My Heil Gas Furnace Fan Does Not Start

Thermostat Settings

• User error is a common reason for some gas furnace fans not starting. Before you make a call to a service technician, make sure you have set your thermostat correctly for heat. If it is a split system with heat and air conditioning, make sure you have the switch set to “heat” or else it will not come on. Check your temperature settings to ensure that the temperature you set your system to is actually higher than the current temperature inside the house. The system will heat and the blower will only come on when the desired temperature is higher than the room temperature.

Power Supply

• The Heil furnace may heat with gas, but it needs electricity to start up the fans needed to blow the heat throughout the home. If there is no power supply to the furnace, then it will not come on; the thermostat may not work either. If you are not having a power outage, check the circuit breaker box. The breaker assigned to the furnace may be switched off inadvertently or due to an electrical overload or power surge. Flipping the breaker completely to the off position and then back on should restore power and allow the furnace fans to function.

Gas Supply

• Natural gas or propane generally fuels the Heil gas furnace, and without it there is no heat. In many instances, the system will not even power up until the plenum has reached a certain temperature. If the gas supply is shut off at the main, there is a service interruption or if the propane tank is empty, then the heat will not be produced and the system will not start up. If you are not out of propane or if you have verified that the gas main is turned on in your house, then the next step would be to contact the gas company to find out about service interruptions in your area. Once the flow of gas is restored to your furnace it will ignite and the blower fans will turn on to circulate the air through your home.

Pilot Light or Igniter

• If your Heil furnace works using a constantly burning pilot light that ignites the gas when the system turns on, then you may have lost your pilot flame. You can check the furnace to see if the small blue flame is on. If not, you may need to relight it or have the gas company send someone to do it for you if you are not comfortable with the task. Some furnaces have an electric ignitor instead of a pilot flame. If so, this ignitor may need replacement. Just as the interruption of gas to your system can prevent the fans from starting, the pilot light will affect the fans in the same way.

Reset Switch

• In the event of overheating or an electrical overload, the furnace may turn off on its own to protect it from damage. When this happens, the reset switch pops out and the system will not run again until it is pressed back in. This is usually a red, yellow or black button located somewhere on the furnace blower. The blower fans on the furnace are among the parts of the system that will not run if the reset switch is disengaged.