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DIY Furnace Troubleshooting & Repairs
If your home is heated with a forced-air heating system, a furnace or a heat pump is the heater at the heart of it. Here we look at how to handle furnace problems from a furnace working poorly to a heater not working at all. For heat pump problems, see Heat Pump Troubleshooting & Repairs.
Though forced-air furnaces are normally quite reliable, they can break down. To avoid break downs, it pays to know how to maintain your furnace and fix it when something goes wrong.
Inevitably, a furnace stops working when you need it most. Consequently, fixing becomes urgent very quickly.
The following instructions will help you do the fixing—or at least figure out what needs to be fixed. With a little do-it-yourself experience and the proper guidance, you can troubleshoot and repair a variety of furnace problems yourself.
General Furnace Maintenance
If possible, also slide out the fan unit, clean each fan blade with a toothbrush, and then vacuum with a brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner.
While you’re at it, look for oil ports on the motor, normally located near the motor shaft. If the motor has these, apply two to three drops of non-detergent motor oil into each port (you may have to remove a cover plate to do this). Though most contemporary motors don’t require lubrication, motors with oil ports should be lubricated once a year. For more about maintenance, see Maintenance Checklist for Central Heating Systems.
Gas Leak
If you suspect a furnace gas leak, deal with this immediately!
First, if you smell natural gas in your home or near the furnace, do not light any matches or turn off or on any switches. If the gas odor is strong, immediately evacuate your house, leaving the door open.
Hand and wrench turning off a home's gas supply valve.
To shut off the gas supply to your home, turn the valve until it rests perpendicular to the supply pipe (here the gas is on).
Turn off the gas supply valve, typically located by your gas meter on the gas inlet pipe.
Turn off the gas by rotating the valve one quarter turn with an adjustable wrench.
When the gas is off, the valve’s oblong stem points perpendicular to the inlet pipe. Then call your gas utility or the fire department from a remote location. Do not return to your home until you know it is safe.
Why Heating Repair is Inescapable When Upkeep Is Ignored
You can maintain a furnace system a number of different ways. Odds are, during winter months your heater is on throughout the day trying to keep the house warm. In fact, it is usually on more than it needs to be because it is unable to maintain an operable atmosphere. There there are various areas in the heating section to take a look at when trouble shooting for efficiency.
Replace The Air Filter
This part is what gets brought up the most in chats about furnace maintenance, but is sometimes forgotten. If there is a obstruction, you either run the risk of not distributing heat adequately or perhaps starting a fire.When the filter gets dirty air cannot flow through either which suggests the unit must work overtime and could also mean a likelihood of fire. If the system is not distributing heat efficiently, it will be working harder. You want to obviously remove any exposure to fire. Neither situation is good for the pocket book or your well-being..
Test The Blower
Check your blower blades and clean them up. Should there be any buildup of grime and debris, your fan will work overtime to blow the air out, and the furnace will be overexerting itself. This means the system is over taxed and costing more money to run.
Check To See That The Fire Damper Works
Next, look at the fire damper to make sure it is running the right way. The fire damper is self-explanatory so take note of this aspect.
Look For Holes In The Flex Duct
Air ducts get bumped inot over time. If a duct has collapsed or become blocked, your system will believe that the proper temperature has been reached, which will be false. When this will happen the furnace works harder to do its job but will be unable to attain the right temperature range.
Band Insulation
Insulation is often neglected but is one of the most common reasons why an heating system does not work properly. Be sure to look at the insulation and verify it has not become loose and prompted gaps involving the ductwork and the exterior. When this has happened the system will work more than needed while trying to reach the best temperature.
Air Ducts Need To Be Sealed
Make sure the ductwork is hooked up everywhere to all sections. These detachments can cause gaps in the air movement and cause a loss of heated air in your home, since it is going to be getting out through the spaces.
Check For Leaks In The Return Air Inlets
Be certain to make sure return air intakes are dirt free and in good shape or your system will be unbalanced.
Zone Dampers
Examine the zone dampers to see if they are in the correct position. Now and again a damper can get moved in error like when you need to squeeze by it, or make room for storage. Check to notice that the dampers are actually in the right position too. If you need a professional to look at your furnace click here furnace installation
If these tasks are beyond what you are comfortable with, it would be wise to hire an area heating service licensed for gas furnaces. You will find numerous heating specialists close to you who can care for all of this quite competently. The most sage advice we can provide is to set up annual maintenance for that appliance.
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