Five Star Heating & Cooling Group understands the importance and responsibility homeowners shoulder regarding your furnace’s seasonal upkeep. Of course, no one wants their furnace to go out in the middle of the winter. But unfortunately, life happens, and HVAC mishaps sometimes occur even when we do our best to stay ahead of the game. So how do you properly prepare yourself should this happen to you? You can follow the tips & tricks listed below.

Did You Check for a Gas Leak?

This first step is at the top of the list for a reason. You and your family’s safety are the number one priority. A gas leak is a possibility that needs to be ruled out before anything else. If you suspect that the cause of your furnace issue is at all related to a gas leak, grab your family and any pets, exit your home immediately, and call your gas company. Once a professional comes by to check everything out, wait for their signal before reentering your home.

What Are Some Steps to Troubleshoot Your Furnace?

With the concern of gas leaks being out of the way, you can now move on to troubleshooting the furnace:

1. Is the pilot light out? Inspect the pilot light on your furnace. It may have gone out without you noticing, and the resolution may be as simple as relighting the pilot light.
2. Don’t forget about that circuit breaker! Unfortunately, your furnace’s switch may have flipped off when you were not at home or in the middle of the night while you were sleeping.
3. Another common issue that often gets overlooked is the thermostat. Your thermostat’s display may not be powering on at all, which can result in your furnace not turning on. Don’t assume the worst. Try a pair of new batteries first and see if that fixes the problem.

How Do You Stay Warm?

Furnaces always break down at the most inconvenient times. If it comes to your home not heating in the middle of winter, you should call your local HVAC experts like Five Star Heating & Cooling to diagnose your heating issues as soon as possible. With that being said, if you have a period of time while waiting on a technician to repair your furnace, it would be wise to have a backup plan to keep you and your family warm for a given amount of time. First, you and your loved ones can start by bundling up in layers of comfy, cozy clothing or blankets. Next, If you have a wood-burning fireplace, consider supporting a small stock of firewood available for this sole purpose. Fireplaces are great options to heat a common area where everyone is gathered together.

When Should You Call a Service Professional?

At this point, if you have gone through all these steps and the furnace issue persists, we do suggest calling a service professional. Five Star Heating & Cooling Group would be happy to assist you. Standard troubleshooting is optimal to try and fix the problem yourself. But unless you are a licensed professional, we do not recommend making furnace diagnoses and repairs yourself.

Hopefully, this blog has provided helpful information and tips to formulate a game plan if your furnace stops heating your home. With several weeks still until the winter season is officially over, we want to make sure your furnace stays in tip-top shape to finish out the season strong. Suppose you have not already had your furnace serviced for its seasonal maintenance, you’re in need of emergency furnace repairs, or you have any questions; in that case, please do not hesitate to contact your service professionals at Five Star Heating & Cooling Group. Give us a call today at (614) 490-7550, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!