When your home's furnace isn't coming on and you feel chilled to the bone, of course you want to get heating services to your home as soon as possible. Furnaces don't just fix themselves, and it's unlikely the problem will simply go away if you ignore it. However, there are often simple things you can check before you call for those services, some of which you can just fix on your own. Note a few checks to go through first before you have a repair person come to your home.

1. Are all vents open?

You may have closed the vents to certain rooms to clean them or to save money on heating and cooling and then forgotten to open them, or they may not be open all the way. In turn, rooms are not getting warm from the furnace, and the cold air is circulating from one room to another. Walk through all your rooms and ensure that the vents are wide open.

2. Does the thermostat need new batteries?

If you have a digital thermostat, you might see a little symbol or icon that tells you that the batteries are low. If so, the thermostat may not be sending the furnace the signals it needs to maintain the proper temperature in the home. You can often pop open the front of the thermostat and put the batteries into something else such as a TV remote and test them or just try new batteries and see if that fixes the problem.

3. Is the filter dirty?

A dirty air filter will mean that the furnace may get clogged with dirt, dust, and other debris that gets in the way of the warm air. This debris can put excess wear and tear on the motor and blower of the furnace. Check the filter, and if it looks discolored at all, change it and note if the temperature of your home goes back up.

4. Is there a power switch on the furnace that has been turned off?

Most furnaces come with a power switch that is typically kept on but which may have gotten turned off when you cleaned the area, put something near the furnace, and so on. Many homeowners don't realize that this switch even exists since they don't typically turn the furnace off manually, but check your unit and see if you can find the switch. If it's off, then you've solved the problem of your cold house.

If none of these issues seem to be the cause of your heat loss, contact a local HVAC company like Guy Hyde Gasfitting & Appliance Service to get repairs.