How to repair common HVAC breakdowns
There is absolutely nothing even worse than waking up cold in the middle of the night.
Its one thing if you just need to pull the covers up. Its an entire various concern if your heater is working improperly or not working at all.
With a little diy experience you can troubleshoot and repair your heating system yourself. Your best option though is to have a maintenance check list for your heating unit to avoid the problem.
Today I have something that will make you seem like you have the understanding to tackle some heating system repairs.
Whether you have a standard gas heating system or a high efficiency gas heating system understanding how your furnace/heating system works is very important. You need to comprehend the standard functions of the device so you know what to look for when there is something wrong.
Check your thermostat to ensure it is turned on.
It might sound ridiculous but inspect the thermostat to ensure it is set on "heat" and that it is set at least 5 degrees above room temperature. You may be surprised the number of service calls are made without checking this!
Here are a couple of thermostat checks to perform yourself:
Examine the battery on the thermostat. You might require to change the batteries on your thermostat. If your homes thermostat system runs on batteries make certain you are changing them a minimum of when a year or as required.
Some thermostats are wired to your homes electrical system while others utilize batteries. How is yours powered? Sometimes those that use batteries will flash a low-battery symbol when they require a replacement.
Open the thermostat and carefully blow any dust or debris that may have blocked it.
Make certain the date and time is correct on electronic or programmable designs - the system may be on a timer.
Examine the breaker. If on shut off the breaker and check the fuse for the heater.
Heating system is not producing heat - try to reset the Circuit Breaker
Here are any variety of minor reasons why this could occur. First verify that the thermostat is set to "Heat." Then try moving the dial up or down a few degrees to check if a noticeable distinction is felt.
If there is no outcome check to see if maybe a breaker or fuse was tripped or blown.
Go to your houses breaker panel and search for the circuit that manages the heating system. Youre wanting to see whether its tossed to the "Off" position or whether its in the middle.
By hand evaluate the breaker. Flip it back and forth.
Make sure it is staying in the "On" position.
This will reset the breaker. If this does not do the trick you have a problem with either the circuitry in the circuit or the breaker itself.
The furnace is not producing enough heat. Inspect and alter a clogged filter.
A heater that has a hard time to produce heat is a various matter from one that has actually somehow stopped working.
When it comes to a poor-performing furnace that doesnt heat up the house adequately very first ensure that the air filter is clean and in excellent condition if not new.
This is an easy however vital part of heater upkeep. One of the most common factors to have a furnace not working is a clogged filter. It also happens to be the simplest maintenance task.
Replacing your heater filter frequently is a quick and basic task and goes a long way in safeguarding HVAC components and enhancing your inside air quality.
Find your filter - Some heating systems have their filter in the consumption. This most likely appear like a grate in a flooring ceiling or wall. Other filters reside in the heater itself.
Examine your filter - You can inform if the time has come to change it by holding it approximately the light. If no light shines through the filter requires changing. A dusty filthy odor from the vents when the blower turns on is another good indication you must alter your furnace filter.
Replace your filter - Make sure your heating system is turned off. No air should be coming out. Inspect the instructions your filter points. Filters are made to trap matter blown from one instructions. Installing your filter upside-down can lower its efficiency.
Cleaning up the debris that develops up on your filters will aid with the circulation of air. When your air filter is clogged your air handler should work more difficult to compensate for the clog of air circulation. In addition to increasing your energy bill the reduced air flow through your heating & cooling system can cause your heat exchanger to get too hot and shut down too rapidly.
Filters clean the air headed into the heater and the heated air returned into the house. An unclean clogged filter limits the air flow eventually causing heat and pressure to develop in the heater.
Newer more effective heating systems are sensitive to the issue and will frequently shut down prior to a filthy filter triggers more difficulty. For other systems the heater will continue to run but with less heat output and decreased performance.
Safety turn on a heater door
If your furnace is not running among the very first things you ought to do is inspect the security turn on the heating system door. A furnace door safety switch avoids the fan and burner from coming on while the gain access to panel is eliminated.
Furnaces have a safety switch that pops out when the door is eliminated. The door must be in place for the switch to be triggered and for the heating system to operate.
If you find you need to install a new security switch follow the action by step directions on How to Install a Furnace Door Safety Switch.
Shut the power off. Prep the blower door. Wire the security switch. Examine and evaluate the setup.
Keep the area around your heater tidy and unblocked
This might look like an obvious tip but sometimes homeowners with hectic lives forget to pay attention to areas of their house like the basement.
A basement can end up being messy which in turn can result in the area around the heating system being filled with various possessions and particles. Not just does a clean heater function much better it looks much better.
Avoid keeping flammable substances or materials near your heating system. Crowding your heating system can result in unexpected fires substantial damage to your house and danger to your household and family pets.
However convenient it might seem to just "save it there" for the summertime think about the chance that you may well forget any items youve left on or near your furnace. Dont take opportunities offer your furnace the room it needs to run securely.
In addition vacuum and clean regularly around your furnace. While you may have eliminated any and all combustible items from the location bear in mind that dust and lint can develop and develop a fire threat. An excess quantity of dust and lint can also cause your filter to become clogged up sooner than typical requiring more regular replacement.