How to Reset a York Furnace

Imagine your furnace stops working on a brutally cold day in the Midwest. 

Your immediate reaction might be to call a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) professional for help. At Midwest Air Pros, we love connecting homeowners like you with a furnace expert in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, or Nebraska through our online directory of York dealers. 

However, before you consult our network of reliable HVAC experts, we suggest you consider a simple technique that might get your furnace back on track: your heating system may need a reset. 

A furnace reset is easy and worth trying before you consult a pro. You do not have to be an HVAC wizard to reset your furnace, and you will not require any tools beyond your index finger and possibly a screwdriver. 

Understand These Simple Furnace Components

Before resetting your furnace, know which switch or button does what! 

Circuit Breaker: One of the many switches inside your electrical panel is associated with your furnace. You can manually flip the switch to disconnect the furnace from receiving electricity at the panel. 

Disconnect Switch: This component looks like a light switch and is attached to the furnace. It disconnects the power supply at the unit rather than the electrical panel.

Reset Button: This red or yellow button inside the blower motor cabinet is a safety component. It shuts the furnace down to prevent overheating and tripping a circuit breaker. A clogged air filter is one reason why your furnace might overheat.

The unit’s limit switch detects the excessive heat and tells the reset button to turn the system off. The button pops up, enabling you to push it in to reset the system. 

Resetting Your Furnace

Start by checking the circuit breaker in your electrical panel to see if it has flipped. If it has, turn it on. If it has not flipped, try turning it off for a few minutes and then flipping it back. The furnace may restart. 

You can also use the disconnect switch, turning it off for several minutes and then on to see if it will kickstart the furnace. Flipping this switch when the reset button has not tripped may help to reboot the furnace control panel. 

Engaging the Restart Button

If the reset button has tripped, press it for about 10 seconds. For furnaces with electronic ignition, you start by turning the circuit breaker off and removing or opening the cover to the blower cabinet.

Press the reset button, reinstall the cover, and turn on the circuit breaker. Increase the thermostat a few degrees and monitor the furnace to ensure it starts, blows warm air, and completes a heating cycle or two. 

If you have an older furnace with a pilot light, be sure the pilot light, circuit breaker, and gas supply are off before attempting a reset. Consult your owner’s manual for directions. 

A Word About Electronic Ignition

At Midwest Air Pros, we encourage you to consider upgrading to an energy-efficient furnace with electronic ignition. A pilot light that burns constantly consumes energy even when your furnace is not heating your home. It also complicates a simple reset! Check out York’s line of energy-thrifty gas furnaces. A York dealer can recommend the best furnace with electronic ignition for your home. 

Reasons for Resetting a Furnace

Whether a minor equipment malfunction or significant overheating has rendered your furnace unresponsive, knowing how to reset it is a handy skill every homeowner should have. 

A reset may bring your furnace to life after a power outage, if the reset button trips, or when the control panel needs a reboot. If a reset does not work, consider professional troubleshooting. 

Get Professional Help

Midwest Air Pros can help you find the right vehicle with our network of York dealers in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Click our Find A Pro link to get started.