It's not a good idea to do your own furnace repairs. Doing so might void your furnace warranty, and if you make a mistake, it could lead to a fire or poisonous gas leaks. But does that mean you can't do anything at all with your furnace? Not exactly. If your furnace isn't working or is acting strange, there are a few things you can try before you call the local furnace repair company.

Change the Air Filter

Air filters exist for a very important reason. They trap dirt and grime so that dirt does not get blown through your home and does not end up landing on your furnace burner. If the air filter gets too full of dirt and grime, though, air will have a lot of trouble flowing through it. This can lead to all sorts of furnace issues including short-cycling, overheating, and a lack of airflow to some vents. As such, you may want to change your air filter if your furnace is acting strange. If that solves the problem, you can save a call to the repair company. And if it does not solve the problem, that's more information you can give to your HVAC contractor to help them figure out what's wrong.

Change the Thermostat Batteries

If you have a hard-wired thermostat, then you can disregard this advice. But if you have a thermostat that is powered by batteries, definitely check to see whether the batteries are still working. Changing them is usually pretty easy. You slide the thermostat off the wall, remove the old batteries, and put new ones into place. Sometimes, faulty thermostat batteries can explain a loss of heat and short heating cycles.

Check for Closed Vents

Walk through your home and make sure all the vents are open. If you find any closed vents, open them. If you find any vents with broken open/close mechanisms, make note of them so you can ask your HVAC contractor to replace them. Closed vents can cause an increase in pressure in your ducts, which can cause all sorts of problems like higher energy bills, short cycling, and low airflow

While it is not a good idea to repair your furnace, you can safely perform the simple tasks above. Sometimes, you may find you still need to call a professional. But at least you will have checked off all the boxes before you do. For more information, contact a heating service near you.