Furnace Repair in Portland, OR

First, make sure your thermostat is telling your furnace to turn on.

Replace 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 set to the appropriate day and time and is set to “run.” If you’re having trouble overriding the program, set the temperature by using the up/down arrows and press the “hold” button. This will force the furnace to turn on if thermostat programming is causing trouble.

Increase the temperature setting to 5 degrees warmer than the room temperature.

If your furnace hasn’t turned on within few minutes, make sure it has power by toggling the fan switch from “auto” to “on.” If the fan doesn’t run, your furnace may not have power.

If you have a smart thermostat—like one made by Nest, Ecobee, Lux, Honeywell or Bosch—troubleshooting is very model-specific. Check the manufacturer’s website for help. If you still can’t get your Wi-Fi thermostat to work, call us at 503-213-4433 for heating and cooling service.

Next, you will need to check if your breaker and furnace switch are on.

Locate your house’s main electrical panel. If you have no idea where it is, keep an eye out 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.

Look for 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 call a professional from Three Rivers Heating & Cooling at 503-213-4433 right away.

Regardless of your furnace’s age or brand, it has at least one standard wall switch located on or near it.

Make sure the switch is flipped up in the “on” position. If it was turned off, expect your furnace to take up to five minutes to ignite. (If you don’t know where to find your furnace, check your basement, garage or utility closet. It could also be in a crawl space or attic.)

When it comes to furnace breakdown, a grungy, clogged air filter is often the top offender.

If your filter is too dirty:

• Your furnace won’t stay on, or it could overheat from limited airflow.
• Your energy bills could go up because your furnace is turning on more often.
• Your furnace could break down too soon because a dirty filter causes it to work harder.
• Your furnace can lose power if an extremely dirty filter causes the breaker to trip.

Depending on what type 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:

1. Turn off your furnace.
2. Take out the filter and tilt it toward the light. If you can’t see light through it, replace it.
3. Add the new filter with the arrow pointing toward the furnace to avoid damage.

Flat filters should be replaced every month, while pleated filters should last about three months. You can also buy 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 often.

To make the process go more quickly in the future, use a permanent marker on your furnace housing or ductwork to show the airflow direction and filter size.

Commonly known as drain pans, condensate pans hold water your furnace pulls from the air.

If water is dripping 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’s clear. If it needs to be drained, use a special pan-cleaning tablet you can get at home improvement or hardware stores.
• If your pan has a pump, take a look at the float switch. If the switch is stuck “up” with liquid in the pan, contact us at 503-213-4433, because you will possibly need a new pump.

If malfunctions persist, peek inside your furnace’s plastic window to verify the status of the blower motor. Depending on the model, the light could also be fixed on the outside of your furnace.

If you see anything other than a steady, colored light or blinking green light, call us at 503-213-4433 for HVAC service. Your furnace may be giving an error code that is calling for professional service.

If your furnace tries to start but switches off without distributing heat, a dirty flame sensor could be responsible. When this takes place, your furnace will try to start three times before a safety feature shuts it down 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 specialists 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:

• Disable 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.
• Lift off the furnace’s front panel and trace the wire to the flame sensor.
• Unscrew the rod and use your sandpaper, steel wool or emery cloth to gently 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 may go through a sequence of checks before proceeding with regular operation. If your furnace doesn’t ignite, the sensor may need to be replaced or something else could be wrong. If this happens, contact us at 503-213-4433 for heating and cooling repair assistance.

If you own an older furnace, the pilot light could be turned off. 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.”
• Hold down 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, get in touch with us at 503-213-4433 for furnace service.

Try turning on another gas appliance. If it doesn’t work, your natural gas service could be turned off, or you could be out of propane.