Most Common Furnace Troubleshooting Situations

Even the most reliable forced-air furnace can prove troublesome under the right circumstances. While you should always consider having your HVAC technician look over your furnace, there’s also plenty you can do on your own. Here are a few furnace troubleshooting situations you might run into along with tips you can use to take care of business:

• Your furnace isn’t getting enough heat – Check the furnace air filter and replace it if it’s clogged with dust and debris. Make sure all of your home’s heating registers are open and not being blocked by obstructions.
• Your furnace isn’t heating at all – The problem may stem from a malfunctioning thermostat, a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. Reset the circuit breaker if it has tripped or replace the blown fuse. Make sure the thermostat is set to “heat”.
• Your furnace constantly cycles on and off – Try adjusting the heat anticipator to lengthen the furnace runtime or simply replace the thermostat with a new one. Also make sure your home’s heating system capacity is properly matched to your home’s overall size.
• The pilot won’t stay lit or the electric ignition doesn’t work – Make sure the pilot light flame is adjusted according to the manufacturer’s specs. Use a toothpick to unclog the pilot orifice. Faulty pilot and ignition control equipment should be replaced as soon as possible.
• The furnace’s blower fan is too noisy – Lubricate the blower fan motor and other moving parts as direct by the manufacturer.
• There’s no air coming out of the furnace – Check the blower fan motor for signs of excessive wear or damage. Replace the drive belt in case it has broken or otherwise become damaged.

By keeping the above furnace troubleshooting tips in mind. You can keep your furnace operating reliably for years to come.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues — especially HVAC and plumbing issues — so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.