Diagnosing and Troubleshooting Heating Problems Before Winter

Don’t get left in the cold!

With the fall season right around the corner, we’re getting back to sweater weather here on the South Shore. That means crisp air, beautiful fall foliage, and apple cider.

It also means we’ll be turning on our furnaces and boilers in the next few weeks—if we haven’t had to use them once or twice already! If in the past year you’ve noticed your home’s heating system is having some issues keeping your home warm and comfy, the trained, experienced service technicians at Frank Lamparelli are here to help.

But before you give us a call, there may be things you can do to get your furnace or boiler up and running properly without us. Avoiding repair—or unnecessary system maintenance—can save you some more money for those pumpkin spice lattes!

We want to make note that if these suggested troubleshoots don’t work, or if you have a no-heat emergency, we’re here for you. Please do not use online contact forms or email, call us right away at 781-828-2477!

Check Your Thermostat

• Is your thermostat set to at least 5˚ higher than your current room temperature?
• Is the thermostat set to “heat?”
• Are the batteries still good?

If the answer to all of those is “yes,” move on to the next step.

Check Your Heating System Switch

The switch should be set to “ON”, not “Auto.” Turn it on and if nothing happens, call us.

Check Your Fuel Supply

Life can get busy and keeping track of your propane or heating oil supply can be forgotten. If your heating oil or propane tank is less than 15% full, call us RIGHT AWAY to schedule an emergency delivery. If you’re not already enrolled, this is a great time to enroll in our Automatic Delivery, where we track your fuel usage and make a delivery before you run low.

Check the Circuit Breaker

Tripped circuit breakers are common causes of a heating system not working. If the one for your heating system has been tripped—especially during the summer season, there’s a chance it may have gone unnoticed. Turn the switch back on. If it wasn’t tripped, do the next troubleshoot.

Check the Air Filter

The air filter in your furnace—if it hasn’t been changed in more than three months, or if you can’t remember the last time you changed it at all—it may be blocked, causing the system to shut down. If necessary, replace it. If not, move on to the last step.

Make sure to set a reminder on your phone or calendar to check your air filter at least once a month (more so if you have pets or someone in your house has a respiratory problem like asthma or COPD).

Check the Boiler

Inspect the water level in the gauge glass if you have a steam boiler. It should be at least half-full. If it isn’t, contact us. Continue to the last step if you have a hot water boiler.

Push and Hold the Reset Button For 30 Seconds

This is only to be done ONCE. Doing it multiple times can harm your heating system and result in additional and more expensive repairs. If this doesn’t work, please contact us.

Experiencing problems with your home’s heating system? Contact us today for quality, expert service you can count on! Our technicians stay up to date on the latest equipment, including boilers, furnaces, and water heaters to ensure that your repairs are done not just quickly, but correctly.

P.S. Be sure to ask us about our Premium Heat Protection Plan, available for bioheat and gas-powered heating systems in Canton, Stoughton, Sharon, and Easton and throughout the South Shore!