It always seems to happen on the coldest night of the year. You wake up to a chilly house, and the furnace is silent. A furnace failure in winter can feel scary, but a clear plan helps. This guide walks you through what to do, step by step. If you need help right now, call Right Now at (208) 738-5175. Calls are answered live 24/7.
Step 1: Make Sure Everyone Is Safe
Before you touch the furnace, think about safety. A few situations call for leaving the home first and asking questions later.
If a carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, get everyone outside right away. Call 911 from outside. If you smell gas, leave without using light switches or phones in the home. Call your gas utility or 911 once you are a safe distance away.
Carbon monoxide has no smell. Headaches, dizziness and nausea that ease when you go outside can be warning signs. Learn more about carbon monoxide dangers and how detectors protect your family.
Step 2: Rule Out the Simple Causes
Many no heat calls come down to something simple. Work through these checks before you assume the worst.
- Thermostat. Confirm it is set to heat and set above the current room temperature. Replace weak batteries.
- Breaker. Look for a tripped breaker labeled furnace or HVAC. Reset it once.
- Furnace switch. Find the switch near the furnace. It often looks like a light switch and is easy to bump off.
- Filter. A clogged filter can make the furnace overheat and shut down. Swap in a clean one.
- Vent pipes. Clear snow or ice from plastic vent pipes on the outside wall.
- Furnace door. Make sure the front panel is closed tight. Many furnaces will not run with the panel off.
If the furnace starts after one of these fixes, keep an eye on it. A breaker that trips again or a furnace that keeps shutting down still needs a pro.
Step 3: Know When to Stop and Call
Some signs mean the problem is inside the furnace. Do not keep resetting the system or take it apart. Call for furnace repair if you notice any of these:
- The furnace clicks or tries to start but never lights
- The blower runs, but the air from the vents stays cold
- You hear banging, grinding or squealing
- You smell burning or see smoke
- The furnace starts and stops every few minutes
Before you call, write down what you noticed. Note any sounds, smells or blinking lights on the furnace. Note when the heat stopped. These details help the technician find the problem faster.
When you call, share what you have already checked. That helps the technician arrive ready to work. Right Now offers emergency heating repair for nights, weekends and holidays.
Step 4: Keep Your Family Warm While You Wait
A house can cool down quickly on a bitter night. These steps help you hold onto the heat you have.
Close doors to rooms you are not using. Gather everyone in one room, ideally one with fewer windows. Hang blankets or towels over drafty doors. Put on layers, hats and warm socks. Pets need extra blankets too.
Space heaters can help if you use each one safely. Keep each heater at least three feet from beds, curtains and furniture. Plug it straight into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord. Turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
Never use a gas oven, grill or camp stove to heat your home. Never run a generator inside or in an attached garage. These can fill a home with carbon monoxide.
Step 5: Protect Your Pipes From Freezing
A furnace failure puts your plumbing at risk too. Pipes in outside walls, garages and crawl spaces can freeze when the house gets cold. A frozen pipe can crack and leak once it thaws.
Open cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks. Let warm room air reach the pipes. Let faucets on outside walls drip slowly. Moving water is less likely to freeze.
If a faucet gives no water, a pipe may already be frozen. Never use an open flame to thaw it. This guide on what to do when you have frozen pipes explains safe next steps.
Step 6: Decide Between Repair and Replacement
Once the technician finds the cause, you will have a choice to make. Most failures can be repaired. A failed igniter, flame sensor or blower motor is a common fix.
Age matters, though. Most furnaces last about 15 to 20 years with good care. Read more about how long a furnace lasts. If your furnace is near the end of that range and needs a major part, replacement may make more sense.
A cracked heat exchanger is a serious problem. It can let carbon monoxide into your air. In many cases, replacement is the safer path. Right Now offers furnace installation and replacement when a repair no longer makes sense.
Cost is part of the decision too. Right Now gives upfront pricing options before any work starts. If a new system fits better, you can apply for financing with approved credit.
How to Lower the Odds of a Midwinter Breakdown
Many winter failures give warning signs first. A yearly tune-up in the fall can catch worn parts before the cold sets in. Check your filter every month during heating season and change it when it looks dirty.
Keep the area around the furnace clear. Boxes, paint cans and laundry near the unit can block airflow. After each snowstorm, clear snow away from outdoor vents and intake pipes. A blocked vent can make many high efficiency furnaces shut down.
Pay attention to small changes. Strange noises, short cycles or rooms that never warm up are early clues. So are rising heating bills with no change in use. Calling at the first sign of trouble is easier than calling at midnight in January.
Get Help Fast When the Heat Goes Out
A furnace failure in the middle of winter is stressful, but you do not have to handle it alone. Right Now has served Idaho homes since 2001 and now serves the Tri-Cities in Washington too. Every repair is backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Call (208) 738-5175 any time, day or night, and a live person will answer.
