EMERGENCY! It’s a cold winter day or night in Indiana, and you have your furnace running. Or maybe a heat pump or boiler. Then suddenly—nothing. The heater stops working and a chill settles over your home. You might feel panic creeping up your spine, and who could blame you? This is one of those winter nightmares homeowners hope never happens to them.
There’s no reason to panic. There’s reason to be concerned, but if you take the right steps, you and your family should make it through all right and have the heating restored in no time.
First, make some basic checks
A sudden furnace or other heater shutdown may not be a malfunction. A number of small errors can lead to a system that won’t turn on.
- We recommend first checking the thermostat. Yes, this sounds basic, but often someone mistakenly adjusting the settings or putting in incorrect programming can cause the heater to fail to turn on. If you find the thermostat is non-responsive, then you already have a good idea what the problem is.
- If you use a forced-air heater (furnace, heat pump), check on the air filter. If it’s congested with dust and lint, change it for a new one. A clogged filter can trap heat in the HVAC system and cause the limit switch to shut the heater down to avoid overheating.
- Go to the electrical panel to see if any circuit breakers have been tripped. All heaters, even gas-powered ones, make use of electricity. This means they can overload a circuit and cut off power. Reset the breakers and try the heater again.
Call an HVAC repair contractor
You’ve exhausted the simple options. Now it’s time to have the heating professionals come to the rescue. Keep the number for a 24-hour HVAC repair service on hand so you can have the experts on the way to your house.
Take steps to keep warm
Now you have to wait for the professionals to arrive. It shouldn’t be long—especially if you called us! But until then, keep warm with a number of simple techniques.
- Use space heaters and have everyone stay in the rooms with them. We recommend buying a few space heaters for just such an occasion.
- Put that fireplace to use! It’s more than decorative, after all. (And while we’re here, we’ll mention we run The Fireplace Shoppe for the installation of fireplaces and freestanding stoves.)
- You can open the oven door and turn it on to provide fast heat for the kitchen.
- If it’s daytime, open the windows to allow in sun that will give you radiant heat.
- Put on a few extra layers!
To schedule service for your heating in Warsaw, IN, whether an emergency or something less urgent, you can put your trust in us. We have 24/7 service available to keep your family from suffering in the cold for too long. Right now, we’re offering a special on any breakdown service you might need. Don’t hesitate to call us when you’re heating system can’t come through, because you can count on us to come through!
Collier’s Heating & Air Conditioning: For over 30 years, a company you’ve grown to trust!
