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The furnace is on the blink.
Last month -- December 22nd, to be exact -- I noticed that the house felt chilly. I checked the thermostat and it was still set at 70, where it was supposed to be, but the house temperature was 66.
The furnace uses 4 inch thick high efficiency filters that are supposed to be changed every 6 to 12 months. It hadn't been 12 months yet, but I replaced the filter anyway. To do that you have to shut the system completely off. When I started it back up with the new filter, the heat came back on and the house warmed up. I figured I'd found the problem.
Tonight, I noticed that the house was a bit cool again. I checked the thermostat again and it was a replay of last time -- the thermostat was still set at 70, but the house temperature was 66. I tried raising the setting, but that didn't do anything. So, I shut the system down and checked the filter. No surprise, the filter looked practically new. But, when I started the system back up the heat came on. For now, at least.
Fortunately, we have a maintenance contract with the local gas utility. It'll take them a while to get someone out, but that's not too much of a problem -- especially if I can get the system to limp along and crank out a little heat. My biggest concern is that they'll come out, say that it's working now, and ask me to call back again the next time it's not working.
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