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Frequently Asked Questions about Furnace & Air Conditioner

How do I save heating & cooling energy cost?

Install a Programmable Thermostat
During the heating season, set the temperature at 68 degrees when home and 50 degrees when not home.
During the cooling season, set the temperature to 78 degrees when not home and to your comfort level when home.
Turn off heat/air in unoccupied areas (close the register/vent cover dampers). • Enroll in your energy company’s budget plan (a monthly averaging plan that sets a constant monthly rate).
Install thermostats on interior walls away from heating or cooling vents and other sources of heat or drafts.
Have the heating/cooling system inspected, cleaned and tuned before each heating and cooling season.
Seal any drafts in the windows with approved shrink plastic kits.
Install an energy star rated furnace and central air. Most older furnaces and central airs are inefficient and do not meet current energy efficiency standards (Minimum 80% AFUE for furnaces and 13 Seer for central airs).
Clean the ductwork as recommended by your heating and cooling technician and change your filter regularly. Check your filter monthly no matter what. These can reduce the efficiency of your equipment because you do not have proper air circulation due to restriction in the ductwork and filter.

What should I do if the pilot flame goes out?

Check your furnace filter. Is it clean and when did you change it last? 50% of service calls (and associated charges) can easily be avoided by properly maintaining your furnace filter.
Check to see if your energy star rated programmable thermostat has a battery back up. Are they dead and when did you last change them? Some thermostats have a battery back up even though they are wired to the electrical in the home. Some will have a warning sign that the batteries are going and some just stop working properly or all together. Check your owner's manual for details on how to change the batteries.
Make sure that the breaker/fuse (in the main electrical box) for the furnace and air conditioner are in the on position if it is a breaker or not in need of replacing if it is a fuse.
Check the troubleshooting guide for your particular model furnace, in the homeowner's manual. There are always good tips in there as well.
CALL A LICENSED HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY to have an educated technician out to diagnose the issue.

ALWAYS REMEMBER that all furnaces and air conditioners can be dangerous, they are connected to electrical and/or gas and could result in injury. Never have someone un-educated and unlicensed attempt to repair these pieces of equipment.

What should I do if the pilot flame goes out?

Most new model furnaces do not have a continuously burning pilot flame (standing pilot), which wastes valuable energy and may cost you money. Your furnace may use an automatic, hot surface igniter to light the burners each time the thermostat starts your furnace. Follow these important safeguards if this applies to your system: Read and follow the operating instructions in the owner’s manual for your furnace or on the main furnace door. Never attempt to light the burners with a match or other source of flame. If a suspected malfunction occurs with your gas control system, such as the burners not lighting when they should, refer to the shutdown procedures in the owner’s manual or on the main furnace door. A qualified service technician should check your system to verify that it is working properly.