Your furnace has to operate through many months of cold weather during the heating season. When its performance lags or something goes wrong, you’ll want to diagnose and correct the issue as soon as possible. We have some furnace troubleshooting tips that can help.

First of all, if your furnace isn’t producing heat or isn’t cycling on, check to be sure the thermostat is functioning and is set correctly. This is one of the most quintessential furnace troubleshooting tips many people overlook. A simple thermostat adjustment may be all you need.

• Furnace isn’t producing heat. Check for blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers. If you have a gas furnace, make sure the pilot light is on, and the gas or propane valve is open.  If you have an oil furnace, check that you have oil in your tank.
• Furnace creates too little heat. Turn off the main power and check the filter. If it’s clogged, it could be blocking the airflow through your house. Keep your filter clean. If this isn’t the problem, the system may need to be cleaned to enhance performance.
• It stops and starts too often. This can be a huge energy waster, and increases wear and tear. Two common causes are dirty filters and improperly set thermostats. An issue with the blower motor could be another cause. Give us a call if you think that’s the case.
• Blower is constantly running. If your thermostat has a fan setting, make sure it isn’t set to “continuous.”  or “on”.  It should be set to “auto”.  The fan control switch on the furnace itself may also be faulty.
• What’s that squealing noise? Could be a slipping belt on the blower motor, or the motor bearings may need oil.
• What’s that rumbling noise? In gas furnaces, this could be an improperly set pilot light or dirty burners.

These furnace troubleshooting tips can help correct minor problems. Keeping up with preventive maintenance is the best way to avoid needing furnace troubleshooting tips at all. It can prevent your heating bills from getting out of hand, problems from evolving into expensive repairs, or complete furnace breakdown.

If you’re still having trouble, or would just like a professional touch, contact the experts at Smoky Mountain Heating & Air.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about furnace troubleshooting tips and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Smoky Mountain Heating & Air services Asheville, North Carolina and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!          

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