Is Your Furnace Blowing Cold Air? Here’s What to Do
As winter approaches, you want to know that your furnace is going to be able to keep you warm. But what happens when you turn on your furnace, and all you get is cold air?
Your first impulse may be to do some troubleshooting yourself which if it’s a simple setting issue can be solved quickly. But, before you start up your heating system for the season it’s always good to get a service check done by calling in a Kingston furnace repair specialists. If you’re a diehard do it yourselfer though, below are a few potential causes for the problem that you could fix yourself, without needing to call in a repair crew.
Here’s what you do.
How To Troubleshoot A Furnace That Isn’t Heating
1 – Check your thermostat’s blower settings
Most thermostats have an option, usually called ‘Fan’ which simply blows air without any heating or cooling. You might be surprised how many people accidentally have this setting activated, without realizing it.
Make sure the thermostat is set to “auto” or “heat” instead.
2 – Clean or replace the air filter
If your furnace is unable to pull in enough air to heat up, it won’t be providing much heat to your HVAC system. The most common cause of this is a clogged air filter. You should always clean or replace the filter before first turning on the furnace in autumn or winter, and then clean it roughly once a month after that.
Keeping your filter clear will ensure that you get full-strength airflow, while also reducing strain on your furnace.
3 – Check the pilot light
If you have an older gas-powered furnace, it probably relies on a pilot light to provide the initial flame needed to get the heating process going. If the pilot light has been blown out, the heater will be unable to heat anything, but will most likely continue blowing air anyway.
Now, the pilot light should not blow out very often. If you find this happening frequently, you probably do need furnace repair services.
4 – Blocked condensate line
As your furnace creates heat, it also generates a certain amount of condensation. This is trapped within the system and sent through a small tube to flow out onto the ground. Should that tube become clogged, and the water backs up high enough, the furnace will automatically shut down to prevent water damage.
Clearing the block will fix the issue.
Get Furnace Repair in Kingston & Brockville Today
Of course, if none of these troubleshooting steps help, Toshack is here for you! We’ve been the heating and cooling experts for the Kingston and Brockville areas since the 1930s, and we’re always available for furnace repair jobs. Click here to schedule an appointment!