Furnace repair is one of the more difficult and expensive
repairs a homeowner is likely to encounter. While most people have
a furnace somewhere in their home, very few understand how it works
or how to diagnose the problem when something goes wrong. Unlike
more common home repairs, issues with the furnace are often not
do-it-yourself projects for homeowners, as trying to repair
problems without the proper knowledge has the potential for being
an extremely dangerous situation. In most cases, furnace repair
issues should be handled by a trained professional, though more
simple issues such as problems with a filter or pilot light can be
handled without outside help.
The mechanics behind how a furnace works are very simple. In
almost all newer homes, furnaces are powered by gas. The job of the
furnace is to take in cold air, clean it with an air filter, heat
it with a gas burner, and distribute heat to your home through the
duct work. In older homes, which largely are not designed to
accommodate central heating and air conditioning, the furnace is
powered by oil and sends heat through the pipes to the home’s
radiators.
There are many simple problems that can keep a furnace from
producing heat, including the pilot light going out, a blown fuse,
or a tripped circuit breaker. Other common culprits include a
broken thermostat or dirty air filter. All these issues are likely
to keep your furnace from creating heat, and are relatively minor
repairs. If you are handy, you can fix all of these issues yourself
with little more than a flashlight and possibly a trip to Home
Depot.
More complicated problems will require adjusting the burners in
the furnace, adding oil to the motor, replacing a frayed belt, or
other internal maintenance issues. Most of these problems,
including having your furnace cleaned, are best handled by a
trained professional. Most furnace issues are relatively easy for
repair professionals to diagnose and your furnace will most likely
be up and running again within hours. On rare occasions, it will be
advisable to replace your furnace, and a repair professional will
be able to offer advice on handling this situation.
While the furnace may seem like a complicated piece of
machinery, it’s really not, once you understand how it works.
Learning to handle simple repairs like replacing filters and
re-lighting your pilot light will save you much needed time, money,
and aggravation.
