What to do when the heat goes out – Simple fixes

If you live in NJ and the heat goes out, here are four simple furnace fixes you can do. 

In NJ, most furnaces are gas, so you’ll always want to put safety first. If you smell gas, get to a safe distance from the house and call 911. Read more about the things you need to be aware of when a furnace needs repair.

Sometimes when your heat goes out, it could be a simple fix and a furnace repair may not be needed. Here are the five things you can check yourself, before calling an experienced furnace repair company in NJ. 

1. Check your thermostat. Many thermostats have alkaline batteries and over time, batteries lose their charge and need to be replaced. If the battery in your thermostat loses charge, the thermostat can stop working and will no longer trigger your furnace to turn on and heat the home. Often a battery change is simple. You can Google your model of thermostat and find the manual which will provide instructions on how to change the battery. If you’re not comfortable changing the battery, you can call your local HVAC company. 
2. Check the power. Furnaces need electricity to run, and for various reasons, the electrical supply to the furnace could be interrupted. Often the breaker in your homes electrical panel will trip, cutting off power to the furnace. Check the breakers and see if one is tripped, if so, reset the breaker and see if the furnace starts up again. If the breaker is tripped and resetting it works, just keep an eye on it, if it keeps tripping you likely need a furnace repair, if resetting it solved the problem, it could have just been a short that has been resolved.
3. Flip the switch. Furnaces have emergency furnace switches that look just like light switches, and they accidentally can get switched off by family members or a visitor to the home. The switches are near the furnace, sometime on the furnace itself. In NJ, furnace installation code requires a furnace emergency switch to have a red switch plate, indicating emergency shutoff. If the switch is off, turn it back on to see if the problem of no heat is resolved. If the problem continues, turn the switch off to be safe and call a professional local HVAC company for furnace repair. 
4. Clogged filter. The filter on the furnace plays an important role, they play an important role not in indoor air quality, within the home trapping particulates that can become airborne throughout your home, they also regulate airflow. A clogged filter can affect the performance and functionality of a furnace. If the filter is dirty, replace it before calling for a furnace repair. It’s a good idea to have a service agreement for your HVAC system, filters get replaced regularly and safety checks are performed to keep the system running at peak performance, avoiding costly furnace repairs and downtime.