Why Your Heating System Thermostat Set at 68, Won't Heat Above 65.

“Is it cold in here or is it just me?” You may have asked this question enough times in the last few days that you find yourself having to double check what you set your thermostat to. Yet, no matter how many times you double check, you find that you did set it above 68 degrees and it sadly isn’t getting any warmer than 65 degrees.

During the winter months it is understandable to want your home to be significantly warmer than it is outside. When the weather drops outside even 65 degrees can feel like it’s freezing. Therefore, it is troublesome when the temperature you set on your thermostat isn’t being delivered. 

Obviously, something is wrong. The question you now have to answer is whether this is a problem you can easily fix yourself or a problem better left to a professional heating systems technician. Below we have listed a few things you can check and fix yourself before calling a professional, as well as just a few things a professional will not only check for you but also fix in a timely matter.

Check Your Filter

This should be something you are doing on a regular basis. If it’s helpful, put a reminder in your calendar to check it once a month because a dirty filter can cause all sorts of problems for you. Your system will end up working harder to keep you warm along with a decrease in air flow. A decrease in air flow wastes energy, which in turn ends up costing you more money. It can also allow dust and dirt into your house which causes problems for allergies. All of these can be helped if you check your filters once a month and replace them when they start to look to dirty. Take a look at our video to see why and how to change your filters.

Check Your Thermostat

More than likely the problem could be that your thermostat isn’t properly working, and you just need to tweak it to make your system work at 100% again. If your thermostat is hard wired in double check the fuse or circuit breaker, if it is battery operated check to see if the batteries need to be replaced. When looking at your thermostat, check to see if there is any dirt or residue that needs to be cleaned out. If the problem still occurs, you can go through the process of checking your thermostat’s calibration. If after you’ve checked your calibration and still see problems we recommend calling a professional.

Check Your Pilot Light

If you have an older gas furnace that uses natural gas you will have what is commonly known as a pilot light. When you turn your furnace “on” gas will be released out of the main burner, and the purpose of the pilot light is to be the flame that ignites the gas. One of the main reasons your gas furnace fails to work properly is because the pilot light stops operating correctly or goes out completely. To inspect your pilot light follow the instructions listed here.

What Experts in Your Home Can Do for You

When your home isn’t heating correctly, here is a list of some of the things we will check for you.  

• Electrical Connections – Checking the control box, wiring, and any of the extra controls or accessories to see if the connections are tight. If the electrical connections aren’t tight or are just bad, it can cause your heating system to be unsafe to operate.
• Clean Around Your System – If you have an outside unit, the problem could be a result of dirt, leaves, or debris. Getting rid of the leaves and debris along with cleaning away the dirt will allow your heating system to not have to work harder than normal. Heating systems that work harder because of these factors can potentially cause damage to the system.
• Adjust Blower Components - The system blowers help control airflow in your home. If you have airflow problems your system’s efficiency could be reduced by 15 percent. The different components a technician will check are the blower motor bearings, amp draw, and wheel rotation and will lubricate if needed.
• Gas & Ductwork Leaks – Your heating system could be malfunctioning because there is a leak in your gas furnace or in your ductwork. These leaks can be tricky and depending on where your ductwork is, hard to get to. Having an Expert in Your Home technician evaluate and fix it will save you the time and energy it would take to find them.
• Gas or Oil Connections – It’s crucial to check to make sure that all your gas or oil connections as well as your gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger are connected properly. If any of these aren’t properly connected it can be a fire hazard and can also contribute to health problems.
• Overall maintenance of your heating system – Regular tune-ups can double the life of your heating system which can save you thousands of dollars in installing a new one. Experts in Your Home can perform a complete system tune-up once a year that can help avoid expensive breakdowns and continue to prolong the life of your system. Experts in Your Home will help to keep you warm on evening the coldest days of the year, as well as every day in-between.

When your heating system breaks and you have to call an HVAC company, be confident in knowing the right questions to ask by downloading our Questions to Ask When Your Heating System Breaks. Inside you’ll find the top 8 questions you should be asking, along with a list of comprehensive questions.