No Heat? Check These Things Before Calling for Emergency Heating Service

“Out of sight, out of mind” applies to most furnaces. They’re usually in the basement and programmed to automatically heat your home, so you probably don’t give them much thought. That is until yours stops working. The idea of a cold home in the middle of winter is enough to make anyone panic, but the experts at Gross Heating & Air Conditioning know how to handle a heating emergency. In fact, it may not be a serious problem at all, so take a deep breath, grab a sweatshirt, and go through our checklist to see if you can get your furnace up and running on your own. If these simple tips don’t get warm air blowing again, give us a call and we’ll help you get heat in a hurry with our emergency heating service.

Simple Tips for Restarting a Furnace

A cold home doesn’t necessarily mean your furnace is broken—you might just need to make a small adjustment or “reboot” your system to get warm again.

1. Make sure your thermostat is on—it sounds simple but without direction from these controls, your furnace won’t run. Replace the batteries in your thermostat and make sure it’s set to heat. Also check that the day and time are correct on programmable units that operate on a timer.
2. Red light, green light—there’s a light on the front of your furnace—if it’s green, continue with this checklist; if red, call for service. Also note any flashing (i.e. two long flashes and two short ones)—the sequence helps us identify the problem for a faster fix.
3. Check your power source—a tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse could be the reason for your furnace failure. Reset your breaker or replace the fuse to see if that restores heat.
4. Check your filter—if it’s so dirty that your system is struggling to move air through it, your furnace could overheat and shut down. Changing the filter might bring back warm air.
5. Reclose the furnace door—there’s a safety switch on the furnace door that prevents the fan and burner from running while the access panel is being serviced so if the door isn’t closed properly, your furnace won’t work.
6. Clear leaves, snow, or debris from intake and exhaust vents—restricted airflow can cause overheating or system damage. Also make sure that curtains, furniture, and boxes are not blocking indoor registers and returns.

We hope these six tips are all it takes to troubleshoot your heating problem and help you get cozy again. But there’s one more tip we like to share: never skip annual maintenance. Many of the problems above can be caught and corrected during your yearly checkup. This means no interruption of service, plus the added bonus of cost-saving efficiency and fewer repairs down the road.

HVAC Help for Any Issue

Call us for emergency heating service anytime—we’re always here to help and can handle any concern with your heating system, air conditioner, and even indoor air quality issues. As an authorized Carrier® dealer, Gross Heating has the products and expertise that make your Brookfield-area home feel just right all year long.