During a rough winter day or night in New York, a busted furnace is one of the last things you want to deal with. If you adjust your thermostat to turn on the furnace when the temperatures drop, and the furnace doesn’t start up, a feeling of panic might strike.
This is a normal reaction, but you can easily get help: call our experts for furnace repair services in Staten Island, NY, and we’ll be out to you as fast as we can to restore the heater.
However, there are some steps we recommend you take before you pick up the phone. There are cases where a small issue or a misunderstanding is behind a non-responsive furnace. Although you should never attempt to repair a furnace on your own (even an electric one), making a couple of quick checks may save you a service call.
Check the power
If the furnace fails during the daytime, you may not at first notice that the problem is a general power outage in your house. Gas furnaces need electrical power to start as well, so make sure you have power to the rest of the house.
Check the electrical panel
A common reason for a furnace refusing to come on is a tripped circuit breaker. The blower fan can overload the circuit and cause a breaker to trip. Check your electrical panel and reset any breakers, then try the furnace again. If the breaker problem persists, then you’ll need to have HVAC technicians come take a look to see what’s wrong.
Check the thermostat settings
This may seem obvious, but it’s the obvious that gets overlooked the easiest. See that the programming on the thermostat hasn’t been altered in some way that would cause the furnace to fail to turn on when you want it to. Also make sure the fan is set to “on.”
Check the pilot light
Newer furnaces use electronic ignition systems, not standing pilot lights. But if your furnace is an older model, the pilot light going out may be why the furnace’s burners won’t light. Relight the burner following the instructions on the cabinet case. If the light will not stay burning, or if it’s burning yellowish or red, shut off the furnace and call for assistance.
Check the gas line
The gas line running to the furnace has a valve on it which you should shut off at the end of each heating season. Make sure the line is open. It could be stuck in position, stopping gas from reaching the burners.
Now Call the Furnace Pros
You’ve exhausted the basic possibilities—now it’s time to call us. We’ll make sure the trouble is accurately diagnosed and fixed.
Please note: if at any time while making these checks you notice a rotten egg smell, then shut off the gas, leave your home, and call the gas company right away. You may have a gas leak! Afterward, you can contact us to handle the repair work.
