Don’t Ignore These 5 Signs Of An Impending Furnace Failure
Fall may have just arrived, but winter will be here before you know it. Cooler temperatures bring along with them a need to heat your home and keep your family safe and comfortable. But if you don’t keep up with your furnace repair, you could be left out in the cold. Many experts estimate that up to 75% of the no-heat calls they receive in winter are due to a lack of furnace maintenance. Before the weather turns nasty, keep an eye out for these heating unit red flags. If you observe any of them, be sure to call your local furnace repair company sooner rather than later.
You may need heating repair if you…
- Feel cold air coming from your furnace
Obviously, you’ll want warm air coming out of your furnace to heat your home. So if the air flow feels cold, you should pay attention. This could be attributed to a number of causes, including a malfunctioning fan. But no matter the cause, you’ll need to get it checked out right away (particularly if adjusting the thermostat makes no difference).
- Hear strange sounds from the unit
Properly functioning units are relatively quiet. Squeals, pops, thumps, scrapes, and bangs all mean that something is wrong in your heater. Like many of these issues, there could be a number of explanations. But no matter what, this isn’t a good sign. It might be something as simple as a loose component or it might signal extensive repairs. Only your technician can make a definitive diagnosis.
- Notice the pilot light has changed in appearance
Your burner flame (or pilot light) should be bright blue in color and consistently lit. If the light has started to flicker or has changed to a yellow color, your furnace doesn’t have a complete burn. This can actually be extremely serious, as your furnace may be producing toxic carbon monoxide gas. In addition to calling your technician, you should probably place a call to your gas and electric company and follow their recommendations for a possible carbon monoxide leak. After all, it’s much better to be safe than sorry.
- Observe frequent cycling from your furnace
These sounds may not be exactly strange, but their frequency matters. Your furnace shouldn’t cycle on and off repeatedly. If it does, it’s probably over-cycling, which indicates something is amiss (and that it’s working harder than necessary). This could be because of a clogged filter, a thermostat issue, or a host of other problems. Since there are several reasons why this could be happening, your furnace repair technician will be your best bet for finding the solution.
- Receive higher bills every month
When your furnace isn’t able to do its job as effectively as it should, it’s going to be under more stress to make your home comfortable. That extra stress translates into higher bills due to the extra energy consumption. If your bills keep climbing and you aren’t sure why, it could be that something is wrong with your furnace. Making necessary repairs or installing a high efficiency unit will often do the trick.
Do any of these signs sound eerily familiar? If so, you should contact your repair company as soon as possible. Otherwise, you might find out the hard way what happens when you neglect to perform proper maintenance.
