What to Do When Your Furnace Wont Turn On | ALCO HVAC
Heating and Cooling

Furnace Not Turning On After Summer? Try These Tips From a Fredericksburg, VA HVAC Expert

November 21, 2022December 27th, 2022No Comments
family sitting on couch with hot beverage - ALCO HVAC

Temperatures in Fredericksburg, VA can get as cold as 28°F. You’re going to want to make sure you’re prepared for this coming winter. This means ensuring that your furnace is in good shape. You should test your furnace out before the real cold weather sets in. That way, if your furnace won’t turn on, you can fix the problem while you’re not freezing.

If you want to know how to fix a furnace that won’t turn on, continue reading.

Steps to Take When Your Furnace Won’t Turn On

You’re not completely hopeless if your furnace doesn’t turn on. There are plenty of minor issues that can cause this furnace problem. You may even be able to fix some of these problems yourself.

Whenever you can’t turn your furnace on, take the following steps.

Check if the Furnace Is Powered On

This step may seem obvious. However, the fact that it is so obvious is often why people tend to forget about it. Also, it can be easy to forget even the simplest things when you’re panicking.

Find the furnace power switch, which should look like a light switch. You can usually find it near the unit on a wall, ceiling, etc. Once you think you’ve found it, flick it on.

Give the furnace a bit of time to start. If that doesn’t work, continue to the next furnace troubleshooting step.

Check if the Thermostat Is Powered On

Your furnace’s thermostat often runs on batteries rather than electrical power. So even if your furnace is on, your thermostat may not be. If the thermostat isn’t on, the furnace may be unable to activate.

Check the thermostat and see if it’s on and/or programmed correctly. If you can’t turn it on, try to give it new batteries. If you can’t turn it on after giving it new batteries, you may need to perform some furnace maintenance and replace the thermostat.

Check if the Air Filter Is Dirty

A clogged air filter can cause your furnace to shut down. Without regular airflow, the heat inside your furnace can increase to dangerous levels. Your furnace may then shut itself down to stay safe.

Check your air filter, which should be on the return vent or at another location. If it seems too dirty, buy a replacement filter and switch it out with the old one. Luckily, you don’t have to be a professional furnace repair technician to perform this action.

We’re HVAC Technicians in VA

With proper care and careful thought, your furnace will keep you toasty warm all winter. So stay calm when your furnace won’t turn on, think hard, and slowly perform all the tasks.

Also, consider contacting us to help fix your furnace problems. Our team is trained to handle a variety of HVAC problems in Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg. Request a free quote on our website today.