DID YOUR FURNACE STOP WORKING?
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night or come home from a long day at the office to find your house colder than it should be? A quick check of the thermostat and your fears are confirmed – it’s 53? and getting cooler by the minute.
Don’t panic.
Sometimes, your furnace may shut down for a few simple reasons that you can handle yourself before you make an emergency service call. And because our team cares about your safety and well-being, we’re sharing those with you.
CHECK THE FURNACE SWITCH
Much like other electrical units and appliances, your furnace has a switch to manage the power supply. Typically, a service technician will use this if he or she is servicing the unit, so you might not have even been aware of its existence. Located on or next to the unit, the furnace switch should be checked to ensure it’s in the “ON” position; simply find it and flip it.
There are a number of reasons why a furnace might shut off – some reasons are more innocuous than others. If you find that the problem continues to occur, be sure to give us a call.
CHECK THE FILTER
Your home’s HVAC system not only works to keep your home at a constant, comfortable temperature, but also to help improve the overall air quality. With the help of a furnace filter, pollutants and allergens such as dust, pet dander, dirt and more are trapped before they can circulate through your home. With regular maintenance, you can generally avoid problems and issues; it’s recommended that you change your air filter as required. You may find that you have to change your filter more often, especially if you have pets or a family member has health challenges such as asthma.
With life’s other responsibilities, it can be easy to forget something as simple as changing the filter. If it’s been a while or if you can see it’s bogged down with gunk, change it out and restart your furnace with your thermostat.
CHECK THE THERMOSTAT BATTERIES
Did you know that your digital thermostat is powered with batteries and not through your home’s electrical system? (If your home has an older-style mercury thermostat, there may be a problem with the mercury sensor, in which case, give us a call.
If the batteries in your thermostat die, your furnace has no information as to the temperature of your house and will not function properly. To check, simply pop the cover off of the thermostat – generally located on a central wall of your home – and change the batteries out with fresh ones. After you replace the batteries, give the system a moment to reset.
If you find that after checking the furnace switch, filter and thermostat batteries that your furnace still isn’t turning on and heating your home as it should, be sure to call us. We’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for emergency HVAC repairs and are happy to serve our community any time.
Did you know that with regularly scheduled maintenance you can prevent problems and avoid HVAC emergencies? K&K Heating and Cooling offers a maintenance plan that includes a biannual inspection and cleaning of your HVAC system, ensuring you keep warm, or cool, all year round. Simply contact us to learn more.
