So, your furnace isn't working?
- By: davew
- On: 12/10/2008 17:04:43
- In: Heating and Cooling
- Comments: 0
It’s been getting cold here in New Jersey and I’ve started to get the usual calls: my gas furnace isn’t working, or it seems to be on but I’m not getting enough heat. What should I do?
If your furnace isn’t working at all, there are several possible reasons. First, check your thermostat. If the temperature is set too low, it will not signal the furnace to generate heat. First make sure the thermostat is set to “heat” and that the temperature is high enough to call for heat.
If the setting’s ok, the thermostat itself may be the problem. Try moving the temperature setting up or down a few degrees and listen for the “click” to make sure the thermostat is working properly and sending the signal for heat to the furnace. If you don’t hear anything, you could open it up and clean the contacts, unless it’s a digital thermostat.
Another possibility is that the circuit breaker or fuse that controls the furnace is tripped or blown. Replace any blown fuse or reset a tripped circuit breaker, if that’s the problem.
At the furnace itself, the gas control valve may be closed or the pilot light’s gone out. It’s easy enough to open the valve or relight the pilot light yourself or you could call a service professional if you like.
If your furnace seems to be operating but not giving off enough heat, you probably haven’t had it serviced in a while. Possible causes could include a dirty furnace air filter or dirty gas burners. I would suggest you call a service professional to change the filters and to clean and adjust the gas burners. A furnace should be serviced annually, before the heating season to keep it operating at peak efficiency.
A/C on the fritz?
- By: davew
- On: 07/15/2008 11:22:49
- In: Heating and Cooling
- Comments: 0
A few years ago I built a beautiful home and explained to the client the need for regular maintenance on the various service systems. Typical of many people, they neglected to have their equipment serviced on a regular basis.
Approximately two years after they moved in, water was pouring through the 2nd floor ceilings caused by a frozen air handler, which is part of the air conditioning system. A simple air filter change a couple of times a year would have allowed the unit to breathe properly and therefore it never would have frozen up, causing extensive water damage in the home.
Spending a few dollars on regular maintenance would have saved them thousands in repairs.
