7 Things to Check Before Calling an HVAC Technician

Oh no! You just arrived home and discovered that your heat (or air conditioner) isn’t working! Before you pick up your cell phone and dial your favorite heating and cooling company (Selvey Heating & Cooling, of course!), there are a few things you can check for yourself. You might save yourself some money. (And perhaps a little pride depending on the problem…)

1. Make sure your thermostat is actually set to “HEAT” or “COOL” depending on the season.
2. Make sure your thermostat is set to the proper temperature. If needed, adjust the temperature or turn it on.  The blower should come on within 5 minutes. Many systems have a built-in delay, so it may be a few minutes before the system kicks on.
3. Check your breaker panel or fuse box. A circuit breaker may have tripped or a fuse may have blown. However, if this happens more than once, there is likely a malfunction that requires a service call.
4. Check the thermostat batteries. They may be low or completely dead. The display may say “Batt” or “Battery low”. If you change your thermostat batteries every six months, this shouldn’t be the issue. (A good rule of thumb it to change these batteries when you reset your clocks every spring and fall.)
5. If you have an older furnace, make sure the furnace pilot light hasn’t gone out.  If you have an older furnace, it’s probably time to think about upgrading to a higher efficiency model to reduce your energy bills and increase reliability.
6. Check for good airflow. Are any of air registers covered with toys, blankets, or furniture? (My one-year old grandson once removed the register cover and filled the inside with toys and then replaced the grill. It took us days to figure out the problem!) While you’re at it, you should check your filter, too, to make sure that it is clean and not inhibiting proper air flow.  Reduced airflow can cause your furnace to overheat resulting in permanent damage.
7. Make sure your windows are closed. This is especially easy to miss in the spring and fall.
8. Check the outdoor temperatures. Most air conditioners are designed to cool up to 20 degrees less than the outside temperature, so you may just need to wait out the hot weather and refrain from adding more heat to the house (like running the dishwasher or dryer, taking hot showers, etc.).

If you have gone through the checklist, and your furnace or air conditioner still isn’t working correctly, call Selvey Heating & Cooling with peace of mind, knowing you’ve done everything you know to do, and now you need to leave it in the hands of a certified expert.