Indiana winters can get quite cold, making it unsafe to go without heat during these times even when indoors. When it’s dangerously cold outside and your heating system won’t start or fails to produce warm air, it’s a heating outage. Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning shares some advice to help you detect the possibility of a heating issues so you can get help before you’re stuck without warmth, as well as what to do if you do find your household without heat this winter.
Signs a Heating Breakdown Could be Near
A heating outage can certainly come on suddenly, but many times the furnace or heating equipment will drop some clues over the days or weeks preceding this unwelcome event. If you know what to watch for, you’ll be able to schedule heating repairs early and have your system fixed up so you don’t experience a total system breakdown. This can also save you money, as damage can worsen with continued use and you may have to pay for major repair service depending on what component fails.
These are some common signs that your heating system could be nearing a breakdown:
- Furnace or other heating equipment makes sudden loud noises that you don’t recognize as normal.
- You notice the odor of melting plastic or burning, which is a sign of overheating inside your HVAC system that could cause an outage.
- There is water puddling on the floor near your HVAC equipment (if your home is equipped with a condensing furnace).
- The furnace stops just a few minutes after a heating cycle starts and continues to run in this manner, indicating short cycling.
- Air coming from supply vents is lukewarm or cool, not warm like it should be.
- Ice develops on the evaporator coil, if using a heat pump for home heating.
- HVAC equipment trips circuit breakers when starting or running a heating cycle.
- You smell an odor of rotten eggs in your home, which could indicate a gas leak from your furnace.
If you notice any of these heating warning signs this winter, contact us right away to schedule heating repair services. Addressing system concerns before equipment fails can spare you uncomfortable periods without heat as well as increased expenses due to serious system damage.
What to Do If You Have a Heating Outage
So your furnace or heat pump isn’t working, whether it won’t turn on or the air it sends out is chilly – you may have a heating outage on your hands. It’s reasonable to think this lack of heat is a big major problem, but occasionally system issues can be quickly resolved through troubleshooting.
Before you call Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning for heating repairs, we recommend you try these quick troubleshooting tips. If they work, you won’t be stuck waiting around without heat, and you won’t have to pay for a service call to complete the simple fix.
- Make sure all system components have power, including the thermostat, indoor furnace or air handler, and outdoor heat pump, if applicable. Replace thermostat batteries if needed. Check your electrical panel, and reset any breakers that have tripped. Check the ON/OFF switch on or nearby all major equipment, and set it to ON.
- Verify your thermostat is set correctly. HEAT mode should be on, not COOL. Make sure the fan is set to AUTO, not ON – the ON setting causes the fan to run continuously, which can give the impression that the furnace is not creating heat and is blowing cold air.
- Check the air filter, and replace it if it is filled with contaminant particles. Make sure the filter is installed in the proper orientation and the replacement is the correct size for your system.
- Check the equipment cabinet of your furnace or air handler, making sure all access panels are in place and secure. A loose panel can stop certain HVAC equipment models from operating.
Call Thiele for Heating Service in Indianapolis
If you encounter a heating outage that cannot be addressed early on or solved through quick troubleshooting, call Thiele Heating & Air Conditioning anytime, day or night. Our team offers heating services as quickly as possible so you don’t have to suffer without heat when you need it the most.