Why is My Home’s Heating Not Working?
One of the worst things to come home to after a cold, rainy winter day is realizing your home heat isn’t working. At Bell Brothers, we believe that all big fixes should be left to the professionals, however, there are a few things you can if you find yourself asking, “why is my home heating not working?”
Home Heating Is Not Working to Clean the Air
When you notice the air inside your is musty or stale, there are a few things to check. First, open a window and introduce some fresh air if you haven’t already done so.
The next thing is to check your air filter. An HVAC air filter has two very important jobs, the first is to keep dust and debris out of your HVAC system and the second is to keep indoor air contaminates out of your home.
An air filter that’s dirty or overfull is unable to properly remove pollutants from the air, which could lead to your home heating not working to clean air. Dirty air filters are also responsible for making your utility bills go up. And if unchecked for too long, a dirty air filter can lead to premature parts and even system failure.
Your air filter should be regularly checked and replaced. We recommend replacing the air filter twice per year, once in the spring before AC season and once in the fall before furnace season. You should also check your air filter regularly if you live in a home with a lot of pets, live close to a construction site, or had a recent fire close by.
Other ways to keep your home’s air clean:
- Replace the air filter often
- Have the furnace and air conditioner maintained
- Wipe down registers and vents
These small changes can have a major impact on your home’s indoor air quality.
Home Heating Not Working to Heat Air
It’s one of the biggest disappointments when you’re cold, you turn on the furnace, and no warm air comes out. When your home heating is not performing its job, there are a few things you can try to troubleshoot the system.
We just need to address one important point. When a furnace is completely unable to produce warm air, the problem is usually found in a large or critical part of the system. The gas line, fire exchanger, or even the compressor might be compromised.
There are however a few things you can do to see if the problem is small enough to fix on your own:
- Play around with your thermostat’s settings, set it 5-10 degrees higher than room temperature and see if it makes a difference.
- Make sure a piece of furniture or artwork isn’t obstructing a vent or register.
- Disruptions in energy routes can cause some problems, reset the power breaker and see if that changes anything.
- And finally, make sure the gas valves are open and functioning.
If these solutions don’t’ fix the problem, it’s time to call in a professional to find a solution.
Home Heating Not Working at All
Now, it’s a whole different issue if your entire system won’t turn on. Before you panic, just know there are a few things you can try.
Start small, check the thermostat. Sometimes just resetting the thermostat can do the trick. Also, check the thermostat batteries. They may just need to be replace.
You may also want to ask around your home. Sometimes, someone in your home made a change to the thermostat’s settings without telling anyone.
Are you just coming back from a power outage? No matter the type of furnace, gas or electric, a power outage will force you to restart your system.
For more serious issues, it may be possible that:
- A safety switch has gone off. One of the best things about home heating systems is that they come with a lot of safety switches. Sometimes things like too much pressure in the furnace can cause a safety switch to trigger. This is done for the safety of you and your family. When a safety switch is triggered, only an HVAC professional can set it right again.
- The fire exchanger may be disabled. Another issue with an overfull air filter is that dust and other debris can clog the fire exchanger, making it unable to produce the fire that keeps you warm.
Despite all your efforts, your system just may be at the end of its life. The average lifespan of a furnace is between 16 and 20 years depending on use and maintenance.
To fix your home heating, contact one of our friendly Bell Brothers representatives at your convenience.