April 19, 2023

DIY heating & air conditioning repair

If your furnace isn’t heating in the bitter cold of winter, or your central air conditioner quits in the sizzling heat of summer, you want it fixed–fast. You may be able to quickly get the heater or A/C working again yourself.

No matter the brand of furnace or air conditioner, our troubleshooting articles and symptoms pages can help you diagnose the cause of common problems such as why a furnace won’t ignite or why an air conditioner isn’t cooling well.

Once you’ve determined what’s broken, use the model search bar above to find the owner’s manual and illustrated parts list for your heater or A/C. Our step-by-step repair guides let you see how to replace the part and get the unit heating or cooling again.

Heating & Cooling Combined Units

Symptoms common to all heating & cooling combined units

Choose a symptom to see related heating and air conditioning system repairs.

Thermostat problem, clogged air filter, burner failure
Dirty air filter, clogged condenser coils, low refrigerant charge, faulty compressor
Main causes: errant thermostat settings, lack of electrical power, clogged drain line, wiring failure, control failure.
Main causes: Errant thermostat settings, lack of power, bad interlock switches, lack of exhaust ventilation, wiring failures.
Thermostat problems, bad compressor/condenser fan capacitor, lack of refrigerant, failed compressor
Dirty flame sensor, failed flame sensor, damaged burner, bad high limit switch

Repair guides common to all heating & cooling combined units

These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your HVAC system.

How to replace the furnace flame sensor

The flame sensor detects when furnace burner flames are lit. You may need to replace the flame sensor if flames only stay on for a few seconds.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to unclog the air conditioner drain line

The condensate drain line for your central air conditioner can clog with mold and mildew. Water will back up and start dripping below the inside air conditioner unit. Follow the steps in this guide to unclog the drain pipe.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to replace a heating and air conditioning system thermostat

The control thermostat for your HVAC system can stop working. This repair guide shows how to replace it.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 30 minutes or less

Articles and videos common to all heating & cooling combined units

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your HVAC system.

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