Most homeowners don’t realize how much they can actually do to their HVAC system. These systems are often intimidating and scary and many people avoid touching or changing anything. While this is largely an understandable feeling, there are actually many easy things every person can do to troubleshoot their heater when they are having problems. The complaint that Manasquan heating repair specialists hear most often is that their heater is unable to reach a warm enough temperature. As long as this problem isn’t also associated with burning smells or metallic clanging sounds, there’s a few steps you can take before you pick up the phone and spend money on a service call.

How Do I Troubleshoot Before I Call for Manasquan Heating Repair

Check Your Thermostat Settings

First and foremost, check your batteries – When you change your batteries in your smoke detectors, change them in your thermostat also. Forgetting to put fresh batteries in a thermostat is a common reason people think they need to call for heating repair.

• The fan should be on “Auto.” This is the most energy efficient option. If it is set to “Off”, the system won’t turn on. If it is set to “On”, it will run constantly. This wastes energy and causes the increased likelihood of breakages. When set to “Auto”, the fan only turns on when the system is engaged.

• Ensure the mode is set to Heat. A common mistake that is often overlooked is having the thermostat set on the incorrect mode. Even if the temperature is set correctly, if the mode is wrong, the HVAC system will not turn on. You would be surprised how often Manasquan heating repair companies report an incorrect mode on the thermostat as being the cause of a system that was reported to not be working.

• The temperature should be set to a few degrees warmer than the untreated room temperature. Setting it too low has the obvious result of not warming the air warm enough to make a difference. On the other hand, setting the temperature too high causes the heater to run continuously. This is similar to setting the fan to On except that this exposes all aspects of the heater, not just the fan, to increased wear and tear.

Check Your Power Sources Before You Call for Manasquan Heating Repair

Aside from incorrect thermostat settings, a blown fuse on your home circuit breaker will bring a functioning HVAC system to a complete halt. Without power, you have no heat. But this doesn’t require a call to your Manasquan heating repair company. Simply replace the fuse following all safety steps and all should go back to normal. An even easier fix is a tripped fuse. With this error, simply flip the fuse back to On and your home should begin heating up quickly.

Occasionally, the power issue isn’t at the circuit breaker. Every HVAC system has an emergency off switch. This can sometimes be bumped or turned off for another reason and not turned back on. Just as simple as a tripped fuse, flip that switch to on and you should hear your heater turn on.

Check for Air Flow Problems

A common reason many people call for Manasquan heating repair is due to an air flow issue. The most common problem is a dirty air filter. If the air filter gets dirty enough, air won’t be able to be exchanged within the system. No air flow means no conditioned air, hot or cold.

Another problem that heating repair specialists report is an air flow issue. It is often due to homeowners closing off vents or blocking them with furniture. Much of this is sourced from a misconception that closing vents will save you money. This is not only untrue, but the opposite often happens because the system doesn’t know a vent is closed. It doesn’t change the amount of air being treated, just how it flows through the system. 

Manasquan Heating Repair Isn’t Always for the Professionals

While there certainly are many things that break within an HVAC system that cannot be fixed by a homeowner, there are a few. Improper thermostat settings, electrical switch problems, and air flow issues can all commonly be addressed by someone with little HVAC knowledge. If none of these steps help, however, it is definitely time to call a professional for Manasquan heating repair.