It was down to 64 degrees in my house today so I went out to buy a new furnace filter and installed it. I waited until this evening to turn the furnace on. I have switched it the thermostat to the "ON" position but it has not kicked on yet. Hmmm...I hope it isn't broken.

Ok, I went and checked. The circuit breaker in the garage had flipped. It is working! Heat!

When I said I went to check, there was a lot that really happened.

I walked to the thermostat and turned the heat up to 73 degrees, waiting to hear the heat go on. It did not. I told Stephen that the heat did not go on said that I wondered if the furnace was working. I walked to the furnace/laundry/mud room and I took the front off the furnace to check to see if the pilot light was lit (no it was not). I read the directions quickly - it says pilot light will light when there is a call for heat. I told Stephen's my concern that the furnace did not turn on. He gave me an exasperated sigh and got up to come check it out.

We both went to look at the furnace and noticed an electrical switch on the side of the furnace. Stephen flipped it on and off a couple of times. Nothing happened. Then he went to the garage to get his flashlight, came back in and peered in the furnace. He read the same directions and said "Maybe it is not cold enough". I said I had the heat turned on to 73 degrees. I then decided I will call the furnace guy tomorrow if the heat does not come on by the morning. Stephen said the furnace cannot be broken because it was fine last year and we don't need a new one because our house inspector said our (23 yr old!) furnace seemed to be in fine shape.

Stephen walked back out to the garage to return the flashlight and I ask him to check the circuit breaker. He said he is sure it is not the circuit breaker but I ask him to double check. He ~rolled~ his eyes at me and walked over to the circuit breaker and yanked open the front panel. He noticed that one breaker is flipped and then he reads the panel. It says FURNACE.

I must also say that I made Stephen admit that I was right and that getting all pissy about checking the circuit breakers was not necessary. He claimed that he was not pissy because I was right but that I did not check the circuit breaker myself because I am afraid there might be spiders out there. This is partially true. But, I am more afraid of being electrocuted by a loose wire on the electrical panel. Of course, there isn't one but in my worst-case-scenario mind, you never know...

So when I say "Ok, I went and checked. The circuit breaker in the garage had flipped. It is working! Heat!" there really was a lot more to it, wasn't there?

And, now the house is heating up nicely. :)