Furnace Not heating Up?

furnace not heating - tulsa, ok

If your furnace isn't warming your home as it should, there may be a simple solution that doesn't require the assistance of an HVAC pro. The following tips can help you troubleshoot the problem.

• Make sure that the thermostat is set correctly. It should be in "heat" mode, and the temperature called for must be above the room temperature that's displayed. Also check that the fan is in the "auto" position so that it only operates when the furnace is running.

• Check the thermostat itself. If you have a digital thermostat, replacing the batteries may solve the problem. With an older, manual unit, remove the cover and clean the contacts.

• Examine the furnace filter. If the filter's clogged with dirt, it can adversely affect the flow of warm air that arrives at your registers. To maximize your furnace's efficiency during the heating season, clean or replace the filter once a month.

• Check the gas shutoff position. The shutoff is located along the gas line that runs from your furnace, and the handle must be set parallel to the pipe so that fuel reaches the burner.

• Look inside your breaker box. Is the furnace not warming your home at all? A tripped breaker could be the reason why. If everything looks fine inside your main electrical service box, check for a blown fuse and/or flipped breaker in the furnace's blower compartment.

• Check your pilot light. If the pilot light has gone out on your older furnace, look for instructions on how to relight it right on the unit, next to the pilot light opening. Alternately, they should be in your owner's manual.

If the above tips don't help, or if you have a newer heating system with an intermittent or hot surface ignition, give your HVAC professional a call. He or she may diagnose another common problem such as inadequate airflow to the combustion chamber, or a dirty gas burner.

Is your furnace not warming your home and you need expert help? Contact us today at Air Assurance. We've provided outstanding service to Broken Arrow area homeowners for more than 30 years.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

Troubleshooting Tips for Common Furnace Problems

No one wants to be sitting at home the middle of January when suddenly your furnace conks out. Or realizing after successive nights of shivering in bed that your furnace isn't keeping your house warm. Furnace problems do happen, unfortunately, and the sooner you're able to diagnose those problems, the better chance you'll have of fixing them yourself, or at least of being able to easily explain the problem to a service person. Here are some troubleshooting tips for common furnace problems:

Your Furnace Won't Work at All

This could be a number of issues, but you'll want to check the obvious and easiest ones to fix first. Is the furnace getting power? Check the on-off switch (if it has one), then go to the breaker box and make sure the circuit breaker hasn't tripped. If that's not the issue, check the thermostat. Is it set to "heat"? Is the temperature set above the temperature in the room?

If you have an older furnace, has the pilot light gone out? Relight it. If it goes out again, it's time to call the service technician. Same goes if the electronic ignition isn't working properly, though this will be more difficult to diagnose on your own.

If you hear rattling or banging inside the furnace before the it shuts down, you could have loose or detached parts, or maybe a belt has slipped. You might be able to reattach the belt, though mechanical issues with the motor will require professional help.

Clogged burners in the furnace will result in substandard heating and eventually may shut down the system. Annual maintenance should prevent this and other common furnace problems.

If the Furnace Won't Heat Properly

This could be a number of issues, some of which you can address yourself while others may require service. The air filter could be clogged, the ductwork might be dirty or leaking, mechanical parts may need cleaning or lubrication, or perhaps you just need a new furnace.

For help addressing furnace problems in your Broken Arrow area home, please contact us at Air Assurance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “docstockmedia/Shutterstock”

Bewildered About What Type of Furnace Filter to Choose? This Guide Can Help

Buying the right furnace filter can make a big difference. With all of the choices out there, it can be hard to make a proper decision. However when you take into account all of the factors that are important to you in regards to your family’s health, indoor air quality and cost, the choice becomes much easier.First you must consider the efficiency of your filter by looking at its minimum efficiency reporting value, or MERV rating. The MERV ranges from 1-20, with 1 being the cheapest and least restrictive to airflow and 20 being the most efficient, collecting 99.9 percent of all airborne particles.A low-MERV filter provides just enough protection to keep larger particles out of the furnace. These are cheaper to use but do little to improve air as they are solely to keep your HVAC unit dust free. A cost-effective MERV 4 filter allows for decent airflow and catches most large particles like dust and lint and are good if you’re not overly concerned with air quality.These filters may be fine if you don’t have allergies; however, if you are sensitive to airborne allergens, you may want to consider installing an electrostatic furnace filter with a MERV rating between 8-10 that will catch pollen, spores and dander. If someone in your family has low immunity, consider a high efficiency, pleated synthetic cotton filter with a MERV of 14 or higher. These can be removed and cleaned, catch bacteria, most smoke and can last up to six years, if properly maintained.  While they do cost more, they will save you money in health care costs.Whichever you do choose, remember that filers with higher MERV ratings require more attention and regular cleaning or replacement. While higher quality filters remove more particles, they also put more strain on your unit due to reduced airflow so it is advisable to contact a qualified HVAC technician before making a change.For more information on furnace filters and HVAC needs, contact Air Assurance, servicing the Tulsa Metropolitan region since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Jezper/Shutterstock”

Changing Your Furnace Filter: A Guide To The Whys And Whens

Changing your furnace filter is one the most important maintenance tasks you can perform. Clogged filters can affect proper furnace operation, drag down system efficiency, cost you added energy dollars and even damage your heating equipment. Luckily, changing your furnace filter is as easy as it is important. With that in mind, here are several tips for changing and maintaining your furnace filter:

• Determine the type of filter that is best for your home. Some homes can get by with the cheap one-inch filters, but think about it this way: Your furnace is an expensive, important piece of equipment and it should be treated as such. Your indoor air quality may suffer if you install a filter that is too thin, but efficiency may drop if you choose one that is too thick. Make note of the age, capacity and condition of your furnace, then call an HVAC expert and ask them to recommend a filter.

• Check your filter every month. It's critical that you change your filter before the heating season is here, but you must also continue to check it every month. When the filter starts to look dirty, it's time to change it. That is usually about once every three months but it may be much sooner.

• Install the filter correctly. There should be an arrow in one corner of the filter. Make sure to point the arrow at the blower motor if you want it to perform as well as it should.

• Pay attention to your energy bills. If your bills are going up without an obvious reason, your filter may be dirty, or you may not have the right filter. If you notice issues, contact an HVAC professional to check your system.

If you would like professional assistance with changing your furnace filter, contact Air Assurance. We've been helping homeowners in and around Broken Arrow save money, stay comfortable and rest easy for over 25 years.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Why Your Furnace Filter Should Be Changed Regularly

With a system as large and as important to your daily life as your furnace, it is sometimes easy to ignore small, but vital components, such as your air filters. Furnace air filters may seem trivial, but they are an important part of your overall heating system. Here are some good reasons why your furnace filter should be changed regularly.

• Improved health for you and your family – Furnace filters trap dust, pollen, mold, and even bacteria and microorganisms that might normally end up in your home’s interior air, where they can be inhaled by you and your family. A clean, fresh filter will keep these materials out of your air, decreasing the chance of respiratory problems, and reducing the possibility of aggravating allergies, asthma or similar medical conditions.

• Better and more efficient furnace operation – By regularly changing air filters in your furnace, you help your heating system run more efficiently. Furnaces need a consistent and unobstructed source of airflow, but if the filter is dirty, that airflow is choked off. Your furnace will run harder to keep up with temperature settings. A clean filter reduces the chance of breakdown.

• Decreased need for deep-level cleaning – If dust and other airborne pollutants are trapped in the filter, they don’t have a chance to accumulate inside the furnace itself. This keeps the furnace and ductwork cleaner, and increases the interval between necessary intense cleanings.

• Savings on your heating bills – Clean filters help your furnace run more efficiently, which means the unit makes better use of the fuel it consumes. The furnace does not have to run as hard or as long to keep your house warmed to the desired level. Better operation means less energy is used or wasted, adding up to real savings on your heating bills.

Air Assurance has more than three decades of experience serving heating and air conditioning customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow areas. Let us help you find the most effective filter to use in your furnace. Contact us today.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today!      Photo courtesy ofShutterstock.

Get A Handle On Furnace Efficiency -- Change Your Filters

Replacing your furnace filter is a practical way to efficiently get the most from your furnace. Buildup occurs when your filters accumulate dirt and other particles, resulting in clogs that don't allow for proper airflow. To compensate, your furnace must waste more energy, costing you more money. By replacing your filters on a regular basis, you can improve your home's comfort, reduce fuel use and even reduce wear and tear on the furnace blowers.Some things that you will need to do in order to guarantee your furnace runs at optimum efficiency are:

• Check your furnace filter - You should change your filter at least once every six months, with the actual frequency of changes depending on the dust and dirt conditions of your household.

• Replace your furnace filter - This easy enough that you can do it, but if you are not comfortable doing it, a furnace technician can do it for you. Before you replace the filter, be sure to turn off the power to prevent the possibility of electric shock. Be sure to sweep and vacuum out all of the accumulated dust. Change out the filter, and you are done!

• Check the MERV filter rating - The higher the rating, the more efficient the filter. Always check the owners manual, or ask a technician, before adjusting the MERV filter. If you adjust it too much in one direction, you could reduce airflow to the furnace, damaging equipment that is not capable of handling abrupt changes to the system.

When it comes time to handle all of your furnace filter needs, Air Assurance can help. In fact, Air Assurance has designed their own filter to accomodate the needs of getting the most out of filtering dust, while not sacrificing air flow.  Serving the Broken Arrow area, we offer the best products on the market, special promotions and customer financing. Our goal is to not only provide home comfort and energy savings, but to educate our customers about these issues as well. For more information on how Air Assurance can help you with your furnace and other HVAC needs, contact us, and one of our friendly, professional technicians will assist you.Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Air Assurance services Tulsa, Broken Arrow and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our current promotionsand get started today!      Photo courtesy ofShutterstock.