Troubleshooting Steps To Take Before Calling A Professional For Furnace Repair

If you have recently purchased a vintage home, or inherited an older home, you may have a furnace as part of your home appliance list. A furnace can be tricky for some people to navigate, especially when there is a possible issue. There are a few troubleshooting steps you can take with your furnace that will familiarize you with the system and help you fix some issues before calling a professional for furnace repair. Here are a few of those steps.

Check for Clogs

The easiest and first step you should take to troubleshoot your furnace is to check for clogs. This means checking pipes, filters, and any area that air should flow into or out of. Clogs can prevent heating and cooling and can prevent pilot lights from staying lit properly. If you do find a clog, try to remove it with either warm soapy water or with canned air. If either of these does not remove the clog, contact your professional. The reason is because if you attempt to remove the clog by other methods, you could damage pipes, air filters, or other working parts of the furnace.

Check the Breaker

If your furnace stopped working suddenly and won't turn back on, check the breaker or electric box. Something may have occurred that flipped the breaker switch to the off position. If this is the case, carefully switch it to the on position. If it happens again, contact a professional. If the switch continuously flips, or breaks, to the off position it could be a sign of an electrical issue. If the fuse has blown, then you may want to attempt to replace the fuse yourself. You can buy replacement fuses and simply change them out for the dead fuse.

Check the Motor

Sometimes furnace problems may be related to a motor issue. Turn off the unit, unplug the power supply, and turn off the unit at the main electrical box. Once this is done, take the front panel off the furnace and carefully touch the motor. If the motor is hot or feels overheated, you may have a motor issue. The issue could be that it needs a simple cleaning or that it could be dying and needs repair. Try blowing out the motor box with canned air. If this cleans the area, but doesn't fix the issue, then contact a professional.

Many of the issues you have with furnaces can be fixed through simple routine cleanings and maintenance. For more information, or if you would like professional assistance, contact Elite Heating & Air Conditioning HVAC or a similar company.