Furnace Repair in West Columbia, SC

To begin, make sure your thermostat is instructing your furnace to turn on.

Replace 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” rather than “off” or “cool.”

Ensure the program is set to 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 cause the furnace to ignite if thermostat programming is causing a problem.

Increase the temperature setting to 5 degrees warmer than the room temperature.

If your furnace hasn’t turned on within a couple minutes, make sure it has power by toggling the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t begin to run, your furnace may not have power.

If you have a smart thermostat—like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch—troubleshooting is very model-specific. Refer to the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to work, call us at 803-265-4208 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 don’t know where it is, keep an eye out 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.

Look for 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 contact a professional from Tri City Fuel & Heating at 803-265-4208 right away.

It doesn’t matter how old your furnace is or what brand it is, it has at least one standard wall switch located on or by it.

Make sure the switch is flipped up in the “on” position. If it was turned off, expect your furnace to take up to five minutes to turn on. (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 grungy, clogged air filter is frequently the top offender.

If your filter is too dirty:

• Your furnace won’t be able to stay on, or it could overheat from restricted airflow.
• Your energy bills could go up because your furnace is turning on too often.
• Your furnace could stop working sooner than it should because a dirty filter causes it to overwork.
• Your furnace can be cut off from power if an overly dirty filter causes the breaker to trip.

Depending on what model of furnace you own, your air filter is located 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. Remove the filter and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see light through it, get a new one.
3. Put in the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the furnace to avoid damage.

Flat filters should be replaced every 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 change your filter more frequently.

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

Also known as drain pans, condensate pans capture water your furnace pulls from the air.

If water is leaking 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 get at home improvement or hardware stores.
• If your pan contains a pump, inspect the float switch. If the switch is stuck “up” with liquid in the pan, contact us at 803-265-4208, because you will likely need a new pump.

If malfunctions persist, peek inside your furnace’s plastic window to verify the status of the blower motor. Depending on the model, the light could also be attached on the outside of your furnace.

If you see anything other than a steady, colored light or blinking green light, call us at 803-265-4208 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be emitting an error code that needs professional service.

If your furnace tries to start but shuts off without putting out heat, a dirty flame sensor could be to blame. When this happens, your furnace will try to start 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 specialists 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:

• Shut off 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.
• Remove the furnace’s front panel and trace 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 proceed through a series of checks before resuming usual operation. If your furnace doesn’t ignite, the sensor may need to be replaced or something else might be wrong. If this happens, call us at 803-265-4208 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.

• Find 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 creating a fire.
• Turn the knob to “pilot.”
• Press 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, get in touch with us at 803-265-4208 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.