Ross and Witmer 
With winter poised to clamp down on North Carolina, you’ve likely already used your furnace a few times already this fall. And if you’re following the suggested routine for furnace maintenance, you’ve already scheduled an annual pre-season tune-up. But what happens if your furnace malfunctions in the middle of the winter? This is why troubleshooting a gas furnace is good to know how to do.
Following are some common problems that gas furnaces experience:
Furnace Isn’t Providing Warm Air
This might be something as simple as the thermostat not being set high enough to kick on the furnace. A broken thermostat might be the issue, as well. To test the thermostat, switch to the cooling mode, and see if the A/C kicks on. Or it could be a tripped circuit breaker.
Lastly, the issue might be the pilot light in an older furnace. Simply check to see it it’s lit. In a newer furnace, a faulty electronic ignition might be the culprit. You can suss out some of these situations on your own, while you’ll need a professional technician to deal with some of the others.
Not Enough Heated Air
This problem is often caused by a dirty air filter. The furnace isn’t getting enough air to provide the heat the thermostat is calling for. The furnace burners might be dirty, though if you had a recent tune-up, this shouldn’t be the problem. Blocked airflow into the combustion chamber is another reason why your furnace isn’t providing enough heat. A qualified technician should be able to address these issues easy enough.
Short Cycling
If your furnace is cycling on and off frequently, this could be a sign of a dirty air filter, or it might be a problem with the blower motor. You can address the first issue, but you’ll likely need a technician to deal with the second.
While troubleshooting a gas furnace, if you think you’ve isolated the problem and can’t fix it yourself, contact the pros at Ross & Witmer. We’re the Charlotte area’s superior HVAC contractor.