Here’s what you can do to heat things up – DIY style
If you want to save money and time getting warm again, consider these steps
- Check the thermostat first. Is it working? If digital, is it displaying numbers? Do you see a low battery warning? Change batteries and see if that restores heat. If you have an old fashioned thermostat, check that it seems to reflect an approximate temp based on how you feel in the house. Yes, $3 in batteries can save you $100 house call. I replaced mine this week when I dropped it and cracked the LED screen – don’t do that! Here is my video on how to replace a thermostat. It is a bit dorky; excuse my bad singing but you’ll get the point.
- Check the circuit breaker box (or fuse box for those oldies but goodies). Make sure all circuits are on. Hopefully the heater is labeled. When in doubt, push all switches firmly towards the ON position. Power is needed for electric base boards of course, but it powers all the other furnaces too.
- Check the fill gauge on your oil tank. Keep a record of when you order oil and about how long it lasts so you can avoid running out especially in frigid cold weather. Make a simple chart and hang it by the tank. Mark your calendar so you can order on time.
- Check that the switch on the furnace is ON. Sometimes things just happen and someone flipped a switch by accident. Hate to see you pay service crew to flip a switch!
- If you have natural gas heat, make sure the emergency gas supply switch is ON. This switch is often located in a stairwell and labeled with a red plate cover. Kids play with switches just for snorts and giggles! Mine did. So be sure to look before calling your pro.
- If you don’t know where such gauges and switches are, be sure to ask your HVAC person to give you a walk through when he/she comes for service. It is your equipment, ASK questions.
- Look, listen and feel before calling. Do you hear the unit firing up, can you see the pilot flames in the furnace, can you feel air blowing from vents, do you hear water hissing in radiators pipes? Give the pros as much info as you can. If you do smell gas, exit the home and call 911 from outside, avoid sparks of any kind inside.
- When you do call for service, the HVAC pro should ask you about these simple things before he/she comes. In my opinion, a good serviceman/woman will trouble shoot for a few minutes over the phone. A short service call is not necessarily worth their time either and if they help you now, you will remember them when you really need a big repair. You should ask them if they have any suggestions before coming out too.
- While you wait for service, be careful with fireplaces and space heaters. Always make sure you have working smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors in the home on every level of the home!
YOU are smart, capable people. DO NOT call a pro and say it’s broken and be helpless. Sorry if I sound harsh but you can be taken advantage of when you don’t have basic knowledge. Protect yourself. Knowledge is power. You have successfully tackled harder things in life!
FYI – My heater needed a minor repair but is leaking small amounts of Carbon Monoxide. It is still within the allowable levels but the unit needs to be replaced before next season. Working on a deal for a more efficient, powerful unit. Mine is almost 18 so she owes us nothing at this point. Now we have time to investigate which heater is the right one for us! In the meantime I added a CO monitor to the basement storage area just to be safe.
