8 Simple Fixes if Your Heater Is Not Working

If you suspect furnace problems, try these eight furnace fixes you can do yourself before calling a pro.

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Furnace Diagram

Furnace Repair – The Basics

Your furnace is probably the most important appliance in your home. Unless you live somewhere that doesn’t get cold, ever, then, it’s literally the device that makes your house livable, along with the running water. So when it it’s not working and the mercury outside is dropping, you’ll need to be able to diagnose the problem and fix it ASAP.

Fortunately, a fair number of common furnace problems can be fixed without an expensive service call. The next time your furnace isn’t working, try these eight simple solutions first, before you shell out big bucks and wait (and wait and wait) for the repair tech to show up.

You can check and correct all eight items in just a few minutes. We show a gas-fired, forced-air furnace here, but most of the same checks apply to electric furnace systems and hot water boilers.

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Man adjusting the thermostat
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Check the Thermostat

Before you assume you have a furnace problem, do some furnace troubleshooting and check the thermostat to make sure it’s actually telling the furnace to come on. Thermostats, especially programmable ones, can be complicated, and the more options a thermostat has, the more that can go wrong.

  • Make sure the furnace switch is on “Heat” rather than on “Cool.”
  • Check the temperature setting.
  • Compare the temperature setting to the room temperature. Set the temperature five degrees higher than the room temperature and see if the furnace kicks on.
  • Make sure the program is displaying the right day and time, as well as a.m. and p.m. settings.
  • Trace the thermostat wires back to the furnace to check for breaks, especially if you’ve done any remodeling recently. If you find a break in one of the thin wires, splice the line back together and wrap it with electrical tape.
  • Replace the battery. If you have a power outage with a dead battery, you’ll lose your settings and the thermostat will revert to the default program.
  • Open the thermostat and gently blow out any dust or debris. Make sure it’s level and firmly attached on the wall, and that none of the wires coming into it are loose.
  • If you can’t make the program settings work, you can bypass them altogether. Simply punch in the temperature you want with the up/down control and then press the hold button. That will switch on the furnace if the thermostat programming is the problem.
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Switch off the breaker
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Check the Breaker and Shut Off Switches

It sounds unbelievable, but furnace technicians often find that the only “repair” a furnace needs is to be turned on. Look for a standard wall switch on or near the furnace—all furnaces, no matter what age or type, have one somewhere. Check the circuit breaker or fuse for the furnace as well. Make sure the front panel covering the blower motor is securely fastened—there’s a push-in switch under it that must be fully depressed for the furnace to operate.

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change furnace filter

Change the Furnace Filter

A clogged furnace filter can cause a furnace to shut off. Dirty filters are the most common cause of furnace problems. Dust and dirt restrict airflow—and if the filter gets too clogged, the heat exchanger will overheat and shut off too quickly, and your house won’t warm up. If the blower is running but no heat is coming out, replace the filter. A dirty filter also causes soot buildup on the heat exchanger, reducing the efficiency of the furnace and shortening its life.

The owner’s manual shows where the filter is and how to remove it. Change inexpensive flat filters at least once a month. Make sure that the arrow points toward the furnace. Inspect pleated filters once a month. Hold them up to the light and if you can’t see the light clearly through them, replace them. Manufacturers say pleated filters are good for three months, but change them more frequently if you have pets, kids or generate lots of dust.

Always turn off the shutoff switch (see Solution 2) and turn the thermostat off or all the way down before changing the filter or working on the thermostat or furnace.

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Gas line cutoff furnace
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Make Sure the Gas Is On

Gas furnace not blowing hot air? 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 that’s perpendicular to the gas pipe, turn it so it’s parallel. Gas furnace repair is depends on how old your furnace is. 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 it’s lit.

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Chimney flue
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Make Sure the Chimney Exhaust Flue Is Clear

Drawn by the warmth, birds sometimes fall into the chimney exhaust flue. Turn the furnace off and the thermostat all the way down, then dismantle the duct where it exits the furnace and check for debris. Be sure to reassemble the sections in the same order and direction that you took them out.

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Furnace drain
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Flush Out Drain Lines

High-efficiency furnaces can drain off several gallons of water a day in heating season. If the drain lines become restricted by sediment or mold growth, the furnace will shut down. If the drain hose looks dirty, remove the hose, fill it with a mixture of bleach and water (25 percent bleach), then flush it after several minutes.

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round ductwork installation silicone
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Look for Blocked or Leaky Ducts

If your furnace comes on but one or two rooms are cold, first make sure all the room registers are open. Then examine any ductwork you can get access to and look for gaps between sections or branching points. Seal any gaps between sections of duct with special metal duct tape. Don’t use standard cloth duct tape—it quickly deteriorates, and it may also cause ducts to leak if it was used to seal sections in the past. Make sure you know why your furnace is leaking water.

Also check for handles protruding from the ductwork. These are dampers or air conditioner bypasses—make sure they’re open.

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Furnace intake and exhaust
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Clean Leaves and Debris from 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 with 1/2-in.-mesh hardware cloth. If ice is clogging one of the pipes, you have a bigger problem somewhere in the system. Clear it off and call a technician to find out why it’s happening.

If you have a heat pump, clear away grass and leaves from the fins of the outdoor compressor unit. Before heating season starts, hose it down gently from the top to rinse dirt and debris out of the housing.