Welcome to the Comfort Zone Blog Handy Dandy No-Heat Troubleshooting Checklist If you notice that your gas furnace is not providing heat, chances are pretty good that you will need the assistance of an HVAC contractor, like Horizon Services. However, there are some common troubleshooting guidelines you should follow prior to calling a professional service technician. In this article, Horizon Services experts share our most helpful no-heat checklist so you can identify and resolve common problems with your non-functioning heating system. Is the system selector switch in the “HEAT” position? Is the temperature set at least 3 degrees above current room temperature? If your thermostat is electronic, are the batteries charged? Is the display showing? For Forced Air Furnaces Only: If your thermostat has a switch to control the furnace fan, switch the fan “ON”. (This switch will usually be located at the bottom of the thermostat, closer to the left side and will be marked “ON” and “AUTO”.)

Listen to hear the furnace fan coming on. If you cannot hear the fan, go to one of the supply registers and see if you can feel any air coming out. car ac repair carrolltonIf the fan is not running, there may be no power to the furnace.frigidaire ac heater wall unit If the thermostat is set properly, the next step is to check to see that there is power to the furnace.1998 honda accord ac heater control unit Electrical Check – Furnace Some heating systems also have emergency cut-out switches that are activated when a door or service panel is removed. Often the furnace door is not replaced properly after a filter cleaning and the cut-out switch will prevent the furnace from coming on. Check to make sure all access doors are properly secured and fitted.

Your heating system may be equipped with an emergency shut-off switch for the furnace. If your system is so equipped, locate it and make sure it is turned ON. In most homes, the emergency shut-off switch looks just like a regular light switch and will be located on the side or close to the furnace. Sometimes there is a second Red Emergency Toggle Switch that is typically located at the top of the basement stairs. It is quite common for this switch to be turned OFF accidentally. If is turned OFF make sure to turn it back into the ON position. if the switch is ON, but the fan still doesn’t operate, proceed to the Electrical Check – Panel Box. Electrical Check – Panel Box Locate the breaker or fuses in your home’s main electrical panel for both the furnace and air conditioning unit. Make sure the breakers are not tripped or the fuses are not blown. If your home has breakers, check to see if any are tripped. If a breaker has been tripped it will be in a position that is between ON and OFF.

Reset the breaker (turn all the way OFF, then back ON). If your home has fuses, check to see if the fuse for the furnace is blown. If so, replace it with the SAME SIZE AND TYPE of fuse. Do not increase the size of the fuse. Warning: If a breaker keeps tripping or a fuse keeps blowing, you should contact a qualified service technician to inspect your system to determine why you are having problems. If your unit seems to be operating, but not producing any heat, the furnace may not actually be firing. If this is the case check the following: Do you have fuel? If your unit is oil, or propane fired, check the level of fuel in the tanks. If you ran out of fuel, order some more, and now your furnace will not start, your unit may have to be reset. Some systems have a red reset button on the burner. Other systems can be reset by turning system power off then back on. If it is oil-fired, the fuel pump may need to be primed. For assistance, please ask your Horizon Services’ technician.

If you have an older gas furnace with a standing pilot look inside your furnace to see if it is on. If not, follow the instructions on the furnace to re-light the pilot. If after following the instructions, the pilot will not light or stay lit, call your Horizon Services’ technician. Other Common Heat Related Problems A completely clogged air filter can cause a no heating problem. Broken or extremely loose fan belt. Bound or tight blower motor. Bound gas inducer motor could be stuck. If your HVAC unit comes on and stays on, you’re probably okay. If it comes on for about 90 seconds and then quits, or if it doesn’t come on at all, call Horizon Services to schedule a service call with one of our knowledgeable technicians. If you are ready to install or replace a heating system, our friendly and experienced team of Comfort Specialists can help. They’ll take the time to study your home, understand your requirements, show you all of your options and assist you with finding the quality home comfort system that best meets your family’s needs and budget.

Related Information from Horizon Services… Save Money and Extend Equipment Life With Yearly Maintenance Important Questions To Ask An HVAC Contractor Don’t Prolong Repairs If You Want To Lower Energy Costs Beware of the Closed Bedroom Door Extend the Life of Your HVAC Equipment with Proper Maintenance How do I Know Which HVAC System is Right for my Home? Is Your Home Suffering from Hot Flashes?With this window air conditioner troubleshooting guide, you get the technical knowledge to diagnose and repair your unit. The typical service call would cost over $100. With this guide, you can do it yourself, like Brittany from Orlando Florida, and save that money. "Hey, just wanted to say that I really appreciate this site! I've always been the kind of person who would rather take something apart and try to fix it myself than to have someone else magically make it work again for me, and this site was a huge help when my window ac unit stopped blowing cold air. 

As it turned out, the only problem was that the filters needed to be cleaned, but the best part was that I learned a lot about how my ac works! It's always nice when I'm able to explore my love for tinkering with stuff without someone telling me I'll break it. Thanks for helping with that!" Brittany from Orlando Florida. **NOTE** ONLY YOU CAN ASSESS YOUR ABILITY TO PERFORM THIS TASK. THIS IS A GUIDE AND CANNOT PROVIDE ALL OF THE DETAILS FOR EVERY SITUATION.You should begin your window air conditioner troubleshooting by ensuring that the routine maintenance has been performed on the unit. Then, your window air conditioner troubleshooting should start with checking the different modes of operation to see which components operate. Turn the unit fan to on and the cool and heat modes off. If the fan does not operate, check the power supply to the unit. Check to see if the breaker or fuse for the unit is tripped. If the breaker/fuse is tripped, check to make sure that it is the proper size circuit for the unit you have.

On some units, there is a current interruptor on the power cord to the unit. Check to see if it is tripped by pushing the reset button.If the circuit is the proper size, then you can go ahead and reset the breaker/fuse. If it trips again, then you require further troubleshooting. Shut the power off and check all of the wiring in the unit to make sure that none of the connections is loose or damaged.If the fan does not operate but the fuse/breaker is not tripped, you should check the run capacitors for the fan and compressor. If the capacitors are good but the fan motor does not operate, you can check the fan switch and the fan motor. Ensure that the fan blades spin freely.If the fan motor operates but the compressor does not start, you should feel the compressor with your hand. If it is very hot, then you should allow it to cool. Then, you can take resistance measurements to make sure the compressor motor is good.Then, you should attempt to start the unit in the cooling mode. As you do so, listen for a clicking sound which is an indication that it is attempting to start.

If the compressor starts but does not cool properly, the unit may be low on refrigerant. If the compressor attempts to start but shuts off very quickly, the compressor could be bad. Generally, if the compressor is bad on a window air conditioner, it is cheaper to replace the entire unit than to fix it.You can check out our brand ratings to help you to choose the right brand to replace your broken unit.If the compressor does not attempt to start, ensure that the thermostat is set below room temperature. On units with a mechanical control, you will hear a click when you adjust the temperature. That is an indication that the thermostat is working properly. On units with an electronic control, you can take a resistance reading of the temperature sensor to verify it is good. If the sensor is good and the compressor checks are ok, then the control board is probably bad.You should complete your window air conditioner troubleshooting by observing the unit's operation through a complete cooling cycle.