When your furnace won’t start, doing your own furnace repair in Troy, Ohio, can feel pretty overwhelming.

Fixing your furnace might feel like an overwhelming task when your heat won’t turn on. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

There are a few time-saving, inexpensive fixes you can do yourself 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 Troy, Edington Heating & Cooling Inc can help you. We can repair most makes of heating systems and also provide emergency furnace repair.

If you need a new heating system, we also offer furnace installation.

While you’re in touch with us, think over an annual furnace maintenance plan that might help you avoid breakdowns in the future. We can tell you how regularly your furnace should be inspected by one of our certified professionals.

Use our easy guide below to get started on troubleshooting your furnace. Most of these steps don’t require mechanical abilities.

Furnace Repair Checklist

1. Check the Thermostat

To start, make sure your thermostat is signaling your furnace to ignite.

Digital Thermostat

Replace 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” instead of “off” or “cool.”

Ensure the program is showing 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 force the furnace to ignite if thermostat programming is causing trouble.

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 start, your furnace might 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 937-558-9478 for heating and cooling service.

2. Examine Breakers and Switches

Next, you will need to check if your breaker and furnace switch are on.

Locate your house’s main electrical panel. If you aren’t sure where it is, keep an eye out 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.

Locate 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.

Using one hand, firmly switch the breaker to the “on” position. If the breaker immediately trips and pops back to “off,” don’t touch it and contact a professional from Edington Heating & Cooling Inc at 937-558-9478 right away.

It doesn’t matter how old your furnace is or what brand it is, it has at least one standard wall switch located on or by it.

Make sure the switch is flipped up in the “on” position. If it was turned off, it could take your furnace up to five minutes to start. (If you don’t know where to find your furnace, look in your basement, garage or utility closet. It could also be in a crawl space or attic.)

3. Replace the Air Filter

When it comes to furnace breakdown, a grungy, clogged air filter is often to blame.

If your filter is too dirty:

  • Your furnace won’t keep heating your home, or it could overheat from restricted airflow.
  • Your energy bills could increase because your furnace is turning on too often.
  • Your furnace could stop working sooner than it should because a dirty filter causes it to work overtime.
  • Your furnace can be cut off from power if an excessively dirty filter causes the breaker to trip.

Depending on what model of furnace you have, your air filter is located inside the blower compartment of your furnace, an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.

To replace your filter:

  1. Turn off your furnace.
  2. Remove the filter and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see light through it, use a new one.
  3. Insert the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the furnace to avoid damage.

Flat filters should be replaced every month, while pleated filters should last about three months. You can also buy a washable filter that will last about 10 years. If you have children or pets, you may have to put in a new filter more often.

To make the process easier in the future, use a permanent marker on your furnace housing or ductwork to indicate the airflow direction and filter size.

4. Inspect the Condensate Pan

Also known as drain pans, condensate pans catch water your furnace pulls from the air.

If water is leaking out of your furnace or its pan has standing water in it, follow these steps.

  • If your pan has a drain (look for a PVC pipe), check that it’s clear. If it needs to be drained, use a special pan-cleaning tablet you can get at home improvement or hardware stores.
  • If your pan uses a pump, take a look at the float switch. If the switch is stuck “up” with liquid in the pan, contact us at 937-558-9478, because you will likely need a new pump.

5. Check for Furnace Error Codes

If malfunctions keep on happening, peek inside your furnace’s plastic window to verify the status of the blower motor. Depending on the model, the light could also be fixed on the outside of your furnace.

If you see anything else besides a steady, colored light or blinking green light, call us at 937-558-9478 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be giving an error code that is calling for professional service.

6. Clean the Flame Sensor

If your furnace tries to start but shuts off without blowing heat, a dirty flame sensor could be to blame. When this occurs, your furnace will attempt to ignite three times before a safety feature turns it off for about an hour.

If you feel comfortable with opening up your furnace, cleaning your flame sensor is something you can do on your own. Or, one of our heating service professionals can do it for you.

If you want to clean the sensor yourself, you’ll need:

  • A 1/4” hex screwdriver or wrench
  • Piece of light grit sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth
  • A dry, clean paper towel

Next:

  • Disable the furnace’s power by using its wall switch or breaker. If your gas valve is not electric, you will need to shut off the gas as well.
  • Take off the furnace’s front panel and track the wire to the flame sensor.
  • Unscrew the rod and use your sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth to gently rub the metal rod.
  • Wipe off the rod with a paper towel.
  • Remount the sensor.
  • Replace the furnace doors.
  • Turn the furnace’s power back on. It may go through a set of checks before resuming normal operation. If your furnace doesn’t start, the sensor may need to be replaced or something else may be wrong. If this happens, call us at 937-558-9478 for heating and cooling repair assistance.

7. Relight the Pilot Light

If you have an older furnace, the pilot light could be extinguished. To relight it, find the instructions on a label on your furnace, or follow these steps.

  • Look for the switch on the bottom of your furnace labeled “pilot,” “on” and “off.”
  • Turn the switch to the “off” position.
  • Wait at least five minutes to avoid possibly starting a fire.
  • Turn the knob to “pilot.”
  • Hold down the “reset” button as you bring the flame of a long lighter to the pilot light opening.
  • Release the “reset” button once the pilot light is lit.

If you have followed the instructions twice and the pilot light still won’t light or stay lit, call us at 937-558-9478 for furnace service.

Check Your Fuel Source

Try switching on another gas appliance. If it doesn’t work, your natural gas service could be turned off, or you could be out of propane.

We Can Help with HVAC Repair

Followed our troubleshooting guide but your furnace still won’t work?

Call us today at 937-558-9478 or contact us online. We’ll come out and figure out the problem.

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