When you wake up or walk into no heat at home, your first priority is to get your heating system back on. What do you do? Do you call your HVAC company, or is there something you should try first?
Thomas & Galbraith’s No Heat Checklist shows you exactly where to check and what to do if you have no heat at home. Try these heating system troubleshooting steps first; then, if your heat does not come back on, give us a call. Our NATE-certified heating technicians are available around the clock to tend to your heating emergencies, keeping your family safe and cozy throughout the winter season.
A wide range of problems leave Cincinnati homeowners with no heat – some are serious and require professional help, but others are relatively minor. Minor problems are often solved with a bit of troubleshooting, which we discuss below.
Our No Heat Checklist explains the steps you should take prior to making the call for heating service. Many of these steps apply to all heating systems, including furnaces, heat pumps, and boilers, but there are a few specifics based on system type.
The thermostat is the control that communicates with your heating equipment and tells it when your home needs heat. Often, no heat in the home is a result of thermostat issues, whether they be true malfunctions or errors in settings. Whenever you notice no heat, check your thermostat first for troubleshooting.
Furnaces and air handlers are enclosed in a metal cabinet which holds its components. The cabinet has access doors, so a technician is able to access the system’s interior. In some models, these access doors must be firmly shut, or else the system does not run. Check your indoor heating equipment’s exterior and make sure its panels are secure and that none have fallen off or have come loose. If there are loose or removed panels, replace them and see if the system is now able to start.
Your heating equipment needs electricity to operate, or else no heat is produced. You need to verify the system has power at both the electrical panel of the home and the systems’ on/off switches.
Central furnace and heat pump heating systems need plenty of airflow to work properly. When airflow is blocked, potential overheating is a cause of no heat because the system’s safety controls shut it down. Two common causes of airflow blockages homeowners should troubleshoot when they have no heat are air filters and vents.
Closed or blocked vents throughout the home also cause heating systems to overheat and turn off. Inspect vents and return air grills in each room of your home – all vent louvers need to be open, and all vents and grills must be unblocked by rugs, furniture, and other items.
Once you perform these no-heat troubleshooting steps, give your heating system some time to lower its temperature and see if it comes back on. If you still have no heat, check these items that are specific to your type of heating system.
If you have a furnace or boiler that uses natural gas, heating oil, or liquid propane, you must have adequate fuel on hand, or else you receive no heat. These steps walk you through some troubleshooting for your heating system’s fuel supply.
A home’s exterior heat pump unit has the potential to ice over during the winter months. Heavy ice prevents heat transfer, which results in no heat. An iced-over heat pump is an issue that needs fixed right away to avoid further damage to the equipment.
It is normal for a heat pump to accumulate a bit of frost during the winter, and it has a built-in defrost cycle to handle this. Defrost runs the system in cooling mode periodically to send heat to the outdoor coils and melt frost. Unfortunately, defrost is not very helpful when ice accumulations on the unit are heavy.
Look at your outdoor unit – if there is ice on its exterior, follow these instructions to help it thaw.
If your heat pump is heavily iced over and does not thaw, call us for heating repair. We dispatch NATE-certified heat pump technicians who thaw your system and find the cause. Repairs are performed so you don’t have to suffer from no heat any longer.
A hot water boiler’s condensate pipe is also prone to freezing in the winter. When ice forms from the condensation that exits the system, condensation backs up, and the system shuts down, which leaves you with no heat. Ice must be cleared away so your boiler runs properly.
If you still have no heat after you work through the No Heat Checklist, give us a call. Our NATE-certified technicians perform quick and reliable heating repairs for all types, makes, and models of heating systems. Emergency service is available so you are never left in the cold. Contact us today to schedule heating repairs in your Cincinnati home.