There are not a lot of appliance repair needs that are more disheartening than that of a broken down furnace in the dead of winter. When you live where we do, it’s imperative that you have a fully functional and efficient heater in your home. To accomplish this, you first want to ensure that you schedule routine maintenance, once a year (twice a year if you’re using a heat pump).
Next, you want to make sure you keep up on any need for Nashville, TN HVAC repairs that might arise. Two of the most frequent repair calls our team gets are in regards to a heating system that won’t start, as well as one that won’t stop running. Keep reading to learn more about what’s going on in this case, that might cause either of these issues.
Why Your Heater Might Not Start
There are a few possible reasons this may be happening with your heating system, some being more serious issues than others. One possible scenarios is that you don’ t have a problem with your heating system at all, but instead a problem with your thermostat.
Check your thermostat to make sure that it is in the right mode (heating mode), and then check to ensure that there isn’t a problem with the wires that connect the furnace to the thermostat. Before you attempt this, do make sure that the circuit breaker to the system is turned off, for your safety!
A lack of electrical power could also be the reason your heater isn’t working. You might have a tripped circuit breaker, or there may even be a power outage in your neighborhood. For gas-powered systems, it may be that your pilot light is out.
In the absence of any of the above mentioned scenarios, it’s possible that you have a more serious problem on your hands. Hopefully, you scheduled maintenance before the season began, as we mentioned above. If this is the case, you likely don’t have anything to worry about. Either way, your next move should definitely be to call in a pro.
Why Your Heater Might Not Stop
So let’s say the problem with your heater isn’t that it won’t start, but rather than it won’t stop. While this may seem like a minor issue on a cold day, it’s detrimental to the efficiency of your heater, and could be doing a lot of harm to the system itself.
Again, this might be a thermostat problem. If your thermostat is malfunctioning, then it may not be able to accurately signal to the furnace that your desired temperature is being met, and it’s time to shut off.
Another potential issue is that your temperature is set too high, or that the air filter is too dirty and clogged. Either of these problems can prevent your furnace from shutting off, because it’s working to meet your desired temperature when it simply can’t. If resolving either of these issues doesn’t do the trick, then it’s time to call our team!
Keep Up on Heater Maintenance!
Yes, we are saying this again, because it is that important. The biggest and costliest of heater repairs can almost always be prevented by keeping up on annual maintenance appointments. During your heating maintenance appointment, our HVAC techs fully inspect and clean your furnace, making any necessary adjustments and recommendations for repairs as we go.
As long as you’re getting this service done on a yearly basis (or biannually if you have a heat pump, again), you should be able to keep your heater in good working condition for as long as possible.
At Covenant Heating and Cooling, we are “Dedicated to the Promise of Serving You.” Contact us today for exceptional HVAC services!