Title: Why is My Heater Blowing Cold Air?!
1Why is my heater blowing cold air?!
2Its the middle of a blistering cold winter and
your heating system decided to stop doing its
job. Why couldnt it have been on a nicer day?
You know the old saying about Murphys Law
Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. During
extra cold days, your heating system has to work
extra hard to keep your home at comfortable
temperature. This extra work can cause the system
to break down over time. Before calling your
local service technician, try these tips to
restore heat to your home.
3Check the thermostat
- Is the system selector switch in the heat
position? - Make sure the temperature is set at least 3
degrees above current room temperature. - If your thermostat is electronic, are the
batteries charged? Is the display showing?
4Forced Air Furnaces Only. If your thermostat has
a switch to control the furnace fan, switch the
fan ON. (This switch will usually be located at
the bottom of the thermostat, closer to the left
side and will be marked ON and AUTO.) Listen
to hear the furnace fan coming on. If you cannot
hear the fan, go to one of the supply registers
and see if you can feel any air coming up. If the
fan is not running, there may be no power to the
furnace. If the thermostat is set properly, next
step is to check to see that there is power to
the furnace
5Check shutoff switches and breakers
- It sounds unbelievable, but furnace technicians
often find that the only repair a furnace needs
is to be turned on. The switch for most furnaces
looks just like a light switch and is usually
located very close to the furnace Make sure the
switch is turned on. Also be sure to check the
circuit breaker or fuse for the furnace as well.
6Change the filter
- We have found that a majority of heat related
issues are solved or avoids just by making sure
you keep the filters changed on a regular basis.
If you have the owners manual for the furnace,
check to learn where the filters are located on
your furnace.
7Make sure the gas is on
- Just as with switches, someone may have turned
off a gas valve and then forgotten to turn it
back on. Trace the gas line back from the furnace
to the meter, and if you see a handle thats
perpendicular to the gas pipe, turn it so its
parallel. If you have an old furnace or boiler,
you may have a pilot light. Remove the front
panel and the burner cover and check to make sure
its lit.
8Clean away leaves and debris from heat pumps or
intake and exhaust vents.
- If you have a furnace that vents out the side of
the house, make sure nothing is blocking the
intake or exhaust. If either of the pipes is
covered with screen mesh (like window screen),
replace it. If ice is clogging one of the pipes,
you have a bigger problem somewhere in the
system. Before heating season starts, hose it
down gently from the top to rinse dirt and debris
out of the housing.
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