Your heater has always been reliable, but now it’s running into troubles. There were no warning signs, no strange noises ahead of the problem, so what gives? Well, it could be one of a few things, which is what we’re here to talk to you about today.
We’ve seen to a lot of heater repair in Gaithersburg, so we’ve experienced just about every reason you can think of that a heater would suddenly stop working. Here’s what you can do before jumping the gun and calling for heater repair.
Check the Air Filter and Change It Out
Your heater is a forced air system. For that to work, it needs sufficient air intake in order to have sufficient air output. If the problem is that you don’t feel enough air coming through the vents, or your heater is shutting down prematurely (known as short cycling), it could be due to the air filter.
Your air filter should be changed out every 30–90 days, although it depends on use. If you don’t touch the heater often or have the temperature set low so it doesn’t kick on often throughout the day, you might be able to get away with a longer timeframe.
Hold a brand new filter up to the old one to show the contrast of just how much dust and debris it catches. It’s a lot more than you think. All that dust blocks a steady supply of air to your heater, and switching out the filter could be enough to get it working again.
Make Sure There Isn’t a Flipped Switch
Go to your circuit breaker and check the labels. If you see one for your heater, make sure it’s facing the same way as all of the other switches. If you notice that it’s the only one going in another direction, flip it back and see if your heater comes on.
A flipped switch every now and again happens, and isn’t anything to worry about. However, if it’s a constant problem, it could mean your electrical panel is reaching capacity and flipping circuits because it can’t support everything that’s hooked up to it, or it indicates a major electrical issue with the heater itself.
Remove Nearby Clutter From Air Intake
We talked about air intake earlier, but the filter swap is only useful if you can make sure there’s enough air coming in anyway. It’s common for families to store seasonal decorations or storage boxes near their heater, but this can restrict how much air makes it through the filter. Declutter the space near your heater and it may be enough to help.
Call for Repair if That Wasn’t Enough
Before you call for repairs, do what you can on your end to make sure it isn’t a fixable problem. If none of that works, then it’s time to call for repairs. At the very least, this is your sign to make sure your maintenance appointments are scheduled so you don’t run into unnecessary repairs in the future.
Contact us today to schedule your heater repair as soon as possible.