With winter fast approaching and the coldest days of the year ahead, your home heating system is critical. If there’s a problem or if the system is in need of repair, you could be in for a massive headache at exactly the wrong time of year. That’s why Tragar Home Services recommends having an annual tune-up. Doing yearly maintenance on your heating system is an important step towards giving you peace of mind, but you should always keep an eye on your system for warning signs that there may be a problem. We want to give you some information on how to troubleshoot your home heating system so you can keep things running smoothly in your home throughout the winter.
Start with Simple Checks on Your Heating System
According to the San Francisco Chronicle website, you should start your troubleshooting with the simpler things that could go wrong. A good place to start would be your thermostat. Again, you should begin by approaching things simply. Make sure the batteries work, and it’s powered up and that it’s set properly. If you need to dig a bit deeper, turn up the temperature to see if the heat comes on. If it doesn’t, you should check the circuit breaker or fuse and make sure that is functional. If you have an older thermostat you should strongly consider upgrading to a programmable thermostat.
Common Problems to Troubleshoot
Gas Heat
Another very common problem that’s easily identifiable is an outage of the pilot light. Propane and gas heating systems are triggered by an electric igniter, which lights the pilot. If you’ve verified that the thermostat is working properly but the heat still isn’t coming up, you should shut the gas reset valve inside the unit for five minutes and turn it back on to see if it resets. If it still doesn’t light, the igniter may need to be replaced and you should call a professional.
Oil/Gas Furnace
One thing you should constantly monitor to make sure your heating system is operating properly and efficiently is your filter. They need to be cleaned at least twice a year, possibly more. If your heating system is combined with an air-conditioning system you should replace them in the spring and fall.
Oil Heat
A big warning sign that there may be something wrong with your oil heating is if you notice that it’s constantly cycling on and off. This could mean that you have dirty or clogged filters which should be replaced. This problem can also be caused by a faulty thermostat, objects lodged in the chimney or air vent, or a corroded flame sensor.
Most oil tanks have a gauge on top that will tell you the current level of oil in your tank. The gauge will have a marker indicating how full the tank is. If the marker is at the low end of the gauge indicating the tank is near empty, you may need an oil delivery. If it’s your first time turning up the heat, or if you have had a recent service call, you might need to bleed your radiators to release trapped air that is blocking heat to your base boards.
Tragar Home Services Can Help Prevent and Fix the Problem
It’s important to keep up with what’s going on with your home heating system. You should monitor them as often as possible and if there is an issue. Tragar Home Services will be there for you. We’re happy to provide yearly tune-ups for your system or check if there’s a bigger problem. Contact us today.
