SoBellas looks at How to Test Your Furnace Before You Call for Furnace Repairs

    EL PASO, TX, November 04, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- According to J. Martinez, SoBellas lead service technician, "When you fire up your furnace for the first time in a year, you're going to smell some burnt dust. You might hear a rough whirring noise as the furnace gets started." J. M stressed "What you shouldn't hear is grinding, scraping, or banging." You should not smell burnt dust (or burnt anything else) for more than an hour after your furnace starts up. And most of all, your furnace needs to be supplying enough heat to keep up with your thermostat demands.

If your furnace is not behaving the way it should, it's time to consider calling for repairs. But wait, you think. Surely there's something else you can do, some cool troubleshooting steps that just might get your furnace working again before you call a furnace repair service. You're absolutely right. Anyone can do some simple furnace troubleshooting, and you might just find the solution to your problem without a service visit this time.

Try troubleshooting a malfunctioning furnace with the following steps:

Set the Thermostat Up 2 Degrees Higher

Martinez said "If you're not sure if the furnace is working correctly, set the thermostat two degrees higher than the current room temperature and listen." You should hear your furnace kick into gear. Within an hour, it should have reached the newly set temperature through intentional heating. If your furnace doesn't start up or never reaches temperature, these are two clear signs of different types of problems.

If your furnace reaches temperature but makes a ton of noise or creates a powerful odor, turn it off and call for repairs anyway. Those are signs that something is actively failing inside the unit.

Switch the Furance to Fan-Only

Try temporarily switching your furnace from "heat" to "fan". Give it a few minutes for the blower fans to go while the furnace cools, then switch "heat" back on. This may solve your problem, or reset the thermostat to know it should be heating.

Change Your Air Filter

Poor air quality sometimes isn't the fault of the furnace, but rather the air filter. Find the air filter in your air intake register or AC unit first and change it out for a fresh one. Then check to see if your model of furnace has an integral filter. If so, replace this with a clean filter as well. Martinez said, "Give your home a day to filter through all the current air or consider a chilly home air-out to give those new fresh filters a chance at creating better air quality in your home."

Listen and Sniff

Use your ears and your nose to figure out what is going on with your furnace. Loud bangs and scraping noises are bad news. You will likely need the services of a technician whether or not your furnace is keeping the home warm. Likewise, consistent bad smells is a bad sign. If you smell plastic, copper, or fire, turn the furnace off immediately and call for emergency repairs.

Replace Thermostat Batteries (If Applicable)

Some thermostats are wired to the home's internal power and some are battery-powered. Investigate your thermostat if your heater is not working correctly. If the unit pops out and you find a battery compartment, change out for fresh batteries of the correct size and try again. Fresh batteries might be all you need to get your furnace back under control.

Toggle Nearby Light Switches

If your furnace isn't responding at all, look around for a light switch. Some homes are wired in strange ways, and there is sometimes a switch connected to the HVAC that looks like a normal light switch. Think garbage disposal switch only for your furnace. Toggle a few nearby switches off and on to see if your furnace becomes responsive again.

Check for a Blown Fuse

Furnace still not getting power? Check your breaker box for a blown fuse. Reset or replace any fuses that are not in working order.

Look for an Error Code

Martiez said, "Lastly, investigate your furnace to see if it has a screen displaying an error code." If you can read an error code, you can share this with your furnace repair technician.

Call for Professional Furnace Repairs

Did your investigations conclude in a decision to call for furnace repairs? This is often the case. While homeowners can investigate a furnace's behavior on their own, most furnace repairs require a trained technician to get inside the unit to fix any relevant problems. For furnace repair services near you, contact us today.

# # #