6 Signs You Need Furnace Repairs
Furnaces are pretty resilient machines. However, they’re far from infallible. They do incur problems and they do sometimes require repair.
The question is: how can you tell when furnace repairs are needed? There are a number of signs you can look out for, and they include the following.
1. Your Furnace is Making Strange Noises
Furnaces should make some noise. However, it should be background noise at worst. If the noise starts to become noticeable, there’s likely a problem that you have to deal with.
For instance, you might hear a groaning noise. If so, there’s a decent chance that the furnace’s bearings have worn out. These will need to be replaced.
Or, maybe you’re hearing a squeaking or squealing noise? If so, there’s probably air leaking out of some part of the furnace. This will need to be patched up.
You might also hear a clicking noise. Clicking noises are generally indicative of bad heat exchangers. If your heat exchanger is bad, your entire furnace might need to be replaced.
Banging noises can arise as well. These generally occur due to improper combustion in the combustion chamber. Again, if this is occurring, a repair will be needed.
2. Your Furnace Is Emitting Strange Smells
By and large, furnaces shouldn’t emit any smells at all. Any smell that they might produce should be sealed inside of the furnace itself and emptied out of an exhaust pipe on the exterior of the home. If you do detect smells coming from your furnace, there’s no doubt about it: it’s in need of repair.
If there’s a burning smell coming from your furnace, it’s likely due to buildup in the heat exchanger. This buildup will need to be eliminated so that the furnace can run at max efficiency once again.
If there’s a musty smell coming from your furnace, there’s likely moisture inside of one of its components. Over time, this can cause severe damage. As such, the moisture will need to be removed.
If there’s an oil smell coming from your furnace, you’re in a dangerous situation. When oil leaves the furnace, it has the potential to cause an explosion. Call 911, get the oil shut off, and then bring in a professional who’s experienced in furnace repairs.
3. There Are Inconsistent Temperatures Throughout Your Home
You fire up your furnace. Within an hour, your kitchen clocks in at 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Unfortunately, your bedroom is clocking in at only 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
If this is happening in your home, your furnace system undoubtedly requires some sort of repair. It might be that your duct system needs cleaning. On the other hand, there could be something wrong with your furnace itself.
In either case, an HVAC repair technician will be able to help you. He or she will find the source of the problem and make any repairs necessary.
4. Your Furnace Takes a While to Turn On
Typically speaking, when you make an adjustment on a thermostat, that adjustment should kick in within about 30 minutes. If it’s taking your furnace longer than 30 minutes to start, there’s likely something wrong with it.
This could be a connectivity problem with your thermostat. On the other hand, it could be an issue with your furnace’s flame detector.
In either case, you should make a call to your local HVAC repair technician. He or she will assess the system and find out exactly what’s going wrong. Then, he or she will facilitate all necessary repairs.
5. Your Energy Costs are Going Up Every Month
Another sign that you might require furnace repair is that your energy costs are going up each month. See, energy costs are highly correlated with air conditioner and furnace use. Because these two systems use so much energy, any malfunctioning in their operation could cause a substantial spike in energy usage, and therefore energy costs.
There could be any number of problems at hand. But regardless, they are likely causing your furnace to work less efficiently than it typically does.
This requires the assistance of a professional furnace repair technician. Have them take a look at your furnace so that he or she can detect the cause of the problem. Once that’s been done, a repair can be carried out.
6. Your Furnace Turns On and Off in Quick Succession
Your furnace fires up, heats the room for a few minutes, and then turns off… only to turn on again and do exactly the same thing . . . over and over and over again. Rest assured, this is a problem. Not only does it put tremendous undue strain on your furnace, reducing its lifespan, but it also causes it to use substantial amounts of energy, increasing your monthly energy bills.
The cause of this problem? In many cases, it’s a dirty heat sensor. This would prevent the thermostat from properly communicating with the furnace.
Note, however, that there could also be an issue with the size of the furnace. If the furnace is too big or too small for the house in which it’s located, it could have trouble properly heating each room, leading to it turning on and off in quick succession.
Regardless, have this problem checked out by a professional. Your furnace requires either a repair or a full-on replacement.
Furnace Repairs Can Prolong the Life of Your Furnace
They may be annoyingly expensive but the fact of the matter is that furnace repairs can prolong the life of your furnace. So, if you notice the signs discussed above, take quick action and call up a furnace repair technician as soon as possible.
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