How To Troubleshoot Your Heating System Before Calling

Posted: November 25, 2019

Troubleshoot furnace rhode island

Bitter weather has stayed way from Rhode Island so far this fall, so chances are your home heating system has yet to be put to the test in late 2019. When the cold finally does arrive, however, you may find that your furnace isn’t ready for the challenge.

If your furnace or boiler doesn’t answer the bell when the temperature drops this fall or winter, don’t worry – the expert heating technicians at Vaughn Oil are only a phone call away, able to handle just about any kind of heating system repair there is.

But before you make that call, it’s a good idea to do a little detective work; the problem could an easy fix.

Your furnace won’t start? Take these 6 steps prior to calling:

  1. Check to see if you have enough heating oil.
  2. Make sure all power switches are in the “on” or “start” position.
  3. Make sure the temperature on your thermostat is set at least five degrees above the current room temperature, and the system switch is on the HEAT or AUTO position. The fan switch should be set to ON for continuous airflow or AUTO.
  4. Check the pilot light, if your equipment has one.
  5. If you have a forced (or warm) air system (a furnace with ductwork), check the air filter if airflow from your vent seems low; also make sure that vents are not blocked.
  6. Reset the red burner switch (only reset this once or you may flood your system with oil).

If you take all of the above steps and your heat still doesn’t work, contact us and we will send a technician to figure out the problem – and to make it right as quickly as possible.

For fast repairs done right, trust the pros at Vaughn Oil. Contact us today for expert heating service in Rhode Island!