Furnace Repair In Lodi, CA, And Surrounding Areas
When your furnace won’t start, doing your own furnace repair in Lodi, California, can feel overwhelming.
Figuring out a furnace-related problem might feel like a challenging task when your heat won’t turn on. But it doesn’t have to be like that.
There are a couple of fast, reasonable fixes you can do by yourself to skip a furnace repair call.
If your furnace won’t turn on, won’t stay on or won’t ignite, try the troubleshooting list below before getting in touch with an HVAC professional.
If you find you need help from a heating and cooling expert and live in Lodi, Tokay Heating & Air can provide assistance to you. We can repair most types of heating systems and also provide emergency furnace repair.
If it’s time for a new heating system, we also do furnace installation.
While you’re chatting with us, think over a routine furnace maintenance plan that might help you avoid repairs in the future. We can tell you how frequently your furnace should be inspected by one of our certified professionals.
Use our easy guide below to get to work on troubleshooting your furnace. Most of these steps don’t require mechanical know-how.
Furnace Repair Checklist
Check The Thermostat
To start, make sure your thermostat is telling your furnace to ignite.
Digital Thermostat
Swap out the batteries if the screen is blank. If the digital screen is jumbled, the thermostat may need to be replaced.
Make sure the switch is set to “heat” instead of “off” or “cool.”
Ensure the program is showing the correct day and time and is set to “run.” If you’re having a hard time overriding the program, set the temperature by using the up/down arrows and press the “hold” button. This will make the furnace to ignite if thermostat programming is causing an issue.
Increase the temperature setting to 5 degrees warmer than the room temperature.
If your furnace hasn’t started within a couple minutes, make sure it has power by toggling the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t start, your furnace could be without power.
Smart Thermostat
If you have a smart thermostat—like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell, or Bosch—troubleshooting is very model-specific. Take a look at the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to work, call us at (209) 257-3156 for heating and cooling service.
Examine Breakers And Switches
Next, you will need to check if your breaker and furnace switch are on.
Look for your house’s main electrical panel. If you aren’t sure where it is, look for a gray metal box in your basement, garage or closet.
Make sure your hands and feet are dry before touching the panel or breakers.
Find the breaker labeled “furnace” or “heat,” and make sure it’s switched “on.” If the breaker has tripped, it will be in the middle or “off” position.
Using one hand, firmly switch the breaker to the “on” position. If the breaker immediately trips and pops back to “off,” don’t try to reset it, and contact a professional from Tokay Heating & Air at (209) 257-3156 right away.
No matter your furnace’s age or brand, it has at least one standard wall switch located on or close to it.
Make sure the switch is flipped up in the “on” position. If it was turned off, it could take your furnace up to five minutes to ignite. (If you don’t know where to find your furnace, look in your basement, garage or utility closet. It could also be in a crawl space or attic.)
Replace the Air Filter
If your filter is too dirty:
- Your furnace won’t keep heating your home, or it could overheat from reduced airflow.
- Your energy bills could increase because your furnace is turning on more often.
- Your furnace could break down too soon because a dirty filter causes it to overwork.
- Your furnace can be disconnected from power if an overly dirty filter causes the breaker to trip.
Depending on what make of furnace you own, your air filter can be found inside the blower compartment of your furnace, an attached filter case or wall-mounted return air grille.
To replace your filter:
- Turn off your furnace.
- Pull out the filter and angle it toward the light. If you can’t see light through it, get a new one.
- Install the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the furnace to avoid damage.
Flat filters should be replaced monthly, while pleated filters should last about three months. You can also get a washable filter that will last about 10 years. If you have children or pets, you may have to put in a new filter more frequently.
To make the process easier in the future, use a permanent marker on your furnace housing or ductwork to show the airflow direction and filter size.
Inspect The Condensate Pan
Otherwise known as drain pans, condensate pans hold water your furnace pulls from the air.
If water is seeping out of your furnace or its pan has standing water in it, follow these steps.
- If your pan has a drain (look for a PVC pipe), check that it isn’t clogged. If it needs to be drained, use a special pan-cleaning tablet you can buy at home improvement or hardware stores.
- If your pan has a pump, check the float switch. If the switch is stuck “up” with liquid in the pan, contact us at (209) 257-3156, because you will possibly need a new pump.
Check For Furnace Error Codes
If malfunctions persist, look inside your furnace’s plastic window to confirm the status of the blower motor. Depending on the model, the light could also be mounted on the outside of your furnace.
If you see anything except a steady, colored light or blinking green light, call us at (209) 257-3156 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be communicating an error code that is calling for professional service.
Clean The Flame Sensor
If your furnace tries to start but shuts off without putting out heat, a dirty flame sensor could be to blame. When this occurs, your furnace will try to turn on three times before a safety feature turns it off for about an hour.
If you feel comfortable with opening up your furnace, cleaning your flame sensor is something you can do on your own. Or, one of our heating service experts can do it for you.
If you want to clean the sensor yourself, you’ll need:
- A 1/4” hex screwdriver or wrench
- Piece of light grit sandpaper, steel wool, or emery cloth
- A dry, clean paper towel
Next:
- Shut off the furnace’s power by using its wall switch or breaker. If your gas valve is not electric, you will need to shut off the gas as well.
- Remove the furnace’s front panel and follow the wire to the flame sensor.
- Unscrew the rod and use your sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth to lightly rub the metal rod.
- Wipe off the rod with a paper towel.
- Remount the sensor.
- Replace the furnace doors.
- Turn the furnace’s power back on. It could run through a series of checks before resuming usual operation. If your furnace doesn’t ignite, the sensor may need to be replaced or something else might be wrong. If this happens, contact us at (209) 257-3156 for heating and cooling repair assistance.
Relight The Pilot Light
If you own an older furnace, the pilot light could be extinguished. To relight it, find the instructions on a label on your furnace, or follow these steps.
- Find the switch on the bottom of your furnace labeled “pilot,” “on” and “off.”
- Turn the switch to the “off” position.
- Wait at least five minutes to avoid possibly sparking a fire.
- Turn the knob to “pilot.”
- Push the “reset” button as you bring the flame of a long lighter to the pilot light opening.
- Release the “reset” button once the pilot light is lit.
If you have followed the instructions twice and the pilot light still won’t light or stay lit, contact us at (209) 257-3156 for furnace service.
Check Your Fuel Source
Try using another gas appliance. If it doesn’t work, your natural gas service could be turned off, or you could be out of propane.
We Can Help With HVAC Repair
Followed our troubleshooting guide but your furnace still won’t work?
Call us today at (209) 257-3156 or contact us online. We’ll come out and figure out the problem.
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What our clients say
Was very professional and Friendly you are fortunate to have Josh and Manuel as employees.
Lawrence M.
The technician arrived on time. Explained everything thoroughly and conducted himself professionally.
Carmen S.
Professional, friendly, and polite. Josh did an excellent repair job.
Malcolm F.
Yes, we had a great experience. Very friendly workers did a great job on servicing our unit.
Desiree R.
Josh is an excellent technician and also very informative and polite.Thank you so much for fixing my ac.
