Furnaces seem to be most prone to breaking down at the worst possible time. Whether its the middle of the night or over a long holiday weekend, two things are sure to be true, houses get cold very quickly and emergency furnace repair bills can take a big bite out of the household budget.

The good news is that some furnace outages may require only simple fixes. If you are a homeowner who would like to avoid an emergency furnace repair bill, here are three simple things you can try before you make the call for expert help from a furnace repair contractor. 

Reset the ignition control module 

The thermostat for a gas furnace with an electronic ignition is equipped with a component called an ignition control module. If the furnace is not cycling on and producing heat, this module may need to be reset. To do this, simply turn the thermostat to the off position, wait a few seconds and then turn it back on. If you can listen and hear the sound of the furnace igniting, you may have just temporarily solved your problem and you may be able to keep the furnace running by repeating this action until you can schedule a permanent repair.

Check to make sure the thermostat is functioning properly

If your family members are guilty of frequently adjusting the thermostat to make your home feel more comfortable, it is quite likely that a non-working furnace could be related to their actions. This happens when the wrong setting is entered by mistake or they mistakenly set the furnace to start running at a much lower temperature than normal. Before you panic and call for emergency repairs, take time to reset the thermostat and if battery operated, install fresh batteries, to see if doing so brings your furnace back into operation. 

Check to see if the filter is clogged 

While it may seem too easy to consider, some common furnace problems result from failing to change the filter often enough. In order to operate correctly and provide adequate heat throughout the home, the furnace must move massive amounts of air through the filter. If the filter is clogged, the heated air cannot be distributed. 

Problems arising from a clogged filter can include: 

• cycling on and off very quickly 
• overheating of the heat exchanger causing it to shut down
• situations where the blower can be heard running but no air comes from the vents

Homeowners who cannot remember when they last changed their furnace filter may be able to get their furnace working again simply by installing a fresh filter and attempting to restart the unit. 

Even if you never need them in the middle of the night, a reputable furnace repair service can help you keep your furnace operating properly so your home will always be comfortable for your family to enjoy.