You need your furnace to keep you warm as temperatures drop, especially overnight when it’s coldest. Furnace problems often show up after dark, since that’s typically when a system has been running the longest and outdoor temperatures have fallen the most.
When a furnace stops working at night, the cause is usually one of a few common issues: a tripped breaker or blown fuse, a thermostat that’s lost power or been set incorrectly, a clogged air filter restricting airflow, or a dirty flame sensor shutting the burners off as a safety measure. On older furnaces, a pilot light that’s gone out is another frequent culprit.
We know you want to figure out what’s going on and whether it’s something you can troubleshoot yourself or something that calls for an emergency furnace repair right now. Keep reading to see what you can try, and when it’s time to call for an after-hours furnace repair.
Your Family’s Safety Is Your Top Priority
If your furnace stopped working at night, don’t panic. The most important thing right now is to stay safe while you figure out if professional help is needed. Whether it’s the middle of winter or a cold fall evening, here’s what we recommend:
- Put on extra layers and blankets and gather everyone in the warmest part of the house to help conserve body heat.
- Keep exterior doors and windows closed to help your home hold onto the heat that’s already inside.
- If a storm has knocked out your electricity, make sure your flashlights have fresh batteries.
- Start thinking about possible places to stay for the night if your home continues to rapidly cool down to unsafe temperatures, especially for the elderly, infants, or anyone with health concerns.
- If temperatures outside are below freezing, open the cabinet doors beneath sinks on exterior walls and let hot and cold water trickle from those faucets to help reduce the risk of frozen pipes.
- Start thinking about possible places for you or other members of your family to stay the night if your home becomes colder and more uncomfortable.
If your heating stopped working at night, stay calm and take things one step at a time.
What Temporary Heating Steps Are Safe?
Aside from putting on sweaters, coats, and extra blankets, there are a few other things you can do to stay warm while you wait for your heat to be restored. If your furnace stopped working at night, temperatures can fall into the teens or even single digits during the middle of winter, so it’s important to keep your family warm safely.
If you use a space heater, keep it on a flat, stable surface at least three feet away from blankets, furniture, curtains, and anything else that can burn. Never leave it running unattended or while you sleep.
Don’t use your oven, stove, grill, or propane heater to heat the house. These create serious fire and carbon monoxide hazards.
What Should Homeowners Check First?
Before calling for service, there are a few simple things you can safely check yourself to see if they can help. A furnace not turning on at night may be caused by something minor, and taking a couple of minutes to look things over could save you time and get the heat back on.
- Make sure the thermostat is set to Heat and the temperature is set a few degrees above the current room temperature.
- Replace the thermostat batteries if the screen is blank or the thermostat isn’t responding.
- Check the air filter. A heavily clogged filter can restrict airflow and cause some furnaces to shut down as a safety precaution.
- Check the furnace switch. Most furnaces have a light-switch-style power switch mounted on a nearby wall or ceiling joist. If it was accidentally bumped to the OFF position, switch it back on and give the furnace a minute to restart.
Sparks, visible smoke, or loud banging right before the system quit point to an electrical or combustion problem in progress, rather than something you can safely reset and try again. In any of these cases, don’t try to restart the furnace or troubleshoot further on your own; call for an emergency furnace repair right away.
Should the Furnace Breaker Be Checked?
If your heating stopped working unexpectedly, it’s worth taking a minute to check whether the furnace has simply lost power even if your home hasn’t. Furnaces rely on electricity to operate the blower motor, controls, and ignition system, so even a gas furnace won’t run if power isn’t reaching it. Here’s how to check safely:
- Locate your breaker panel. Open the panel and look for the breaker labeled “Furnace,” “HVAC,” “Air Handler,” or something similar.
- Look for a tripped breaker. A breaker that’s tripped may sit between the ON and OFF positions instead of fully on.
- Reset it correctly. Push the breaker completely to the OFF position first, then firmly back to ON.
- Wait a few minutes. Once power is restored, your furnace may take a short time before beginning its normal startup sequence.
If the breaker trips again right away or the furnace still won’t run after restoring power, don’t continue resetting it. At this point, it’s time to have a professional HVAC technician inspect the system and determine why it’s losing power.
Can Frozen Pipes Become a Risk?
A furnace not working at night doesn’t put your pipes at risk immediately, but after several hours without heat, the temperature inside your home can drop enough for pipes in exterior walls, uninsulated crawl spaces, attics, garages, and under kitchen or bathroom sinks to begin approaching freezing.
If it’s below 32°F outside and you expect to be without heat for more than a few hours because of a winter storm, open the cabinet doors beneath sinks on exterior walls so warmer room air can circulate around the plumbing, and let both the hot and cold water trickle from those faucets. Taking these steps early is much better than waiting until your home feels cold enough to worry about frozen pipes.
When Should Emergency Repair Be Called?
Some furnace problems can safely wait until morning, while others shouldn’t. If your furnace stopped working at night, think about the conditions inside and outside your home, who’s with you, and whether the situation is getting worse.
Your Home’s Temperature Keeps Dropping
If your furnace has been off for several hours and the temperature inside your home continues to fall, don’t wait until everyone is uncomfortable. This is especially true when it’s at or below freezing outside and your house can’t hold onto its remaining heat. Calling for emergency furnace repair sooner can help prevent a long, cold night.
You Have High-Risk Family Members at Home
A house that’s a little chilly for a healthy adult may not be safe for an infant, an older adult, or someone with a medical condition. In these cases, having no heat at night could be dangerous. If anyone in your home’s health could be affected by falling indoor temperatures, don’t try to make it through the night without heat.
There are a lot of possible reasons your furnace stopped working at night, from something as simple as a tripped breaker to something more involved like a failed ignitor or control board. If basic troubleshooting hasn’t gotten your heat back on and the weather isn’t going to get better, professional help is needed now, not later. Call the local technician near you for a furnace repair.
Doc Dancer Is Here for You in Fort Wayne
We know no heat at night can be frustrating, and even a little scary, especially with a family counting on you to fix it. That’s why we’re available for emergency furnace repair in the greater Fort Wayne, Indiana, area, so all you need to do is reach out, and we’ll send an expert HVAC technician to your home as quickly as possible.
Oftentimes, issues with a dirty furnace filter, flame problems, a thermostat not sending the right signal, or incorrect thermostat settings can be resolved right then and there. If more extensive work is needed, we’ll complete it as quickly as we safely can. All that matters to us is getting your home warm again. For reliable heat when it matters most, call Doc Dancer.