What to Do if Your Furnace Breaks Down

We’ve all experienced situations like power outages when the services that we take for granted as essential are suddenly no longer working. When this means your ability to use a computer or watch television is gone, the situation probably isn’t critical because you can occupy your time another way, such as reading a book.

On the other hand, when your ability to keep your house warm goes away in the middle of winter, you could be facing a severe emergency. When the reality sets in that you could be facing hypothermia or damage to your home, it is easy to panic. However, knowing some advice on handling the situation can help keep you calm and safe.

Get Warm

While it should take quite a while for a warm home to cool down far enough to become a danger, you might want to start by bundling up if the heat is out for long. This step is easy because all it takes is a few layers of warm clothing. If you’re away from home, try to find a warm blanket and wear your outdoor jacket to stay warm. A hat and gloves won’t hurt either. 

Initial Checks

When your furnace goes out, there are a few steps you can take on your own to try to get things working again. The first steps to ensure that the power is on in your home and that an outage isn’t the root of the problem. You’ll also want to check your thermostat to ensure it hasn’t been turned off or is set too low to provide a comfortable temperature.

Contact Heating Professionals

After you’ve performed your initial checks to determine whether there’s a simple solution to the problem, you should contact a professional company that can assess the issue and makes repairs if needed. Suppose you find out that your furnace has outlived its lifespan. In that case, you’ll be presented with an excellent opportunity to add a high-efficiency furnace for your home to ensure you don’t continue having outages. 

Troubleshoot Your Furnace

Once you know that the problem isn’t a power outage or your thermostat, you’ll want to take a look at your furnace unit to perform a few checks there as well. If you have already contacted a professional company to come to fix your furnace and find a solution on your own, you can always call them back to cancel the appointment. 

In the meantime, a few more checks you’ll want to make include: 

• Furnace Shut Off Switch (locate this switch and make sure it is on) 
• Blower Motor (This is located in the cabinet of the furnace. If the front panel of your blower motor is not closed correctly, it could stop your furnace from working)
• Pilot Light (Check to see that the pilot light has not gone out)
• Air Filter (If the air filter is dirty enough, it could keep your furnace from working properly)
• Ventilation System (Make sure that nothing is blocking the outdoor vents of your furnace)

When you’re faced with a problem with heating your home, it is essential to remain calm so you can logically assess the issue. Remember, you can always get in touch with an experienced team that can help.