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DIY guideFurnace

Find the furnace on-off switch

Find the switch that cuts the furnace's power, check it's on, and label it so nobody turns it off by mistake.

  • 5 to 10 min
  • 6 steps
  • Every step animated
Find the furnace on-off switch: the animation’s first picture

6 steps

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  1. Check the furnace's side, and the wall and ceiling near it, for a switch like a light switch. Its plate is often red.

  2. Not there? Look at the top of the basement stairs. Some are put there so the furnace can be turned off without going near it.

  3. Up is usually on. A switch left off is a common reason the heat won't come on.

  4. Stick a label on its plate that says Furnace, so nobody turns it off thinking it's a light.

  5. Set the thermostat to Off and wait for the fan to stop, then flip the switch. Do this before you change the filter.

  6. If the switch feels warm, buzzes or is scorched, don't use it. Turn off the furnace's breaker and ask Handyman for an electrician.

What you need

  • A label, or masking tape and a marker
  • A flashlight

Call a pro if

  • The switch feels warm, buzzes or has scorch marks
  • You can't find a switch near the furnace or the stairs
  • The heat stays off with the switch on

Handyman says: Warm switch? I'll find an electrician.

Free for every home. Handyman asks a few questions, then books a pro it trusts.

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