What do you do if you realize your heating system is not functioning properly?

As a consumer, Facility Pro Tech is happy to provide you with several tips and tricks that can possibly help you avoid a service call if you only discover a minor issue with your AC system. However, most of the repairs listed are only temporary solutions and it is highly recommended that you follow up with a professional to ensure the proper operation and safety of your system.

Tips and Tricks for Your Heating System:

• The Display on My Thermostat is Blank: Check to make sure the batteries in the thermostat are working.
• The Display on My Thermostat is Blank: Check the breakers for your air conditioning system. There will be one for the indoor air handler/furnace unit and one more for the outdoor condensing unit. If one of them has been tripped it can be reset by first moving it to the OFF position and then back to the ON position.
• My Heat Pump/Furnace Is Not Heating: Houses with a gas furnace can check to see that the gas valve on the side of the furnace is turned to the “On” position. If the valve was off, reset the breaker to the furnace by turning it off then back on again to reset any fault on the furnace. This will allow it to try and fire again if there is a demand for heating.
• My Heat Pump/Furnace Is Not Heating: Check the air filter(s) for your air conditioner and replace if needed.

What temperature should I set my thermostat to for cooling and heating?

• Depending on your personal preference, comfortable and efficient temperature setting can range between 76-78 degrees for cooling and 68-70 degrees for heating.

My outdoor unit makes strange noises on cold nights, is there any reason to be worried?

• Not usually, on a cold night a heat pump’s outdoor coil will freeze and it must be defrosted to preserve the unit’s heating efficiency. During this process the system will shift modes and may make loud whooshing noises.

I have seen my outdoor unit’s fan go off and on when in heating, is this standard?

• Yes, this is typically related to the defrost cycle on a heat pump and is part of the normal operation. It may also occur on certain model units when heat is running and the temperatures are slightly warmer inside and outside.

I have seen smoke/steam blowing out of my outdoor unit, is there reason to be alarmed?

• No, this normally occurs when the unit is in a defrost cycle. As the ice on the outdoor coil melts it will produce steam. The steam will rise from the unit and when the fan turns back on at the end of the cycle a burst of steam will rise from the unit all at once.

There is a lot of water around the bottom of my unit; does my unit have a leak?

• No, following a defrost cycle the melted ice will cause the area surrounding the outdoor unit to be very wet at times.

None of the Suggestions Has Solved My Problem

• Read the Heating Frequently Asked Questions page for more help with common problems.
• Call Facility Pro Tech at 407-608-5370 anytime 24/7 to schedule a professional to come out and assess the problem.