When winter starts to rear its ugly head, some homeowners are sure to have the bad luck of the house’s HVAC unit puttering out. If you’re lucky enough for it to happen during the workweek when the weather is bearable, a simple phone call to your HVAC company of choice can get you back up and running well enough to handle the cold.

But, for those unlucky enough to have the heater go down in the midst of snowstorm, having an idea of some emergency measures you can take can literally save your life.

Here are three steps you can take.

Check Your Air Filter

If your heater will start but then shortly shuts off even when your house is freezing, you have a problem. Luckily, it might be a very minor one.

The first step you should take is to check the unit’s air filter. Many people do not change the air filter nearly as often as they should. If you know you tend to be a bit relaxed with how often you change it, this is most likely the culprit.

If you see that your filter is clogged, you can remove it, gently rinse it out with clean water in your bathtub, dry it with a hair dryer, and reinsert it. Just make sure it’s dry before you try to reuse it.

If your heater is okay after this, you should be good for the time being. But, you’ll want to replace that old filter with a new one as soon as possible.

Check Your Vents

Much like what happens when you have a dirty air filter, if your vents are a mess, it can also cause air flow problems. Luckily, this is a very easy problem to diagnose.

Dirty vests are noticeably dirty. You should be able to see a lot of dust in the grate of the vents. And, if you have furniture or boxes blocking them, that’s easy to spot as well.

Another common problem is that people sometimes shut different vents in their home in the summer to keep certain rooms cooler when they run their air conditioner. It’s easy to forget to open those vents back up in the winter. Too many closed vents can give the same effect as clogged or blocked ones.

Make sure all the vents are open, clean, and free from obstruction, then check to see if this fixed your problem.

Check Your Windows

While this idea might seem a bit contradictory, don’t take it lightly. If your heater keeps cutting off even after you’ve checked the air filter and vents, you’ll want to go around you home and make sure all of your windows are closed nice and tight.

Believe it or not, if your house is not sealed properly, your heater won’t cycle correctly. That means, it will shut off prematurely. It might eventually kick back on on its own, but since you are getting full cycles your home will never warm appropriately.

If you find an open or cracked window, the fix is of course easy.

In Summary

Before you rush to the phone to try and get a professional out to your home when your heater is on the fritz, do a little triage first. See if the problem is something you can fix quickly on your own.

If none of the three above solutions fixes your problem, then you will definitely want to get some professional help ASAP. You most likely need some repairs to get it all working properly.

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