When winter has finally arrived in Texas and it is time for some to turn on their heaters.
No matter what type of system you have it is important to have it checked before you use it to make sure it is functioning normally and that there aren’t any safety concerns that need to be addressed to avoid accidents.
Now if you are using an all electric system then you have less to worry about than those with gas furnaces.
If you are using a gas furnace then it is very important that you have it checked before the first use. If your system is natural gas and less than five years old then you should be OK since they stopped using standing pilots all together around that time. However it is still important to make sure it is functioning properly. The most important things to check would be a clean filter change, make sure the doors are on the unit, the flue pipe is all attached and stable, and nothing flammable is on or around unit.
Now those with older gas furnaces, (especially with pilots and standing pilots), have a lot more to check to make sure it’s safe to use. So first thing you should do is check to make sure the filter is changed, gas is on and the pilot is lit. If the pilot is lit then make sure there is nothing flammable on or around the furnace and then go turn the thermostat to auto and heat, and then turn it past the room temperature. The furnace should fire up and shortly after the blower should come on and you should feel heat coming out of the vents. If it stays running for ten plus minutes with no issues then you should be OK to continue using it.
Now if the pilot is NOT lit then you need to light it. This can be tricky and if you’re not comfortable with doing this or have never done this. Call someone that can do it for you, preferably a qualified service technician. If you are comfortable doing this and have done so before then there should be instructions on the furnace near the burner or on the door telling you how to light pilot, please follow these carefully.
If there are not instructions then make sure the gas is on at the valve near the furnace and the switch on the gas valve knob is in OFF position. Now locate the pilot flame area, it should be near the front of the burner area and have the small aluminum looking gas line and a small copper line running up to it. Once you find this pilot and have a long extended lighter or fireplace match to reach the area to light the pilot then turn the knob on the gas valve to “pilot” and push it down and hold it. While holding it down have the match or lighter ready and place the flame in front of the burner until it lights then pull it out while continuing to hold the button down. After one minute let the button back up and the pilot should stay lit, if it does then go over to thermostat and turn it to its lowest setting, turn the gas valve to “on”, and put the doors back on the furnace. Now make sure there is nothing flammable on or around the furnace and then go turn the thermostat to auto and heat. Then turn it past the room temperature. The furnace should fire up and shortly after the blower should come on and you should feel heat coming out of the vents. If it stays running for ten plus minutes with no issues then you should be ok to continue using it.
If the pilot does not stay on repeat the steps again and if it still does not light turn the gas valve, thermostat, and unit “off” and immediately call a qualified technician for proper service and repair.