Having a furnace that’s dependable and effective isn’t a luxury here in Ohio. It is an essential necessity that becomes painfully apparent when we are faced with going without it.
Whether we experience some kind of heating system breakdown during the winter, or we lose power because of a winter storm — losing heat will make anyone anxious when it’s cold outside.
If this is the case in your Licking County, Ohio, area home, we at Newark-Heath Heating & Cooling recommend the following:
Tips for Homeowners Who’ve Lost Heat in the Licking County, Ohio, area
Identifying the Problem
Power check
If there’s a power outage, the first thing you need to do is contact your power company. The sooner you call, the better. Furthermore, because many of these power companies restore power where they’ve gotten the most reports from first, it’s good to call even if your next door neighbors called already.
On the other hand, if your home still has its power and your furnace isn’t running, you should check to make sure your heating equipment still has power running to it. Make sure it’s switched on before checking breakers and fuses.
Checking, testing thermostat
From there, the next you’ll want to look at and test is your thermostat to make sure it’s working properly with power of its own, or functional batteries if it’s powered by batteries. After that open it and clean away any dust or spiderwebs inside it before testing it. You can test it by turning up the temperature a few degrees to see if the heat kicks on after cleaning it. Additionally, you can also use a thermometer of your own to test its accuracy to make sure it’s reading the temperature in your home correctly. If during any of this it appears the thermostat isn’t working correctly, give us a call. We’d be happy to help.
Do you have proper airflow?
Because bad air filters can impede air flow and even block it altogether, your furnace’s air filters need to be checked frequently during the winter, like every month. If dirty or clogged, your home heating equipment won’t run as well as it should, if at all. In fact, a lot of furnaces have a safety feature that makes it shut down when air filters clog up and make the system overheat, which is a good thing because you don’t want to ruin your furnace. If you find it’s dirty upon checking it, replace it immediately. Furthermore, make sure all your air registers and vents are open and there isn’t any furniture, curtains or other items blocking airflow.
Is your gas valve open all the way?
If your furnace is gas powered and you aren’t getting enough heat, or any heat at all, check your gas valve. You want to make sure this valve is open all the way, so your furnace gets all the fuel it needs to heat your home. On top of that, check to make sure the gas control valve inside the furnace is open as well. While doing this step, if at any time you smell the slightest hint of gas, take extreme caution and stop what you’re doing. Leave the home immediately without turning on or off any lights or fixtures or using your cellphone. Leave without touching anything until you get outside the home at a distance where you need to use your phone or a neighbor’s phone to call the gas company to notify them you have a gas leak, or possible gas leak, inside your home. They will give you instructions from there. Don’t go back inside until help arrives.
Still having furnace problems?
If you’ve lost heat in your Licking County area home this winter — if you need a local, reputable HVAC technician to check your heating equipment when the power is restored — call Newark-Heath Heating & Cooling today at 740-212-5849, or schedule an appointment now by clicking here!
