Why is My Furnace Not Heating - Causes and Solutions

There is no worse feeling than when your furnace stops producing heat in the middle of a frigid winter day. If your furnace has stopped producing heat, it could be due to a number of causes. Eric Noack, Mr. December of our Men of ABC Calendar, is here to walk you through what could have gone wrong along with possible solutions:

Some of the possible causes of a furnace that no longer produces heat include:

An improperly adjusted thermostat

Everybody's thermostat is different, but in most cases there will be a red light illuminated when the thermostat is in heat mode and is ready to heat the house. Setting your thermostat to a temperature above the current room temperature will turn the heat on.

The power to the furnace could be shut off

Another possibility is a loss of power to the furnace. Check your circuit breaker panel and make sure the power to the furnace is turned on. To do this, open the breaker panel cover and look at the listing to find the circuit that corresponds with the furnace. Then, make sure the lever is in the correct position.

The gas to the furnace could be shut off, or the pilot light could be out

If your gas shut-off valve is perpendicular to the pipe, it means the gas is turned off. Turn the lever to the parallel position to turn the gas back on. If your gas furnace has a pilot light, it may have gone out. It is important to read the manufacturer's instructions very carefully prior to checking the pilot light. Ensure the thermostat is turned all the way down and that the valve faces 'pilot', which will set it up to be lit. Knowing a little bit about your system is the best way to avoid breakdowns. If you are unsure about any of the aforementioned steps, please give the experts at ABC a call. We are more than happy to come to your home and provide assistance.