify that the independent power switch next to or on top of the furnace is switched on.
• There is an overload on the motor: Allow the engine to cool down for half an hour. Next, click the reset button, which ought to be situated close to the housing of the motor. Wait half an hour more and try to turn on the furnace again before pushing the reset button. Before contacting an expert for assistance, go through this procedure one more time.
• There is no pilot light: Turn the pilot back on. Try cleaning the pilot opening, completely depressing the pilot light button, and ensuring that the gas valve is open if it doesn’t remain lighted.
• No gas is present: Verify that the gas valve is completely open, and that fuel is entering the furnace.

Not Enough Heat Is Produced by the Furnace

Perhaps the thermostat is operating on your heater, but it never reaches the desired temperature. Here are some possible causes:

• The filter needs cleaning: When cleaning or replacing a filter, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• The blower has a blockage: Optimize the airflow by cleaning the blower assembly.
• The databases are either closed or blocked: Make sure all the registers are open and unobstructed by any furniture, draperies, or carpets by doing a thorough sweep of the whole home.
• There is a loose blower belt: Replace or tighten the belt. To do this, a technician could be necessary.
• The burners are unclean: To clean the burners, get in touch with an expert.
• There is an imbalance in the system: Hire an HVAC contractor to adjust the system’s balance.

It Is Not Staying Lit

Short cycling is a heater issue where your furnace will turn off soon after turning on if there isn’t a lighted burner. Think about which problems may be at fault:

• There is a loose or broken thermocouple: Slightly tighten the thermocouple nut. To ensure that the furnace continues to operate as before, have a professional to replace the thermocouple.
• The flame sensor is unclean: Replace the sensor or give it a gentle cleaning.
• The flame of the pilot light is set too low: To make the flame roughly two inches high, adjust the height.
• The electronic pilot is malfunctioning: This furnace issue can only be resolved by an expert.
• The pressure switch continues to trip: The reason of this is inadequate ventilation. Possible causes include ducting obstacles, clogged air vents, and filthy air filters. Take care of these problems to increase airflow and support proper furnace operation.

The Blower Never Stops

After a few minutes of operation, your furnace should turn off again. What to do if your furnace runs nonstop is as follows:

• It’s not the right thermostat setting: Verify if the fan is set to “on” or “auto” by checking the thermostat. When the blower is set to “on,” it operates continuously even when the burners are off. If you would like, you may set the option to “auto,” which will only activate the blower while the furnace is operating.
• There is a problem with the limit switch: Turn the limit switch back on. If it still doesn’t work, get a professional to change the limit switch or modify the limit control.

The Furnace Makes a Loud Noise

Your furnace may be making loud, booming, squeaking, or slamming noises. Try these troubleshooting suggestions if you hear anything strange:

• A loose access panel Verify that every access panel is properly placed and secured.
• The drive belts are worn out, broken, or stuck: Apply belt dressing to drive belts that are making noises. Belts that are broken or worn out must be replaced.
• Either too tight or too loose blower belts: Make that the belts are correctly tensioned.
• Lubrication is required for the blower and/or motor: To assist these pieces operate more smoothly and silently, lubricate the oil ports.
• The burner needs cleaning: To clean the burner, get in touch with an expert.

Water Leaks from the Furnace

Water may be collecting around your furnace because condensation is produced by high efficiency condensing furnaces. How to handle the leak is as follows:

• Condensate hose kinking or obstruction: To remove the obstruction, blow through the PVC fitting and inspect it for debris.
• Leaking from the condensate pan: Make sure the pan behind the furnace is draining correctly since it may be overflowing. If the cause of the leak is hard to find, get in touch with an expert.

Plan Maintenance or Repair for Your Furnace

Scheduling preventive furnace maintenance is the greatest defense against furnace issues. Annual inspections assist your specialist in identifying and addressing system defects before they become serious malfunctions. Preventative maintenance may help you avoid future repair expenses and save money and effort in this manner. Of course, you need to arrange heater repair if your furnace has already malfunctioned so that your house doesn’t become any more unpleasant.