New Furnace not generating heat

13 years ago

I just had a contractor install a brand new furnace this spring. Now with the temp being 0 degrees in MN I'm really thinking somethings wrong. Sure I don't have the best insulating windows and doors but even at full blast I can't get my house past 65 degrees right now. Even putting my hand next to the vents, there's not much air coming.

I've been told that even with bad insulation, my house should be able to heat up to 80 degrees, but will lose heat quickly if I turn it off due to the bad insulation. I can't get even that close.

I've been told I need to clean my vent ducts, like have a profession to come and vaccum and clean it out. Another is my filter is bad, but I just assumed that when they installed the new furnace they install a new filter. If anyone knows what to do or steps to take please fill me in.

Comments (6)

randy427
13 years ago
Replacing the furnace likely caused some of the dirt/dust/etc in the air return ducting to become dislodged, and it ended up in the filter. It's not uncommon to go through a couple of filters quickly when the furnace is replaced.
plaza80
Original Author
13 years ago
do you guys think it's worth it to hire professionals to come and vaccum and clean the ducts?
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sdello
13 years ago
you don't say what type of furnace.

Are there any gages/indicators that confirm that it's working properly at the unit?

I'd check there first and then move onto the ducts/vents.
kudzu9
13 years ago
I'm assuming the furnace was sized properly for the house? What is the furnace rated at (Btu output), and how big is your house? Presuming it's sized approximately correctly, I'd be checking the filters, and I'd be checking to see if the contractor screwed up any duct work which could cause blocking of air flow. You could also have some dirty orifice that is not allowing proper combustion of the burners.

Have you had the contractor back out to see what's happening? And, if you have any questions about the contractor's competence, I'd get someone else reliable to check out the installation.
plaza80
Original Author
13 years ago
Hey guys thanks for the tip but I'm an idiot. Randy suggested to change the filter so last night I took off the filter while the unit was running and holy moly, vents were blowing hot air like not tomorrow. So I ran quickly to Home Depot and got a good quality air filter and all is fixed now. I still will try to bring somebody in to vaccum the ducts too just because one time i reached in and found a whole bunch of toys in there. I'm sure there are dust and crap in there.

Man the joy of being a first time home owner. Sometimes I just want to kick myself for being such a newb. Yeah I just learned the hard way of what ice dams are....but that's another thread.

Thanks guys, case closed.
kudzu9
13 years ago
plaza80-
Thanks for the update. You're not an idiot...you're just where a lot of us were when we got our first house. If I had a quarter for every mistake I made back then, I'd be rich now! These forums are for people at all levels of expertise, so keep posting.