Date: February 17, 2025
We’re well into the coldest part of the year in Greater Boston, and no doubt, your home’s furnace has been working hard every day to keep your home toasty warm.
As with any piece of home equipment, a forced-air heating system will occasionally run into a service issue. The Cubby Oil & Energy team is always available to our customers experiencing no-heat issues on icy winter nights. But you can fix some service issues on your own, just by troubleshooting them. In this article, we’ll take you through several common furnace problems and how you can address them.
If your furnace won’t start when you need to heat your home, there could be several potential culprits.
First, check the thermostat and confirm it’s set to “heat” with the temperature at least five degrees higher than your room’s current temperature. Then, ensure the system’s power switch is ON, and check your breaker box to confirm the furnace’s circuit breaker hasn’t tripped.
Next, look at your home’s heating oil tank gauge. The gauge is a glass or plastic vial on top of the tank with markings like a car’s fuel meter: F, ¾, ½, ¼ and E. If the disk is near the bottom of the vial or invisible, your tank is likely empty—contact the Cubby team immediately.
Finally, if your furnace is receiving power, you have heating oil in your tank, and your thermostat has the correct settings, try pressing and holding the furnace’s reset button for three seconds, but don’t do this more than once.
If none of these options works, reach out to Cubby for a service visit.
If your furnace is running but your room isn’t warming up, a couple of quick fixes might help.
Start by checking the furnace’s air filter. A dirty or clogged filter can block airflow, so clean or replace it as necessary. For the best results, check your air filter monthly during peak heating and cooling seasons.
Also, inspect all room vents to ensure they’re open and unblocked by furniture, rugs, or items obstructing airflow.
If your blower fan won’t stop running, the first thing you want to do is check your thermostat. If it’s set to ON, try changing the setting to AUTO.
If the issue persists, the culprit might be your limit control switch. This switch, located beneath the box that distributes heat from the furnace to the ducts, is designed to shut down the system if the air becomes too hot. When the system keeps running nonstop, it’s a sign that the limit switch may need adjustment or replacement. This task is best handled by a professional HVAC technician.
When you have the Cubby Oil & Energy team by your side, you won’t need to worry about being without heat for long. Our HVAC technicians bring years of experience to the table and undergo mandatory, ongoing in-house training to stay sharp and up-to-date.
We also offer comprehensive service plan coverage for furnaces. With a Cubby service plan, you’ll receive regular furnace maintenance, priority service and discounts on repairs.
Enjoy total peace of mind in your home heating system. Contact us today to enroll in service plan coverage.