Heater Stops Working? Try Some Simple Troubleshooting First

You don’t need to be a hotshot handyman to troubleshoot a malfunctioning heater in your Cincinnati area home. When the heat goes out (and yes, it probably will seize up on the coldest day of the winter), the problem may be something that you can address easily. Knowing how to troubleshoot a non-working furnace or heat pump, or one that’s not working properly, could save you a lot of money.

Following are some easy fixes, stuff that you can check yourself. If your efforts to fix the problem aren’t successful, that’s when you should call your trusted Cincinnati HVAC company.

Easy Heater Fixes

The thermostat? If your home’s heating system halts working completely, the cause could be a malfunctioning thermostat. Is yours getting power? If it’s battery operated, make sure the battery is fresh. If it’s tied to your home’s electrical system, check the circuit to make sure it hasn’t tripped. (If that’s the case, you’ll likely have other outlets or appliances that go out.) Another easy fix is if the thermostat has just been incorrectly set, such as being set to “cool” rather than “heat,” or with the temperature setting higher than the temperature in the room. In the latter case, the thermostat won’t kick on the heat until the room temperature drops lower than the setting.

The power source? As stated in the previous paragraph, if your heating equipment stops working, the problem could be a loss of power. Check that it’s turned on (if there’s an on-off switch) and that the circuit hasn’t tripped for the furnace or heat pump.

The air filter? The filter likely isn’t the culprit if you’ve lost heating entirely. However, if the house isn’t heating up as well as usual, the air filter might be clogged with dust and other debris. Check it, and if it’s dirty, replace it with a fresh one. You should get in the habit of inspecting the furnace or heat pump filter on a monthly basis during high-use seasons. Having a clean filter has other benefits as well, including lighter stress on mechanical equipment, reduced energy use and more efficient delivery of heated air throughout the house.

Heating ignition? If your combustion furnace has an old-school pilot light, and the furnace stops working, look to see if the light has gone out. If it has been extinguished, relight it according to the instructions that came with the furnace (often they’ll be on a sticker near the light). It’s much more likely that your furnace is equipped with electronic ignition. In that case, there’s not likely much you can do about it, if that’s the reason your furnace isn’t working properly or at all. There’s little chance you can diagnose that issue anyway unless you’re a trained technician.

Avoid Breakdowns; Get Maintenance

The best way to make sure that your indoor comfort won’t be interrupted in the winter is to schedule annual professional maintenance on your home’s heating system. A trained technician will run down a checklist of various maintenance tasks. While doing that work, they should spot any small problems before they develop into major and costly ones.

Also, it’s important to not mess with your home’s furnace or heat pump unless you can do so without endangering yourself. Combustion furnaces pose hazards due to the involvement of flammable and toxic gas or oil. Heat pumps and ACs use chemical refrigerants that only trained and certified technicians should be working with. When in doubt, call in a trusted professional to address problems with a heater.