A broken furnace is something nobody wants to encounter, especially in the Scranton or Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania areas where it gets bitterly cold during the winter. Without a working furnace, temperatures inside your home can quickly drop, causing friends, family, and other visitors to feel cold and uncomfortable.
Below, we’ve outlined a few quick, DIY-troubleshooting tips for gas furnaces you can perform before calling an HVAC technician to repair your furnace. You should check your:
1.) Thermostat
The fastest and easiest way to correct a malfunctioning gas furnace is to check your thermostat. Is it set to heat? Does your thermostat need new batteries? Sometimes even normal, everyday activities like dusting can change your thermostat set points, heating function, or even mistakenly turn off your heating system.
2.) Filters
Filter-related issues are some of the most common causes of a misfiring furnace. A dirty, partially blocked, or fully clogged filter limits airflow in your forced air system and causes excess heat and pressure to accumulate within the furnace. Some newer, energy-efficient gas furnaces automatically shut themselves off before excess heat and built up pressure causes further damage; however, most older furnaces do not include this feature. It is recommended to replace your filter approximately once a month during the peak of heating season, and every 60 – 90 days during periods of limited use.
3.) Gas Connections
A gas furnace cannot function without its fuel—natural gas! Find and check the gas valve to make sure it hasn’t been accidentally changed to the off position. To determine whether or not your furnace has a poor gas connection, check other gas appliances in your home if you have any. Are other appliances working? If so, you may need to tighten the gas connection to your furnace. Note: without proper handling, natural gas is dangerous and potentially fatal. Contact an HVAC professional to check your furnace’s natural gas connectivity.
4.) Pilot Light
Your pilot light should always be lit and should be blue in color. If your furnace’s pilot light is no longer lit, or is yellow/orange in color, you may have a bad or loose thermocouple, bad gas valve, low gas pressure, or cracked heat exchanger.
5.) Circuit Breaker
The reason your gas furnace will not turn on may not be an HVAC issue after all, it may be an electrical issue within the wiring of your home. Locate your home’s breaker panel and find the circuit breaker tied into your heating system. If your breaker is tripped, or frequently trips, you may need further service from a certified electrician to solve the problem.
Gas Furnace Repair in Northeastern Pennsylvania
T.E. Spall & Son is a full-service, family owned and operated heating and cooling company serving Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and their surrounding communities. Our HVAC technicians have the tools and experience to accurately diagnose and repair your gas furnace, so you can rest assured we’ll get your system back on line in no time. Contact us today to schedule furnace repair from T.E. Spall & Son.
