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What your Furnace May be Trying to Tell You

Your furnace is directly responsible for heating your home in the colder months. Every time you adjust the thermostat manually, it the temperature falls below a certain point in your house, a message is sent to the furnace. It is alerted that, at this temperature, you or your loved ones may be cold!  It then kicks on to warm your home right up in mere minutes.

Along with your comfort and wellbeing, your home’s temperature is important for many reasons as well. It’s fine to keep your house cooler than usual when no one is home, but when it gets too cold, a multitude of problems can arise. Your pipes can freeze, which can lead them to burst, causing flooding. Flooding and freezing can cause damage to your home’s interior and foundation, which can cause even more issues to arise. The best way to avoid these problems, and keep your home warm, is to schedule routine maintenance for your furnace and all of its components. Regular checks not only aid in the upkeep of your home, but it will keep you and your loved ones from being stuck in the cold!

What your Furnace May be Trying to Tell You

The following is a list of common problems that you may encounter, pertaining to the furnace in your home. it’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms that may be telling you your equipment needs assistance.

1. Things don’t sound quite right

When you hear someone coughing or wheezing, it’s a sign that they may be sick or need medical attention. Your furnace can work in a similar way. If something within its system isn’t working properly, it can make strange noises. These sounds can be an indication that the furnaces belts are loose or malfunctioning. Any rattling, popping, or squeaking noises should be assessed immediately by an HVAC professional.

2. No Heat

Walking into a cold house after a long day when you know the heat was on can be alarming. It’s important not to panic; there are a few things you can do before contacting a professional. The fuse box, as well as the furnaces main electrical panel, can both be checked manually. It is possible that the circuit breaker may have tripped. To fix this, simply reset it by switching it off then on again.

3. Cycling Issues

If your furnace over-cycles, or turns on and off quickly, it can be a result of a few possibilities. Problems with the thermostat, such bad batteries, can cause malfunctions. Blockages in air ducts and vents can cause overheating. Failed sensors can cause over-cycling as well.

4. Blower Consistency

If you can hear your blower, it is a sign that your furnaces limit switch may be malfunctioning. In this case, an HVAC professional would need to come and fix the situation.

5. Malfunctioning Pilot Light

The pilot light on your furnace is essentially a small flame that is kept alight, all the time, as an ignition source. This little flame should always be blue. Any change in color is an indication that there is a malfunction of some sort. It can also indicate a carbon monoxide leak, so you need to get this fixed immediately.

6. Don’t Switch it on

If the ignition fails, simply turning the furnace on won’t do you any good. The ignition is what allows the furnace to heat your home. If this isn’t working, you will need to call a professional.

7. Poor Air Quality

If a filter is clogged, airflow through the furnace can become restricted. When this happens, the furnace becomes over-worked, which creates room for error. Dirty filters can also cause the fan to stop working altogether.

8. Thermostat

If the thermostat isn’t working properly, it will be nearly impossible to set or control the temperature in your house. It is important that this is serviced on a regular basis with routine maintenance.

9. Erosion over time

As all things do, your equipment will wear out with time. Upkeep and maintenance are necessary to make sure that your furnace ages gracefully, and without any major malfunctions.

10. Higher Bills

If you notice that your monthly bills are higher than they normally are, it can be a sign that something isn’t working as it should be within your system. An HVAC professional can help you save money through efficiency.

While routine maintenance can extend the life and function of your furnace, all good things must come to an end. At some point, parts of your system, or the entire furnace, may need to be repaired or replaced. When that time comes, it’s important to invest in the best model that you can afford. It will be more efficient and sturdy and will save you money in the long run. Your safety will also increase, due to your air quality improving and creating less room for error. Contact an HVAC professional to see what kind of system will work best for you and your home!