It is cold outside, so your thick socks are tightly encircling your toes, your scarf tightly covering your neck, and the air is unmistakably chilly. Unfortunately, you’re inside because your furnace stopped working, and this causes you to shiver in your home! The question is, what should you do next for furnace repair at home?

Most of us would think the first thing to do is to get the experts to fix it – which is always a good idea. What you might not know is that there are a few things you might want to consider for furnace repair in puyallup wa before you make that decision.

This quick guide will provide you with some tell-tale signs of a malfunctioning furnace and how to fix it.

What is a Furnace?

In British English, the furnace, also known as a boiler or heater, is a heating system that heats up an entire building. Central heating systems most often use furnaces as major components. 

By blowing heated air through ducts, furnaces circulate warm air to air registers or grills that distribute warm air across the house. Ducted warm air distribution and forced warm air distribution are different types of heating systems. They use electricity, natural gas, or fuel oil as their energy source.

Complete Guide to Check When a Furnace is not Working at Home

The thermostat doesn’t work.

The source of most furnace problems is actually the thermostat, which serves as your heating system’s control center. 

Change the batteries in the thermostat for a quick furnace repair Tacoma if your heat isn’t coming on at all. You can also give the thermostat an inside dusting with a small paintbrush during that time.

You could also try restarting it. Set the thermostat to the heat setting and turn the temperature down to about 60 degrees. Switch off the breaker for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. 

The unit won’t turn on.

Make sure the furnace’s emergency shut-off switch is in working order. This might be at the bottom of the basement stairs, in the furnace closet, or on the furnace. Usually, it has a red switch plate. It could be accidentally left off, rendering the gas furnace ineffective.

Contaminated filter

You can suffer from a host of problems if you don’t replace your old filter and incur higher energy bills. Changing your furnace filter at least every two months will ensure that it doesn’t run overtime and an unwanted furnace replacement in Tacoma, WA.

Here’s what you need to do: Turn off your furnace, locate the filter, remove it (and note the size), replace it, then restart it.

Can’t get the furnace to ignite

It’s likely the pilot light or the ignition sensor is the problem and might need furnace repair in kent wa if you’ve checked the power, checked the thermostat, and changed the filter. Your first step should be to turn off the gas in the furnace. You may need to remove the front panel to find the igniter or ignition sensor, and it is typically located near the burners. 

To remind yourself how the ignition sensor is attached, take a picture and then remove it. Remove residue with steel wool, being careful not to damage it. It’s time to replace the panel before turning on the gas again and put it back exactly as you found it. Play it safe and hire professionals if you have any doubts about this project.

The furnace keeps tripping the breaker.

Your furnace most likely has an electrical issue if it keeps blowing a fuse or tripping the breaker every time it kicks on. To check for circuit breakers or blown fuses, find the panel or box that controls your circuits, turn them off, then on.

Additionally, your electric furnace has its own switch that turns it on and off. Make sure that no one accidentally flicked the switch believing it was connected to a basement or attic light.

How to Fix Your Furnace Problems?

Check out these simple furnace repair & troubleshooting tips to understand how to diagnose the cause of your furnace’s malfunctions so that you and your family can experience a properly working furnace in no time! 

• Cleaning, repairing or replacing the air filter.
• Replace batteries if your thermostat has a problem – troubleshoot thermostat problems
• Heat the room and set the thermostat to a higher temperature than the current one.
• Make sure no fuses or breakers are blown in the electrical panel
• Turn on the power switch near the furnace
• Relight the pilot light if necessary
• Be sure to open all vents and registers
• Fix access panels properly (some furnaces won’t work without properly installed access panels as a safety measure).
• Contact a qualified and professional HVAC contractor.

Final takeaway

Even though many common furnace problems can be fixed without contacting a professional, it is still recommended to have your furnace serviced once a year, especially if you are not comfortable handling some of the maintenance tasks yourself.

Call in the pros at Dicks Heating to diagnose and perform furnace repair in Tacoma, WA, to keep you and your family safe.