5 Simple Furnace Fixes A Sacramento HVAC Company Says You Can Perform 

You may not need to wait for a professional to perform each repair needed to get your furnace working again when it breaks down. Here are some simple repairs that you can perform on your own if you are handy with tools and have a basic understanding of how furnaces work. Call a Sacramento HVAC technician from Fox Heating and Air if you aren’t familiar with the components of your furnace so that you avoid exposing yourself to needless risks or damaging the furnace further.

• Check the Thermostat

A furnace that fails to work may have a simple fault in its thermostat. Start your DIY repair by confirming that the switch is set to heat rather than cool the home. Check the temperature setting and be certain that it is appropriate for the general conditions at that time of the year. For example, try setting the thermostat to a higher temperature than the ambient temperature and see if the furnace kicks in. Make sure that the day and time settings are accurate (the thermostat isn’t reading p.m. during morning hours, for example). Contact a Sacramento furnace repair technician in case you suspect that the thermostat has failed due to electrical issues.

• Shutoff Breakers and Switches

Find the switch on or close to your furnace and confirm that it is turned on in case your furnace isn’t working. Fox Family Heating and Air technicians often respond to calls and find that someone accidentally turned the furnace off. Check the breaker too in the breaker panel. Get professional help from a Sacramento heating and air company in case the breaker keeps tripping each time you reset it.

• Check the Filter

The heat exchanger of your furnace will shut off fast in case the filter is clogged and air can’t flow freely through it. Change the filter in case you hold it up and light doesn’t travel through its filter media/pleats. Ask a Sacramento furnace repair expert to demonstrate the correct way to install a new filter so that you start performing that basic task yourself. Remember that the filter change interval will depend on the type of filter and the conditions in your home. For instance, homes with pets may need to change the furnace filter more frequently than the change interval for homes with no pets.

• Turn the Gas On

Someone in your home could have turned the gas valve off accidentally thereby stopping the furnace from working. Check the gas line from the furnace back to the gas meter. Locate the valve (handle) and turn it so that it is now parallel to the gas line. Check the pilot light in case you have an older furnace. That pilot light has to be lit in order for the furnace to generate heat.

• Flush the Drain Lines

Greg Fox from Fox Family Heating and Air advises that homeowners should check the furnace drain lines frequently in order to confirm that they aren’t blocked. The furnace will shut down in case the flow of water through the drain lines is hindered by a clog or when the line is constricted by a heavy object. Biological matter can also grow in the lines and limit the flow of water. Flush such lines with a mixture of bleach and water so that any bacteria or other microorganisms can be flushed out.

It is important that you restrict your DIY repair efforts to the most basic fixes when your furnace develops a fault. Take all the necessary precautions, such as turning the power off, before you attempt any repair (if you must). The safest option is to find an affordable Sacramento furnace repair technician, such as those from Fox Family Heating and Air so that the professional can inspect the entire system before fixing any defects found. The money that you pay the technician will be much less than what you will spend in case you make a mistake and cause irreparable damage to the furnace unit.

Fox Family Heating & Air serves Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, and all of Northern California. If you’re looking to schedule HVAC service in these areas, give us a call!