We’ve just come through a patch of bad weather, signs of a long winter to come. Meteorologists are predicting one of the coldest on record, which means you need your heating system to run every day without fail in order to keep your home warm and comfortable. There are many subtle signs that you can spot when something is wrong, and at least one not-so-subtle one either. When you turn your heater on and nothing happens, or it suddenly shuts down in the middle of running, you can be fairly certain that there’s a big problem. Performing some basic troubleshooting, followed by a call to a repair technician, is usually the best course of action.
The reasons why your heating system won’t turn on are varied, which is one of the reasons you need a repair technician to resolve the issue in most cases. But it can be helpful to understand why the heater won’t turn on, which in turn can explain why you need a repair service to make it right. They can include, but are not limited to, the following:
Electrical Issues
Most furnaces rely on some manner of electrical power to function. Even gas-fed furnaces need electricity to power the fan and other components. When electrical power is lost, the system itself will shut down. In some cases, the problem doesn’t originate with the system. A power surge could trigger the breakers that channel power to the heating system, in which case you can just reset the breaker switch to fix the problem. Someone might have turned off the thermostat or altered the thermostat settings too, which can also be fixed with just a flick of the switch.
if neither of these solutions work, then the electrical issue may be more substantive: anything from a frayed wire to a burnt-out fan motor. A trained technician can hunt down the source of the trouble and get it fixed for you.
Safety Issues
The other big reason why your heater won’t turn on is far more serious. Modern heating systems are equipped with safety features designed to automatically shut off the system if there’s trouble. In most cases, it means that there’s a safety issue in play, and that running the heater will either spread the damage or cause a threat to your home. For instance, if there’s a gas leak, your system may stay shut off rather than spreading the flow of gas. Of if the heat exchanger is cracked, the system will refuse to turn on. In these case, the system’s refusal to start up is a good way of alerting you to the problem, as well as preventing any further damage from occurring. And a good repair service can be there quickly to correct it, even providing 24/7 emergency service for times when the shut-off occurs in the middle of the night.
If your heating system won’t run, turn the power off (even if it doesn’t seem to make a difference) and call Atlantic Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Inc. for heater repair services throughout Maryland.