While Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is always ready to service a conked-out furnace, we encourage you to follow eight troubleshooting steps -- including checking the “heat” button, not the panic button. You’d be surprised how many dozens of times we've seen one of these steps get a furnace up and running in our more than 80 years in business.
So take it from the top and:
- Ensure that the thermostat is indeed turned to “heat.” Someone may have inadvertently adjusted the setting.
- Choose a temperature setting on the thermostat that is at least 5 degrees higher than the room temperature to trigger the furnace to turn on.
- Make sure that the thermostat shows the correct day and time. Thermostats can be sensitive devices that sometimes “insist” on uniformity before they work properly.
- Pop open the thermostat and remove any dust, which could be interfering with the signal to the furnace.
- Ensure that the thermostat is snugly affixed to the walls, with no wires dangling loose.
- Replace the battery in the thermostat if necessary.
- Inspect the fuse and circuit breaker, and replace them if necessary. Follow the wires to the furnace, checking for splits or breaks. Wrap any weak areas with electrical tape.
- Inspect the furnace filter by holding it up to sunlight or a bright light. If light cannot shine through, replace the filter. A clogged filter can literally “choke” a furnace, causing it to shut down.
Chances are, one of these steps will get your conked-out furnace up and running again. If not, the experts at Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning are happy to help. Whatever the source of the problem, we will find it and repair it – and disable your own personal panic button at the same time. We've served the Route 495/128 area of Massachusetts for over 80 years.
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