Furnace Repair in Houston, TX

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

Change 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 showing the appropriate day and time and is set to “run.” If you’re having a hard time overriding the program, set the temperature by using the up/down arrows and press the “hold” button. This will force the furnace to turn on 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 a couple minutes, make sure it has power by toggling the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t run, your furnace could be without power.

If you have a smart thermostat—like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch—troubleshooting is very model-specific. Take a look at the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to work, call us at 713-322-4318 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 have no idea where it is, look 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,” leave it alone and call a professional from Air Current AC & Heat at 713-322-4318 right away.

Regardless of your furnace’s age or brand, it has at least one standard wall switch located on or close to 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 start. (If you don’t know where to find your furnace, take a look at your basement, garage or utility closet. It could also be in a crawl space or attic.)

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

If your filter is too dirty:

• Your furnace won’t keep heating your home, or it could overheat from restricted airflow.
• Your energy bills could increase because your furnace is turning on more than it should.
• Your furnace could fail prematurely because a dirty filter causes it to work overtime.
• Your furnace can be cut off from power if an excessively dirty filter causes the breaker to trip.

Depending on what make of furnace you own, your air filter will be 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 angle it toward the light. If you can’t see light through it, get a new one.
3. Insert 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 buy a washable filter that will last about 10 years. If you have children or pets, you may have to put in a new filter sooner.

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

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

If water is seeping 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’s clear. If it needs to be drained, use a special pan-cleaning tablet you can buy at home improvement or hardware stores.
• If your pan has a pump, take a look at the float switch. If the switch is stuck “up” with standing water in the pan, contact us at 713-322-4318, because you will likely need a new pump.

If malfunctions keep on happening, take a look inside your furnace’s plastic window to confirm 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 713-322-4318 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be communicating an error code that is calling for professional service.

If your furnace tries to start but switches off without putting out heat, a dirty flame sensor could be at fault. When this happens, your furnace will attempt to ignite 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 on your own. Or, one of our heating service experts 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:

• Disable 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.
• Take 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 lightly 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 run through a sequence of checks before continuing regular operation. If your furnace doesn’t start, the sensor may need to be replaced or something else might be wrong. If this happens, get in touch with us at 713-322-4318 for heating and cooling repair assistance.

If you are using an older furnace, the pilot light could be out. 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, contact us at 713-322-4318 for furnace service.

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