heating not working
What to Check if Your Heating Not Working? The Following Points Need Attention!
It’s very painful to be in a cold house with the heating not working when it’s freezing outside. Avoid this, and the easiest way to prevent heater failure is to regularly maintain your heating system before the weather turns cold.
If your heating not working despite your best efforts, here are some other things you can check before calling a heater technician. Perhaps doing so will save you some hassle and a lot of time and expense.
Check Heate Pump Power Switch
The heater has an on/off switch and sometimes gets turned off accidentally. If you store holiday decorations near the heater, you may hit the off switch, causing the heater to turn off
Check The Fuse Box That Powers The Heate Pump
If checking the heater’s power switch doesn’t fix the problem, check the power and see if any of the heater’s electrical breakers have tripped. Resetting a tripped circuit breaker will allow your heater to restart.
However, if the power to your heater keeps tripping, the utility protection may be activated and it would be wise to call a licensed professional electrician to see what the problem is. A licensed HVAC technician can tell you if this is a power or safety issue with your heate pump, or if it’s a larger electrical problem that needs an electrician to fix.
Heaters and furnaces have many built-in safety measures that shut off power until repaired by a professional. These security measures exist to ensure your safety.
The following are typical safety features that most forced air furnaces have:
- Furnace Safety Switch or Upper Limit Switch
This safety feature detects high temperatures in the furnace and shuts it down to avoid fires. If the airflow is not working due to a faulty blower motor, capacitor, or control board, there is a fire hazard. After activating this feature, a licensed HVAC technician will need to reset the system.
- Thermocouple or Flame Sensor
This safety measure detects that the light is weak or absent and will shut down the furnace to prevent an explosion. Thermocouple versions are found in older equipment; flame sensors are present in modern furnaces.
- Exhaust Safety Switch
This switch monitors all flue gases as they pass through the heat exchanger and are ventilated through the top of the roof. The switch certifies that fumes can be safely vented from the furnace. This is why the furnace will not start if this switch is activated.
The most common reasons for a vent safety switch to activate can be due to a nest of animals, insects blocking the vent, or a buildup of other debris that prevents airflow. Another is a chalky substance. This is something we need to clean out before commissioning the heater. As an odorous substance produced in the combustion of natural gas, the buildup of chalky material is a common cause of misdiagnosed heat exchanger failures.
Check The Batteries In The Thermostat
If your thermostat has been using batteries for a while, try replacing them. Maybe it’s this simple fix that will get your heater running again.
It sounds simple enough, but you need to turn the thermostat to the “heat” or “auto” setting before your heater will come on. If you have your heating set to keep the indoor environment at 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and your thermostat is set to “cool,” your heater won’t come on.
There is also a situation where the smart thermostat will “stuck” and require a reboot. The easiest fix is to remove them from the wall and reattach them to complete a manual reset. It’s similar to turning your computer on and off, and it only takes a minute to do it.
Replace Air Filter
When was the last time you changed the air filter in your home? Hope the answer is not years! A clogged or dirty filter can wear down the electronic components that keep warm air from venting in your home. They can also “throat” your system and heating not working. If your heater can’t draw in enough air, it can cause problems and possibly cause it to overheat and shut down.
Some homes have filters in the return air vents, and others have air filters in the furnace. We do not recommend double filtering unless your system is designed to handle this arrangement.
Disposable air filters are designed to be replaced periodically (every 1-3 months).
Watch Out for Unusual Smells
If your heate pump isn’t working and you smell burnt or smoke, it could be the heate pump motor or wiring burning hot and you should get professional help as soon as possible.
Note that if you find a carbon monoxide leak, you won’t be able to detect it yourself, which is why we recommend installing carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms in every home. This is especially important with gas stoves, since combustion produces carbon monoxide, an odorless, poisonous gas. If the carbon monoxide alarm in your home goes off, get everyone out of the house and call the fire department.
