As summer winds down, it is time to prepare for colder temperatures that will be headed your way later on in the year. It is important that you test out your central heating unit well in advance of colder temperatures so you can make sure it is still in good working order. If you test your heater out and discover that the unit is blowing out cold air - or worse, not coming on at all - then you need to get the problem fixed before it gets cold outside. Here are three possible reasons your heating unit isn't working properly.

1. A faulty thermostat.

One of the biggest culprits for a heater not working properly is having a faulty thermostat. The heating unit can't heat up the house if it doesn't know that it needs to do so. If you have turned the thermostat to heat, set it to a higher temperature, and the unit either doesn't turn on or it blows out cold air, then you could likely have a faulty thermostat. 

To see if the problem is your thermostat, you will need to turn off the power to your central heating and cooling unit. Then, you need to take the cover off of the thermostat and check the wires. If there any loose wires, you should fix them and turn the power back on to the heating and cooling unit.

If the heating unit still isn't working properly, turn the power off to it and look at the wires inside the thermostat again. You will need to unscrew the red and white wires and wrap the together. Then, turn the heating unit back on. If it actually turns on and starts blowing warm air, then you now know that you need to get your thermostat replaced. If the unit still isn't working after doing all of that, then your problem is likely something else.

2. Dirty air filters.

It is very important that you change the air filters regularly. Not doing so causes dirt and dust to build up on the filter and even back up into your ducts. This can then cause problems with your heating unit because it has to work much harder than it's supposed to in order to heat your home. It can eventually cause the heating and cooling unit to stop working altogether. So, if you notice that your heater isn't doing as good a job heating your home as it used to, you need to check your filter.

3. Air duct leaks.

If you find that your heating unit is working in some parts of your house, but not in others, then you could have leaks in your air ducts. Getting air duct leaks not only causes problems with heating and cooling your home properly, but it can also cost you a lot of money on your energy bills.

If you suspect that you could have leaky ducts, you should contact an HVAC professional to come out and inspect your ducts. If they find leaks, they can get them fixed so your home doesn't have those cold spots anymore - and you will likely find that your energy bills go down each month as well. Contact a company like Christian Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for more information.