When your furnace goes out in the middle of a cold night, you may be left scrambling to call an emergency furnace repair technician. While it's always good to have an HVAC professional you can count on, there are a few simple things you'll want to troubleshoot on your gas furnace before you spend money on an emergency service call.

The Pilot Light Went Out

While most modern gas furnaces are equipped with electronic pilot ignitions that reduce the likelihood of a pilot light going out, there's still a chance that this could happen with a newer furnace. This is why it's always a good idea to check that the pilot light is still on when if your gas furnace stops working. If the light isn't on, the electronic burner will probably need to be replaced — which will require assistance from an HVAC professional. If you have an older furnace without an electronic igniter, you can manually re-light it yourself, though it might be better to have a professional do it anyway.

The Breaker Tripped

If the pilot light is not the issue, check to ensure that your furnace is receiving power. Start by locating the "on/off" switch on the furnace itself. Sometimes, these switches can accidentally be switched off — especially if your furnace is located in an area of the home that sees regular foot traffic (such as a laundry room).

If the switch is on, you'll also want to check your circuit breaker to be sure that the breaker controlling your furnace didn't trip. If it did, resetting it should do the trick and get your furnace running again, although it may take a few minutes for the system to kick back on and start cycling.

The Thermostat is Bad

Sometimes, the issue is not with your furnace at all, but with the thermostat controlling your furnace. If your thermostat isn't hard-wired into the wall, it runs on batteries that will need to be replaced occasionally. 

The Air Filter is Dirty

Some newer furnaces are actually designed to automatically shut off if the air filter becomes too dirty or clogged. If it's been more than a few months since you replaced your air filter, give this a try and see if it works to get your furnace running again. A clean filter can also help improve your indoor air quality and help your furnace run more efficiently.

If you've checked these issues and are still experiencing issues with your gas furnace, then it's time to call a furnace repair technician to get to the bottom of the problem!