Is It Your Furnace or Your Thermostat?
When the heat’s not working right, it’s easy to blame the furnace. After all, keeping your house nice and warm is its only job. But sometimes the furnace is actually fine. It might just be that your thermostat is causing problems.
For example, what if your furnace is short cycling, turning on and off rapidly while never getting the whole house warm? It could be an overheating furnace component or a failing limit switch causing the shutdowns. Or it could be your thermostat sending the wrong signals. How can you tell if your heating problem is caused by your furnace or your thermostat? What should you do about it? Here are some pointers.
Furnace Problems to Check For
Before calling for HVAC repair in Corinth, TX, take a moment to investigate. If your furnace is not running at all, your first stop should be the circuit breaker box or electrical panel. Resetting a circuit breaker might be a quick fix, but if it keeps getting tripped, it’s a sign that you need repair. If the furnace is running, but not well, change the air filter. Low airflow can cause a lot of problems.
Thermostat Problems to Check For
If the thermostat display has gone blank (or if you have an old dial thermostat) begin with the circuit breaker box again. Your thermostat is likely on a different circuit from the furnace. It’s also possible that you simply need to change the batteries in the thermostat. If either of these solves your problem, congratulations! You won’t be needing any repairs.
If the thermostat is displaying information, check the settings. A stray elbow or curious pet or child can sometimes switch a thermostat to “cool” or “off” or adjust the temperature. If your thermostat is programmable, make sure a lower-temperature setting such as you would use while away on vacation hasn’t been enabled. You’ll be relieved if you can correct the issue yourself with the push of a button.
Next Steps
If you’ve tried all these things and you haven’t pinpointed or resolved your problem, it’s time to get some professional help. A qualified technician will be able to determine whether it’s the thermostat or the furnace that requires repair. They can diagnose the exact issue and get it fixed for you.
Common thermostat problems include loose wiring, which can cause it to send inconsistent signals or miscalibration. This is when the thermostat is reading the ambient temperature incorrectly. Common furnace problems often have to do with moving parts that accumulate a lot of wear and tear, like the blower fan and the motor that powers it.
Regardless of the exact cause of your problem, it’s important to have repairs done promptly. Many small issues can worsen rapidly if not addressed. It would be a shame to postpone a minor repair only to end up with a major, expensive one or total furnace failure. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. A member of our team would be happy to help.
Contact PRK Services, Inc. today for all your heating and cooling needs.
