No heat? No worries! We’ve got you covered. If your furnace is turning on but not putting out heat, you can try the following steps we have listed in this helpful troubleshooting guide. By going down this list of safe-to-perform troubleshooting steps provided by your truly—Five Star Home Service experts, you should be able to find the solution to your current “no heating” problem.
To make it easier on you, here’s a step-by-step troubleshooting list to follow if your furnace is not putting out hot air:
1. Check the Thermostat Settings If Your Furnace is Not Putting Out Heat
As always, it’s best to start troubleshooting any HVAC issue by checking the thermostat, which serves as the central command center for your HVAC system. If your furnace isn’t turning on, the issue may be linked to the thermostat, which is good news because it is often an easy fix.
First, verify that your thermostat is set to “heat” and that the setting exceeds the current room temperature. This will allow your heating system to reach your desired temperature.
Depending on your specific thermostat model, you can also try checking the batteries and replacing them if necessary. However, if your thermostat continues to be unresponsive, this is an indication that an HVAC technician should be consulted to discuss your thermostat options.
2. Check for Airflow Problems If Your Furnace is Not Putting Out Heat
When the ductwork has restricted airflow, it can negatively impact the heat emitted from your furnace to be effectively distributed throughout your space. So, if you have turned your furnace on only to find no heat coming from it, there is a chance there may be an obstruction restricting adequate airflow.
- Clogged Air Filters: Check your air filters to see if they are overdue for a replacement. We typically recommend changing the air filters every 1-3 months. So, if you have not changed out your air filters in a while, or you find that they are full of dust and other airborne particles, swapping the older filters out for new ones might just resolve your issue.
- Obstruction of Objects: Make sure your registers are open and not closed. Also, remember that items placed in front of or on top of HVAC registers are also considered obstructions due to impeding the direct line of airflow. Things like area rugs or even furniture pieces are considered to be obstructions and should never be placed on top of an HVAC register. In addition, small objects that have fallen into the ductwork can also confuse the furnace, sending it into safety mode by shutting down. (Many furnace models have a safety feature that will cause the furnace to shut off automatically in situations like this.)
3. Check the Pilot Light If Your Furnace is Not Putting Out Heat
- Now, onto our next troubleshooting step! If you have an older furnace, it’s probably safe to assume that it uses a pilot light to ignite the burners. So, naturally, if the pilot light is out, the furnace won’t turn on. You can check on it by opening the furnace cover and looking for the pilot light. If it’s not lit, you’ll want to follow your furnace’s specific instructions to relight it.
- Remember that sometimes, even when you relight the pilot, it may go out again. If this is happening to you, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to figure out why your pilot light is not staying lit.
- If you still have not resolved the issue with your pilot light, this could indicate a problem with the thermocouple, a component that senses if the pilot light is on and controls the gas flow. Replacing a faulty thermocouple might solve this issue, but you’ll likely need a licensed technician to assess it and go over your options.
4. Check the Fuel If Your Furnace is Not Putting Out Heat
Another thing you want to check if your furnace is powering on but not precisely producing heat is to check the fuel supply. It’s not impossible that there could be an issue with the fuel supply. For instance, if the furnace is not receiving gas for whatever reason, there is nothing to fuel the combustion process, which will not create heat. Ultimately, this means your furnace can still power “on,” but no heat is produced.
- Step One: Go ahead and inspect your gas cutoff valve. This should be located near your furnace. Verify that the gas valve is turned to the “open” position. For reference, this means it should run parallel to the gas line.
- Step Two: If your furnace requires oil or propane, the supply may be low. If this is the case, you’ll want to schedule an appointment to have it assessed and potentially refilled as soon as possible. A licensed HVAC company like Five Star Home Services will have access to the proper tools and materials to safely and correctly perform this particular HVAC task.
Don’t Forget: Safety is key! If you think (even slightly) that there is a gas leak, or perhaps you catch a faint whiff of gas in your home, don’t mess with anything further. Instead, per Columbia Gas of Ohio, you should evacuate your family and pets immediately, then call 911 and your gas company.
What Now?
Once you have checked the thermostat settings, line of airflow, pilot light, and fuel or power source, if these troubleshooting steps don’t exactly resolve your furnace issue, it would be best at this point to give us a call. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, further insight and expertise from a professional is necessary. We’d be more than happy to lend a hand and make this experience more seamless. All our technicians are NATE-certified, and we would be honored to provide your home services.
Simply put, keeping your furnace well-maintained and working correctly takes effort, time, and proper care. We’d love to provide you with our five-star customer service! Feel free to contact Five Star Home Services at your convenience by calling (833) 405-8009 or clicking here to schedule an appointment online easily!
