If the heating system in your home is giving you problems and will not start or stay running, some things could be causing the issue. Most of the potential problems are easy to correct, but in many cases, you will need to bring in heating repair services to help fix the issue.

Heating System Won't Start

One of the most common issues with a heating system that will not start is a faulty thermostat or controller on the system. The technician from the heating repair service can test the thermostat to see if that is the problem with a simple bypass of the thermostat to see if the system starts. If the system still does not come on, the thermostat is likely not the issue, and the technician will need to look further.

Many systems have a controller on the heating system that takes the signal from the thermostat and turns on the furnace when needed then shuts it down once the house is warm. If the controller is not functioning, the system will not start or run. 

The tech can test the controller with a multimeter to determine if there is electricity coming in to and passing through the controller. If there is no power coming out of the controller, the technician will need to replace it.

Cold Air Coming From the Heater

Sometimes the heating system will run, but the air coming out is not warm at all. The blower that circulates the air through the system may be running even if the heat exchanger is not getting hot. The technician from the heating repair services will have to check to see why the heat exchanger is not working correctly, but often, it is because the burner is not firing.

In some cases, you may have a problem with the burner not getting fuel. If the fuel supply is low, you may have a burner that fires and then runs for a few seconds and goes out, triggering the blower to come on because the burner was running.

Clogged Air Filters

One of the most common problems with HVAC units not running right is the lack of airflow through the system. If the air filters are dirty, it can reduce the air coming into the system enough that the system's safeties will shut down the heating system. 

The tech from the heating repair services company will check the filters for you and may recommend you change them more often than you have been. If you have pets in your home, the filters will accumulate pet hair and can reduce the airflow much faster than other homes. Follow the tech's recommendations on replacing the filters.