Few things are more frustrating in life than turning on the furnace expecting heat to come out in the depths of a severe winter and suddenly discovering that there is no heat to be had.
While there are a number of reasons why the heat does not appropriately respond as it should, three reasons, in particular, stand out as the most common among these. These revolve around the thermostat, the pilot light, and potential gas supply problems in your Greenwood home. The good news is that each of these problems can be relatively easily addressed without having to call an HVAC technician.
1) The Most Common Thermostat Issue
Fortunately, the most common problem with a thermostat is not that it burns out or simply quits working. Rather it is that it is set to On instead of Auto. This is likely to be the case if your furnace’s blower is continuously running but no hot air is, in fact, being released.
When the furnace thermostat is set to On instead of Auto, it will continuously put out air whether such air is hot or not. This is easily fixed. All that needs to be done is to reset the thermostat to Auto. This way, the blower will only blow air when the furnace is on and heating up the air.
2) The Pilot Light Is Out
Sometimes your furnace simply does not blow out any hot air whatsoever. If your furnace is more than 24 years old actually, then the problem could be as simple as the pilot light has gone out. The way the furnace actually operates is via a pilot light which hits a thermocouple. This mechanism is what maintains the gas flow.
If the thermocouple is not heated because of the pilot light, then it shuts off a gas valve so the furnace cannot light the burners.
Once again, this is a problem that can be fixed without a technician. It is simply a matter of relighting the pilot light. Follow these steps to get it relit:
Step One: First locate the pilot light reset switch and assembly point.
These two components, both switch, and assembly are typically located near the bottom part of the furnace close to a little knob which contains settings including “On,” “Off,” and “Pilot.” If it is not so easy to find these three, then track down the original user manual and look for the diagram of the furnace to learn where it actually is.
Step Two: Turn the Little Nob to its Original “Off” Position
Be sure to wait a good three to five minutes in order to ensure that there is no gas still coming from the pilot.
Step Three: Turn the Little Nob Back to the “Pilot” Setting then Press Down on the Knob for Around Half A Minute
This is the means to restart up the gas flow back to the pilot.
Step Four: Hold Up A Lighter Next to the Opening of the Pilot Till the Flame Re-Ignites and Lights Back Up
This flame will be a steady blue cone which should hit directly in the thermocouple’s midsection.
Step Five: Reset the Little Knob Back To the “On” Switch Setting
At this point, the furnace should re-ignite so that the hot air flow resumes finally.
In the event that the pilot light will not come back on and relight, or if it lights but does not stay consistently lit, then the problems are one of several, such as a thermocouple that is malfunctioning. In any case, at this point, the services of a reliable and experienced Greenwood professional will now be required to address the issue and restore the furnace.
It may be fixable, but some good practical advice for the future is to go out and buy a new furnace. These Pilot light furnaces are so old that they have not been built since 1992. Such furnaces only possess a typical life expectancy of from 18 to 20 years in any case, so it is a good time to replace them when they start malfunctioning. Otherwise, a person is only throwing good money after bad with these aging and obsolete pilot lit furnaces.
3) Problems With Gas Supply
In the cases where no gas at all is reaching the furnace itself, then the burners will not be able to light up. Burners that do not light will not warm the furnace and hence the air. This is why it is a good idea to first check to see if the following components are functioning properly and are correctly set:
The gas valve of the furnace is properly closed. It is important that the gas valve switch is in line and parallel with the pipe that supplies the gas. This is the official On setting and position.
It is also a good idea to check with the company which supplies the gas. They may be having some sort of temporary supply problems or issues. Contacting the local gas supply outfit is as easy as picking up a cell phone and finding the number. The problems could easily stem from some sort of gas supply company issues of which you are simply not aware.
For quality services in your own Greenwood, IN residence, simply call Johnson Heating & Cooling Inc. at (317) 881-7738.
