Furnace Problems: Why isn’t my furnace kicking on?
No Problem Heating and Cooling: Saint Peters HVAC Contractors
If your furnace doesn’t kick on when your house is cold, it can be the worst feeling! Nights get cold in St. Charles and coming home to a freezing house is no fun. There are many reasons that can cause furnace failure! The trick is finding out the source of the problem. Pro tip-having a maintenance program agreement can prevent this! Here are a few reasons why your furnace may not be working:
- Power problem
- Wear and tear
- Malfunctioning thermostat
- Furnace won’t heat
- Furnace is too noisy
- Pilot light or electric ignition
- Blower runs constantly
- Furnace kicks on and off
- Not Enough Gas
- Thermostat
- Blower Motor
Power– find out if you have gas or electric. You need power for both for the furnace to kick on. Check the circuit box and around the unit to see if any hungry critters have been nibbling on your wires.
Not Enough Gas– Take the time to check the valve is completely on. Sometimes, a furnace won’t kick on because the valve is half turned.
Blower Motor- Most blower motors have an inspection window on the furnace. The flashing green light lets you know everything is okay. If you see a red light, it means your furnace is having problems. When your contractor comes out, they will inspect the control board, motor, and transformer.
Thermostat– Be sure to check your thermostat. Many of the new digital thermostats have fail-safes and different modes that could cause it to kick off.
Gas Supply– Check your gas valve and make sure nothing is off. Some homeowners turn down the valve during the summer months or it may have been switched accidentally at some point.
Furnace Power Issues
Thermostat Issue- Check the thermostat and make sure it’s set to head. If it’s 40 degrees outside and you have it set to 38, it won’t kick on. It should be set to higher than what it is showing. Also, if the thermostat has been switched to fan please change it to heating. Very commonly forgotten step.
Pilot Light- Check for your pilot light – it should be blue. If you don’t see it, make sure you call an expert.
Condensation- A condensation pan on the furnace collects excess water and if this gets full, it will cause the furnace won’t be turning on. Normally draining of the pan is not an option although it could work temporarily. We have seen blockage that prevented water from draining. In addition, we have seen a bad condensation removal pump.
Air Filter- 1 of my favorite because it is the cheapest for you is the dirty old air filter. You have to be aware of and maintain your air filter. The changing of an air filter can take less than a minute if you are into NASCAR even faster than that. Remember keeping that air filter clean can save hundreds of dollars over the life of the furnace.
Loose Wires-– Vibration can cause wires to come loose. At some point, all of the vibrations will rattle wires. When you have your inspection done each year, your HVAC professionals will check all of the connections and make sure nothing is loose.
Fuses– One of the easiest ways to know if you are having issues is to check your fuses. If you have a blown or loose fuse you will not have power at all. You have to remember these machines are so easy but so hard to work on. Buy a new fuse and replace it with the same amp.
Dirty Fuse– Furnace maintenance is so important. Dust and debris build up over the years. Check your fuses.
Starting Capacitor– Sometimes a starting capacitor is not giving enough power to the system to kick it on. Replacing your capacitor is an easy and cheap fix.
Gas Valve– You could easily have a failing gas valve in your lines. When debris gets in the valve, it can make it hard for it to open or close. When this happens, it will heat up then the system will short and blow a fuse.
Electric Furnace Repair
Your electric furnace is going to be much different. The control board is going to be your main source of power. Unless you know what you are doing, I would not recommend messing with it. Call your local contractor to have it fixed.
Call No Problem today to schedule your furnace repair!
