6 Simple Furnace Fixes
May 04, 2023
Your furnace is one of those things in your home that you don’t fully appreciate until it’s broken. If you are having trouble with your furnace these simple furnace fixes will teach you how to fix your furnace and keep your home feeling comfortable.
1. Check Your Thermostat
Fixing your furnace starts at the thermostat. If the thermostat isn’t functioning properly, the furnace won’t work. Here are a few things to check when dealing with your thermostat.
- Check the setting. The thermostat should be set to “heat” or “on” instead of “fan,” “AC,” or “cool.”
- Check the temperature. If your set temperature is lower than your ambient temperature, your furnace will not turn on.
- Replace the battery. Thermostats have both a wired power and a battery power source in case the power goes out. It’s best practice to ensure your batteries are charged and functioning for maximized results.
- Update the display and settings. If there has been a power outage, your programmed temperatures might not be accessible. Make sure to set the right date and time, and create a heating schedule.
- Monitor breaks. If you have done renovations recently and have access to the thermostat wires, track them back to the furnace and check for breaks.
- Dust the thermostat. Brush or gently blow off any dust gathered in and on the thermostat.
2. Turn On All Shutoff Switches and Breakers
The simplest solutions are often the ones overlooked. Rather than calling for a technician to come by because your furnace isn’t working, check the electrical shutoff switches, breaker, and gas line to ensure they are on.
3. Change Your Filters
Dirty, clogged filters are like trying to breathe through a straw. They make your furnace work harder to get your home warm. Depending on the size of your filter and the dust levels in your home, you may need to change your filters monthly or annually.
Changing a filter is an easy furnace fix. First, for safety, turn off your furnace. Once your furnace is off and cool to the touch, you can remove the service panel. There is no reason to be working on your furnace while it is still running.
In most furnaces, the filter is directly behind the service panel. Gently remove the filter, replace it, and reattach the service panel.
4. Flush Drain Lines
High-efficiency furnaces create water and drain multiple gallons of water a day during the winter. Those lines are essential to maintain but can easily clog with mold, bacteria, or mildew during the summer, making them unusable in the winter.
To flush a drain line, remove the hose, fill it with a 4:1 ratio of water to bleach. Let the bleach mixture run and sit in the hose. After a few minutes, use water to flush out the bleach and any remaining debris.
5. Oil the Blower
Be careful when doing this service on your furnace. This is more technical and should only be done if you are comfortable working with your furnace’s mechanical systems. Because you’re going to be dealing directly with those systems, you assume all liability, and any damage you cause is usually not covered by the warranty.
If you have difficulty remembering where each screw and piece goes, take pictures while you work. This will give you a step-by-step guide to putting everything back together.
Furnaces draw in air, heat it, and then distribute it throughout your house. The furnace’s blower is what moves the air around. Oiling it once a year, typically before winter hits, helps ensure that your furnace is working the way it should.
Before oiling the blower, always turn off the circuit breaker at your home’s main electrical panel. Even if the furnace is off, you want to make sure there is no chance for it to turn back on.
Remove the access panel of your furnace and locate the blower motor assembly. In most furnaces, this is at the base. Remove the bolts that secure the blower to the main assembly and pull the motor from the housing.
There will be small oil ports on the motor and shaft of the blower. Squeeze two to three drops of standard 3-in-1 machine oil into each port.
From here, put everything back together where you found it. Install the motor into the blower assembly, reattach the blower assembly, reinstall the access panel, and turn the power back on to the furnace.
6. Declutter
Your furnace needs a clean flow of air to function properly. Sometimes, it’s on the outside. Remove any boxes, paint buckets, or debris around your furnace. Everything should be at least a yard away from your furnace.
Once everything is pulled away from the furnace, vacuum the area. If the area is dusty, there is a better chance for that dust to be sucked into the furnace and can clog your filters and vents.
Yes! Is Here to Help
Whether you don’t even own a screwdriver or you’re super handy and need a second opinion after doing everything you know, the team at Yes! is here to help. For additional information on HVAC services, call our team at 844-216-9300 and speak with a technician today.