No Heat Checklist - Air Handler

Have you experienced a sudden loss of heat?

This checklist covers common issues that can be ruled out by the resident to regain heat as quickly as possible.

1. 1. 1. 1. Please check first if you have hot water. Leave a tap running for 2-3 minutes and listen for the water heater to engage. If you have no hot water as well as no heat, it is a water heater issue and the water heater rental company should be contacted. Your air handler distributes the heat produced by the water heater, so if no hot water is being produced, there will be no heat. 

This step is done outside, the vent pipes may be white or black and are a two inch or three inch tube extending from      your brick or siding:

1. 1. 1. 2. Check that all outside intake and exhaust pipes are clear of snow, ice, or other debris. Look inside the vents for snow as any obstruction will stop the unit from venting. In some cases the pipes will have a plastic grid or cover on the end, this is determined by the manufacturer and not present on all vents. 

1. 1. 1. 3. Check that your gas meter does not have ice build up on the regulator and if you have propane, check that your tank is at least 25% full.

These steps are done at your thermostat and ERV/HRV wall control:

1. 1. 1. 4. Check / Change the batteries in your thermostat. If the thermostat is blank or black it may be due to no power, you could proceed to the mechanical room steps and then return to the first step once they are completed.

1. 1. 1. 5. Make sure the thermostat is set to heat and the desired temperature is higher than the current indoor temperature. Your furnace is not designed or expected to maintain a temperature above 22°C or 71.5°F in living areas. If the set and indoor temperature are the same, your furnace is heating.

If you have a thermostat that says Coulson Heating on it, and you have not set a program but the thermostat says RUN, this is the default program it is using. Select your desired temperature and press HOLD to stop the default program running.

1. 1. 1. 6. Check if the thermostat is set to ON or AUTO. If your thermostat is set to ON air will be circulating continuously and will only be warm when heat is being produced. 

1. 1. 1. 7. Your ERV/HRV is linked to your air handler which may cause the fan to circulate room temperature air when the air handler is not creating heat. If your ERV/HRV is set to MIN, MED, or MAX there will be air circulating continuously and will only be warm when heat is being produced. 

1. 1. 1. 8. Have you replaced your Builder Supplied thermostat?  If so, have the company that installed it return to ensure the thermostat was wired correctly and is not the cause of the loss of heat.

1. 1. 1. 9. Have you had an air conditioner, humidifier, or other HVAC accessories installed by an individual or company other than Coulson Heating since the last heating season? If so, have the company that installed it return to confirm the new equipment is not the cause of the loss of heat.

These Steps are done in your mechanical area or room:

1. 1. 1. 10. Check the air handler breaker on the electrical panel, make sure that it is on.

1. 1. 1. 11. Turn OFF your air handler at the power switch, this looks like a light switch and is in the mechanical area. It controls the power to your air handler. This may or may not be labeled.

1. 1. 1. 12. Once the power switch is off, remove the filter and replace with a new filter. Leave the power off for at least one minute to allow the unit to reset. If you do not have a NEW clean filter, remove the filter fully and see if the furnace turns on. If the furnace runs with the filter removed, the issue was a dirty filter. The furnace should not be run for heating without a filter present, so you need to replace it with a NEW clean filter right away in order to continue use of the furnace. The filter size is 16x20x1" or 16x25x1".

1. 1. 1. 13. Turn the power switch back on.

Once all of these things have been verified, if there is still no warm air exiting your vents, call us at 705-424-5000

If we attend a warranty call and the issue is due to any item on the troubleshooting list not being checked, a service call charge of $200 will be billed for the first 30 minutes, if the call goes beyond 30 minutes the charge is $25 per 15 minute increment. 

If the call is outside of regular business hours there may be an additional charge.

We perform warranty service work on air handlers and HRVs for two years after a new home closes. Air conditioners and humidifiers have a one year warranty. Please have the name of your builder and your address when calling.

If you've had a recent power outage and have a Honeywell IAQ Thermostat that will not reconnect to wifi, try these steps.