Is It Broken?
Most home owners are not heating and air conditioning specialists, making it difficult at times to know if the problem with the heating or air conditioning system is going to be simple or complex to solve. Here are a few things you should check before calling a service company. Some may seem obvious to you, but they are not all obvious to every one.
- Check your breakers. If it is tripped, try resetting it. If it trips again, and there is no other obvious reason like a storm, call for service. There is a reason a breaker trips, it could be a short in the system.
- If its a gas furnace that is not working, check the pilot light. If it is not lit make sure the pilot cover is in place. (The cover is there to keep things from blowing out the furnace pilot. A fan for example.) Try to light the furnace pilot following the instructions on your furnace. If it will not stay lit you probably need a new thermalcouple. These are easy to replace if you are inclined, otherwise call for service.
