Safety Disclaimer

If you smell gas: do not operate switches, appliances or phones inside the house. Leave immediately and call your gas company or 911 from outside.

Heating and cooling equipment combines high voltage, natural gas or propane, combustion gases, refrigerant under pressure and moving parts. Mistakes can cause fire, electric shock, carbon monoxide poisoning, injury or expensive damage.

Our safety rules

1. Turn off power at the unit's service switch and at the breaker before opening any panel.
2. Turn off the gas supply before touching any gas component.
3. Never bypass or jump a safety switch (pressure, limit, rollout or door switch) except briefly for testing, and never leave equipment running with a safety bypassed.
4. Install and test carbon monoxide alarms on every level of your home.
5. Wear eye protection and gloves; capacitors can hold a dangerous charge even with power off.
6. Follow your equipment manufacturer's instructions; they take priority over general guides.

Jobs for a licensed professional

• Anything involving refrigerant (in the U.S., handling refrigerant requires EPA Section 608 certification).
• Gas valve, gas line or burner adjustments, and any cracked heat exchanger.
• Repeated breaker trips, burnt wiring, or a scorched control board.
• Any work you are not fully comfortable doing.

Disclaimer

HVAC Trouble Guide provides general information only. We are not responsible for injury, damage or loss resulting from use of our content. DIY repairs may void manufacturer warranties. When in doubt, call a licensed technician.