Furnace Repair in Erie, PA

To start, make sure your thermostat is instructing your furnace to start.

Swap out the batteries if the screen is blank. If the digital screen is jumbled, the thermostat may need to be replaced.

Make sure the switch is set to “heat” instead of “off” or “cool.”

Ensure the program is displaying the correct day and time and is set to “run.” If you’re having trouble overriding the program, set the temperature by using the up/down arrows and press the “hold” button. This will make the furnace to ignite if thermostat programming is causing a problem.

Increase the temperature setting to 5 degrees warmer than the room temperature.

If your furnace hasn’t started within few minutes, make sure it has power by toggling the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t begin to run, your furnace may not have power.

If you have a smart thermostat—like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch—troubleshooting is very model-specific. Check the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to work, call us at 814-308-0416 for heating and cooling service.

Next, you will need to check if your breaker and furnace switch are on.

Find your house’s main electrical panel. If you aren’t sure where it is, search for a gray metal box in your basement, garage or closet.

Make sure your hands and feet are dry before touching the panel or breakers.

Locate the breaker labeled “furnace” or “heat,” and make sure it’s switched “on.” If the breaker has tripped, it will be in the middle or “off” position.

Using one hand, firmly switch the breaker to the “on” position. If the breaker immediately trips and pops back to “off,” don’t touch it and contact a professional from Patterson & Stirling at 814-308-0416 right away.

No matter your furnace’s age or brand, it has at least one standard wall switch located on or near it.

Make sure the switch is flipped up in the “on” position. If it was turned off, it could take your furnace up to five minutes to turn on. (If you don’t know where to find your furnace, look in your basement, garage or utility closet. It could also be in a crawl space or attic.)

When it comes to furnace problems, a filthy, clogged air filter is frequently the top offender.

If your filter is too dirty:

• Your furnace won’t stay on, or it could overheat from restricted airflow.
• Your energy bills could go up because your furnace is turning on more than it should.
• Your furnace could stop working sooner than it should because a dirty filter causes it to overwork.
• Your furnace can be disconnected from power if an extremely dirty filter causes the breaker to trip.

Depending on what type of furnace you own, your air filter can be found inside the blower compartment of your furnace, an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.

To replace your filter:

1. Turn off your furnace.
2. Pull out the filter and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see light through it, use a new one.
3. Put in the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the furnace to avoid damage.

Flat filters should be replaced once a month, while pleated filters should last about three months. You can also get a washable filter that will last about 10 years. If you have children or pets, you may have to change your filter more often.

To make the process go more quickly in the future, use a permanent marker on your furnace housing or ductwork to indicate the airflow direction and filter size.

Otherwise known as drain pans, condensate pans hold water your furnace pulls from the air.

If water is dripping out of your furnace or its pan has standing water in it, follow these steps.

• If your pan has a drain (look for a PVC pipe), check that it isn’t clogged. If it needs to be drained, use a special pan-cleaning tablet you can purchase at home improvement or hardware stores.
• If your pan uses a pump, check the float switch. If the switch is stuck “up” with liquid in the pan, contact us at 814-308-0416, because you will likely need a new pump.

If malfunctions continue, look inside your furnace’s plastic window to check the status of the blower motor. Depending on the model, the light could also be fixed on the outside of your furnace.

If you see anything other than a steady, colored light or blinking green light, call us at 814-308-0416 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be communicating an error code that needs professional help.

If your furnace tries to start but switches off without distributing heat, a dirty flame sensor could be responsible. When this occurs, your furnace will attempt to turn on three times before a safety feature shuts it down for about an hour.

If you feel comfortable with opening up your furnace, cleaning your flame sensor is something you can do yourself. Or, one of our heating service specialists can do it for you.

If you want to clean the sensor yourself, you’ll need:

• A 1/4” hex screwdriver or wrench
• Piece of light grit sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth
• A dry, clean paper towel

Next:

• Shut off the furnace’s power by using its wall switch or breaker. If your gas valve is not electric, you will need to shut off the gas as well.
• Lift off the furnace’s front panel and track the wire to the flame sensor.
• Unscrew the rod and use your sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth to gently rub the metal rod.
• Wipe off the rod with a paper towel.
• Remount the sensor.
• Replace the furnace doors.
• Turn the furnace’s power back on. It might go through a series of checks before continuing normal operation. If your furnace doesn’t turn on, the sensor may need to be replaced or something else could be wrong. If this happens, call us at 814-308-0416 for heating and cooling repair assistance.

If you have an older furnace, the pilot light could be turned off. To relight it, find the instructions on a label on your furnace, or follow these steps.

• Look for the switch on the bottom of your furnace labeled “pilot,” “on” and “off.”
• Turn the switch to the “off” position.
• Wait at least five minutes to avoid possibly starting a fire.
• Turn the knob to “pilot.”
• Hold down the “reset” button as you bring the flame of a long lighter to the pilot light opening.
• Release the “reset” button once the pilot light is lit.

If you have followed the instructions twice and the pilot light still won’t light or stay lit, call us at 814-308-0416 for furnace service.

Try turning on another gas appliance. If it doesn’t work, your natural gas service could be turned off, or you could be out of propane.