Furnace Repair in South Beloit and Belvidere, IL

1. Inspect the Thermostat

To start, ensure your thermostat is telling your heat to turn on.

Digital Thermostat

• Replace the batteries if the display is blank. If the digital screen is mixed up, the thermostat might need to be swapped out.
• Ensure the button is set to “heat” instead of “off” or “cool.”
• Make certain the program is showing the correct day and time and is set to “run.” If you’re having problems turning off the setting, set the temperature by utilizing the up/down arrows and pressing the “hold” button. This will cause the furnace to turn on if thermostat is causing a problem.
• Increase the temperature setting to 5 degrees hotter than what the room temperature currently is.

If your heating hasn’t turned on within a couple minutes, make certain that it has juice by changing the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t begin to run, your heater might not have power.

Smart Thermostat

If you utilize a smart thermostat—like one manufactured by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch—troubleshooting will be determined by the model you have. Take a look at the manufacturer’s website for assistance. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to work, call us at 877-389-2465 for heating and cooling service.

2. Check Breakers and Switches

Next, check if your breaker and furnace switch are on.

• Find your main electrical panel. If you don’t know where it is, search for a metallic metal box in your basement, garage or closet.
• Make sure your hands and feet are dry in advance of using the panel or breakers.
• Locate the breaker titled “furnace” or “heat,” and ensure it’s switched “on.” If the breaker has tripped, it will be in the middle or “off” position.
• With one hand, firmly flip the breaker to the “on” position. If the breaker instantly trips and pops back to “off,” don't try to reset it and call an expert from Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc at 877-389-2465 quickly.

It doesn’t matter how old your furnace is or what brand it is, it has no less than one regular wall switch positioned on or near it.

• Make sure the control is facing up in the “on” position. If it was shut off, anticipate your furnace could take up to five minutes to ignite. (If you’re unsure where your furnace is located, look in your basement, garage or utility closet. It might also be in a crawl space or attic.)

3. Get a New Air Filter

When we think about heater breakdowns, a filthy, blocked air filter is often the top offender.

If your filter is too dusty:

• Your heating system won’t be able to stay on, or it could get too hot from reduced airflow.
• Your gas costs might go up because your heating system is turning on too often.
• Your furnace could fail prematurely since a filthy filter causes it to work overtime.
• Your heater may lose power if an excessively filthy filter causes the breaker to trip.

While it depends on what model of heating system you have, your air filter can be found within the blower compartment of your furnace, an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.

To replace your filter:

• Switch off your heating system.
• Take out the filter and angle it toward the light. If you can’t notice light through it, use a new one.
• Insert the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the heating system to prevent damage.

Flat filters ought to be replaced once a month, while pleated filters should last about three months. If you have children or pets, you might have to change your filter sooner.

To make the procedure go more quickly down the line, use a permanent writing tool on your heater housing or ductwork to list the airflow direction and filter size.

4. Inspect the Condensate Pan

Otherwise known as drain pans, condensate pans catch liquid your heater removes from the air.

If moisture is leaking out of your furnace or its pan is overflowing, follow these steps.

• If your pan contains a drain (look for a PVC pipe), double-check that it’s clear. If it needs to be drained, use a special pan-cleaning tablet you can purchase at home improvement or hardware shops.
• If your pan has a pump, inspect the float switch. If the switch can’t be moved from the “up” position with water in the pan, contact us at 877-389-2465, because you will probably have to get a new pump.

5. Look for Heating Error Codes

If malfunctions keep on happening, take a look at your heater’s plastic window to check the blower motor’s status. Dependent on the type, the light might also be mounted on the surface of your heater.

If you notice anything except a solid, colored light or flickering green light, reach us at 877-389-2465 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be communicating an error code that is calling for expert assistance.

6. Brush off the Flame Sensor

If your heater makes an effort to run but shuts off without distributing warmth, a grimy flame sensor might be responsible. When this happens, your heating system will make an attempt to turn on three times before a safety feature powers it down for approximately an hour.

If you feel okay with removing the panels from your furnace, cleaning your flame sensor is a job you are able to do yourself. Or, one of our heating service experts has the ability to finish it for you.

If you are confident cleaning the sensor yourself, you need:

• A 1/4” hex screwdriver or wrench
• Bit of light grit sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth
• An unused paper towel

Next:

• Shut off the furnace’s power through its wall switch or breaker. If your furnace’s gas valve isn’t electric, you must turn off the gas in addition.
• Remove the furnace’s front panel and follow the wire to the flame sensor.
• Remove the rod and use your sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth to gently scrub the metal rod.
• Wipe off the rod with a paper towel.
• Screw the sensor back in.
• Put the furnace doors back on.
• Restore power to the furnace. It could proceed through a set of inspections before continuing regular running. If your heating system doesn’t ignite, the sensor may need to be replaced or something else may be wrong. If this occurs, get in touch with us at 877-389-2465 for heating and cooling repair support.

7. Relight the Pilot Light

If you are using an aging heater, the pilot light could be turned off. To light it, look for the steps on a sheet on your heater, or use these recommendations.

• Find the switch on the bottom of your heating system marked “pilot,” “on” and “off.”
• Turn the switch to the “off” position.
• Don’t do anything for at least five minutes to limit the possibility for sparking a fire.
• Turn the dial to “pilot.”
• Hold down the “reset” button as you bring the flame of a long lighter to the pilot light opening.
• Let go of the “reset” lever once the pilot light is lit.

If you have followed the instructions twice and the pilot light still won’t burn or remain burning, contact us at 877-389-2465 for furnace service.

Check Your Fuel Supply

Try turning on an additional gas appliance. If it doesn’t operate, your natural gas delivery may be turned off, or you may have run out of propane.