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6 Troubleshooting Steps for When Your Furnace Won’t Turn On

Posted on October 10, 2016March 8, 2024 by Larry & Sons

Technician fixing a Furnace that Won't Turn On

Picture this: The temperature outside is dropping rapidly, and you’re relying on your furnace to keep your home cozy and warm. But as you turn up the thermostat, you realize something’s wrong — the furnace won’t turn on. In this guide, we’ll walk you through a series of steps to troubleshoot and fix your furnace, ensuring you’re not left out in the cold.

What To Do When Your Furnace Won’t Turn On

A furnace not turning on is a fairly common problem, fortunately, it’s often easy to fix. Here are six things to try if your furnace wont kick on!

Check Your Circuit Breakers: Even if you use a gas or propane furnace, some of the components run on electricity. If your furnace doesn’t switch on, the circuit breaker could be shut off. Check your circuit breaker panel to make sure all switches for your HVAC system are set to “ON.”
Check Your Thermostat: If your furnace doesn’t turn on automatically, the thermostat may have lost its programming or reset. It may even simply be set on the wrong setting. For test purposes, set your thermostat about 10 degrees hotter than the current temperature to see if the system turns on. Also, double check to make sure it’s set to “HEAT.”
Check the Drain Pan: Drain pans collect water that has been removed from the air by your HVAC system. When the system is working as it should, the water should be pumped out or drain out automatically. If the pan is full of water, a triggered float switch could be preventing your furnace from turning on. If this is the case, make sure the pan’s drain is clear or that the pump is working properly.
Check Your Air Filter: If you’ve been neglecting your air filter, it could be seriously clogged, and a safety feature may be preventing your heating system from turning on.
Check the Pilot Light: Many modern furnaces won’t kick on if the pilot light is out. This is a safety feature designed to prevent pumping natural gas or propane into your home.
Check Your Natural Gas or Oil Supply: Lack of fuel could prevent your furnace from turning on. The best way to check your fuel supply is trying another gas appliance in your home, such as your stove. If it doesn’t work either, contact your gas or propane company.

When To Call for Professional Furnace Repair

If you’ve checked everything above and your furnace still won’t turn on or if you can smell gas or propane, you need help from a professional HVAC technician right away.

For furnace repair in Hagerstown and the surrounding areas, depend on Larry & Sons. We offer fast and affordable help. Call us or contact us online today!

Schedule Service Today

Call Now:(301) 733-5428

Pre-Season Furnace Inspection

Posted on September 18, 2015May 5, 2023 by Larry & Sons

When you’ve used it, your HVAC unit has worked splendidly this year, but, even though it uses the same thermostat, your furnace is a different system and should be treated differently. The end of September marks the closing of summer and the beginning of winter, which means it’s time to schedule a pre-season maintenance for your heating system, before you start it for the first time. Regular maintenance and a pre-start inspection with cleaning are essential to the health of your heating unit. Every year that you start up the system without conducting an inspection and basic maintenance is a slightly higher chance that your heating system will fail, leading to expensive repairs. While we recommend getting a professional inspection every fall, there are a few things you can do on your own first. Continue reading “Pre-Season Furnace Inspection”

Boiler vs. Furnace: Which Heating System Is Best?

Posted on March 12, 2014August 2, 2024 by Larry & Sons

One of the timeless debates of home heating is whether a boiler or a furnace provides the better choice for heating. Although perhaps not as burning a match-up on people’s minds as King Kong vs. Godzilla or Ford vs. Chevrolet, it’s an important one to consider when it comes to your home comfort.

Let’s take a look at the two sides of this conflict to see what we can discover about the option for heating in Frederick, MD that will work best for you. Because ultimately, the winner in this contest depends on your specific circumstances: your home, your energy supply, and your short-term and long-term budget plans. Call Larry & Sons, Inc. for the important professional advice you’ll need to make the right choice.

Boiler vs. Furnace: How the Boiler Wins

Where can the boiler deliver the haymaker punch that KOs the furnace? Longevity is one spot. Boilers use few mechanical parts to operate since they use the circulation of hot water to provide heat. This means that boilers need fewer repairs than furnaces on average, and this also leads to a long lifespan.

Boilers usually cost less to install than furnaces, and they also offer savings with their efficient performance (hydronic power loses less heat energy than forced-air systems). Using the radiant heat from a boiler also makes for much cleaner heat emanating into your home, with no dust contamination transferred from ductwork.

Boiler vs. Furnace: How the Furnace Wins

Where the furnace can deliver a knock-out is with sheer heating power. A gas-powered furnace can achieve higher levels of heating than almost any other heating system, so if you live in a house with insulation problems or any need for greater heat, a furnace is the best investment.

Furnaces have immense flexibility: there’s almost always a furnace for every home, thanks to their many options for fuel and sizing. If your home already has ductwork installed, a furnace allow for easy installation that saves space without needing to put in radiators or baseboard heaters for a boiler.

Which one wins when it comes to your home?

This is the big question, of course, and it isn’t one you can answer without the assistance of Frederick, MD heating professionals. With the assistance of HVAC technicians to perform a heat load calculation in your home, you’ll discover which system provides sufficient heat without sacrificing too much efficiency. The technicians will take into account your budget plans as well. At the end of the installation, you’ll have the winner of the boiler vs. furnace battle working in your home, giving you the best heat possible.

Contact Larry & Sons, Inc.: since 1960, we’ve helped customers pick the right side in their own boiler vs. furnace debate.

What Is a Furnace Capacitor?

Posted on January 14, 2014January 4, 2024 by Larry & Sons

The more you know about how your heater functions, the better prepared you’ll be to point the repairman in the right direction when fixing a problem. For example, you might have heard the term “capacitor” in relation to your furnace. But what exactly does the capacitor in your furnace do?

Furnace capacitors are a part of the fan motor in your system. They are generally divided into two types, both of which provide electricity to the furnace apparatus at key times.

Start capacitor: Helps the motor start up when you first turn on your heater.
Run capacitor: Used in furnaces, HVAC systems, and AC units of all varieties. They provide a steady supply of electricity to the fan motors (used to help the blowers move hot air through your system).

Both types of capacitor need to be running smoothly in order for your furnace to function. Otherwise, your furnace won’t be able to heat your home. Electrical problems can usually be hunted down and corrected by a trained professional armed with a multimeter or similar piece of equipment.

If you need Hagerstown, MD, heating service, call Larry & Sons, Inc. We can examine the capacitors in your furnace, and repair or replace them with speed and professionalism if they encounter a problem. We’re dedicated to your complete satisfaction through every step of the procedure, so don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call us. Heating problems are no laughing matter. Leave it to the experts to do the job right!

Schedule Service Today

Call Now:(301) 733-5428