Even though we live in the desert, it gets cold in the winter and we need to have a furnace that works properly. The worst thing is to have the furnace break down on the coldest day of the year. It’s good to know that with regular furnace maintenance you can avoid these mid-winter breakdowns, but even the best maintained furnaces can breakdown.

Things to Do if You Have a Furnace Breakdown

1. Smelling natural gas means immediate evacuation. Make sure everyone is safe before you try and get the problem fixed. Natural gas is odorless and invisible, so a substance called mercaptan is added to it so we can smell it. Natural gas has a distinctive smell that will alert you right away. The smell is like that of rotten eggs. Small electrical arcs that form when lights are turned on or off can cause the gas to ignite, so don’t do it and do not turn the stove on. If you can open any windows on the way out of the house, do so. Refrain from using phones in the house and leave the car in the garage. Don’t start it as it could cause an explosion.
2. Find other ways to heat your home safely. After you have ruled out any gas leaks, and you can stay home, find ways to stay warm until you can have the furnace repaired. If you can’t, then you may need to find somewhere else to stay. Safe ways to heat your home are electric heaters or heat from a fireplace.
3. After a little troubleshooting call for service. Check and see if you have a blown fuse or an extinguished pilot light, which are fairly simple to fix on your own. If you don’t feel comfortable doing so then call for service.
4. Prevent pipes from freezing. While you wait for the repair to be completed you’ll need to make sure the main plumbing line is heated to above 32 degrees with a portable heater and drain the water pipes.
5. Keep the heat inside your home. Keep all the doors, windows and curtains closed. This will prevent all the remaining heat in the home from escaping.

Safety First When Dealing With Furnace Problems

Sometimes it takes time to repair a furnace. There are things you shouldn’t do when your furnace breaks down on you. Do not use your oven to warm your home. Do not use heaters that are designed for outdoor use indoors. This includes propane, kerosene, gasoline, etc. Never try fixing major furnace issues on your own. This may save you money initially but will most likely end up making the problem worse, resulting in paying more money than a simple service call would cost. Major damage can occur if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Central Forced Air Furnace Heating Diagnosis, Repair, Replacement, Maintenance & More in Summerlin, North LV, Henderson, Centennial, Enterprise, Lone Mountain Village, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Spring Valley, Aliante, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Peccole Ranch, Silverado Ranch, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada

To make sure your comfort levels get back to normal, it’s a good idea to contact the professionals at Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning to determine what the problem is. We have the proper tools and experience to make needed repairs quickly and easily!