Your heating system is one sleeping giant you wouldn't mind hearing roar into action after a long period of inactivity.

So when you turn it on for the first time in the season and it remains silent, it's understandable why beads of sweat may form on your forehead.

Rest assured: the heating technicians at Experts In Your Home can rouse your sleeping giant. But we recommend that you run through seven simple troubleshooting measures first – to save yourself a service call and so that you know exactly what to do if you face this kind of unresponsiveness again.

Focus on the basics

Some of these measures might strike you as so obvious that they don't merit checking. But it pays to address the fundamentals of your heating system before working your way up to what might be full-fledged mechanical problems. In fact, many heating system service calls could be avoided if homeowners checked the basics.

Ensure that you have functional gas service.

Check the gas valve at the gas company's meter. Then check the valve on your furnace and make sure that it’s turned to the “on” position. If all looks as it should, but the furnace still doesn't turn on, try turning on another gas appliance (such as a stove) to test your gas service.

Verify that the furnace's power switch is turned to “on.”

Located on the furnace or a nearby wall, it can easily be mistaken for a light switch and accidentally turned off.

Check your thermostat.

It should be set at “heat.” If it is, the furnace still doesn't turn on and the room temperature is lower than the setting on your thermostat, raise the temperature by a few degrees and wait a few minutes. Otherwise, if your thermostat relies on batteries, it might be time to replace them.

Inspect the pilot light or ignition source.

Your furnace owner's manual might help you at this juncture. Older furnaces have pilot lights that sometimes need to be relit; newer furnaces are equipped with flame adjustment screws. Your manual will help guide your best efforts.

Open your circuit breaker box.

Look for the one dedicated to your furnace. If it has tripped, reset it by flipping it all the way off and then on again.

Remove the filter from your furnace.

Hold it up against a light. If the filter is dirty, or you can't see light shining through it, replace it. A filter choked with dust and dirt can cause your furnace to overheat and, in the worst cases, shut it down.

Press the furnace reset button, if all else fails.

If the furnace still doesn't turn on, wait 30 minutes and press the button again.

Keep your furnace clean

With any luck, one of these tips will awaken your sleeping giant. But then you might encounter another issue: a burning smell streaming from the furnace and especially the registers.

This smell is normal – caused by dust and dirt that has settled on your heating system over months of inactivity. While it's no cause for panic, it is a sign that your heating system could benefit from a wholesale cleaning that will keep it working efficiently.

Dirt and grime buildup is the single biggest cause of furnace breakdowns, so contact Experts In Your Home so that we can ensure that your heating giant promptly and reliably responds to your needs during the cooler season ahead. We are experts in your home.