It’s the middle of winter, so your home is likely a warm refuge from the cold weather you’re experiencing. But if your heater breaks, what are you supposed to do? Household appliances always break at the worst times, and experiencing problems with your HVAC in the winter is among the worst.

Luckily, there’s no need to suffer through the cold weather. This article will explain what you should do when your heater breaks during the winter.

Steps to take when you suspect a broken furnace

If you wake up and notice that your house is cold, you may have a problem with your furnace. It may be something as simple as resetting it, which you can take care of on your own. But if it’s a more serious problem, you’ll need to bring in some professional help.

Here are the steps you should take if your furnace has gone out:

1. Make sure your furnace is turned on. Some furnaces have a switch mounted on their side that is easily bumped. Turn it back on and see if this faces the problem.
2. Ensure your furnace is set to “heat” on the thermostat. If not, set it to “heat” and see if your home starts to get warmer.
3. Reset your furnace.
4. Check your thermostat to make sure something wasn’t changed or knocked loose. And if you have a smart thermostat, check to see if there are any alerts about potential problems with your furnace.
5. Check your electrical panel to ensure you didn’t blow a fuse or trip a breaker.

If none of these steps fixes your heater or if you don’t feel comfortable checking these on your own, you’ll want to call a professional to look at your HVAC unit. A professional company, like Caldwell Mechanical Services, can look at your heater's gas and electrical components to see what’s going on and make any necessary heating repairs.

How to keep warm if your heater goes out

If your furnace goes out, calling a professional is likely your best bet. But while you’re waiting for them to arrive, one of your main concerns should be how to stay warm. Here are some things you can do while you wait for your heater to get fixed:

• Use a space heater. As long as your electrical outlets work, you can use a space heater to stay warm. Plug it into a central room and try to stay there with your family until your furnace is up and running again.
• Use your fireplace. If you have a wood-burning or gas-powered fireplace, you can use it to warm up your home.
• Stay inside. Every time you go outside or open a door, heat escapes. Until your furnace is fixed, limit the number of times you go outside and come back in.

Caldwell Mechanical Services helps residential and commercial clients with their heating and cooling systems.

Our top priority isn’t selling HVAC systems but building relationships with our clients. That’s why we’re trusted across Texas and Oklahoma for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of heating and cooling systems. We bring over 100 years of experience to our clients, developing customized solutions for any building or facility. After a thorough consultation, we’ll provide insight for developing a maintenance schedule, executing repairs, or upgrading your current equipment to improve reliability and performance.

When you’re ready to take control of your climate control with an experienced HVAC partner, schedule a consultation with Caldwell Mechanical Services.