Photo By marchmeena29 at istock
You only use your furnace for a few months each year during the winter. It can be difficult to know when you need furnace repairs. There are many things that indicate that your furnace is faulty and requires repairs or maintenance. Metro Plumbing, Heating, and Air in Chattanooga, TN wants to give you all the information that you need to determine whether or not you are in need of furnace repairs. They also provide furnace repair services to get your furnace back to heating your home more efficiently. The sooner you notice these signs, the sooner you can have your furnace made to normal. This will also prolong the life of your furnace.
1. ABNORMAL FURNACE SMELLS
Your furnace usually smells like the fuel they use because they burn this fuel and it lingers around the furnace. This small is especially present when you turn on your furnace for the first time after summer. If the smell disappears while the furnace warms up then there is no cause for concern. If the smell becomes stronger and it doesn’t disappear, you are in need of furnace repairs. You could have a gas leak or a fuel leak that is causing the smell. This can become a fire risk so it is best to have the problem solved as soon as you notice it. There are other smells that your furnace can give off as well. If it smells like something is burning especially after you have restarted it for the first time in the year then the dust build-up is burning away. If this burning smell continues for a few hours then you could have soot build up in the heat exchanger or other parts of the furnace that come into contact with high heat. If there is a moldy or musty smell then moisture could be collecting somewhere in the furnace. Mold and mildew grow in warm and wet environments so a damp furnace is the perfect breeding ground for them. If you notice any of these smells then contact your furnace repair service provider and do not attempt to carry out the repairs yourself.
2. DIFFICULTY STARTING THE UNIT
A fully functioning furnace should be able to start the first time that you turn it on. You might need some furnace repairs if your furnace takes multiple tries to start it and to keep it going. If you have to restart the furnace a few times a day then there is a problem. This problem can be caused by a lack of maintenance or there is a disconnected wire somewhere in the furnace that is not allowing the information to flow throughout the furnace. Another possible problem is that the thermostat might be damaged. You should hire a professional furnace technician to have a look at the problem. The average homeowner does not have enough knowledge and experience to identify and solve the problem effectively. Once the repairs have been carried out, you should be able to see a noticeable difference from how the furnace performs.
3. DISCOLORED PILOT LIGHT
You should always look at the color of your pilot light. The color can indicate if there is a problem or if the furnace is functioning as it should. A normal and healthy pilot light is blue. If the color changes to yellow then it can indicate a problem regarding the ventilation within the system. The pilot light changes color when gas does not dissipate as it should. The gas that often causes this problem is carbon monoxide. In large amounts, this gas can be deadly because it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. This is a health risk to you and your family. It can also be dangerous for your furnace because it makes it more combustible. You should hire a furnace repair technician to inspect your furnace and determine the cause of the discolored pilot light.
4. INADEQUATE HEAT
This is one of the most obvious signs and the most common that your furnace is not working as it is supposed to. Your furnace might produce the same amount of hot air that it usually does but it is not heating up every room in the house. This could be the result of leaky ductwork that allows the heated air to escape into the walls rather than be pushed into the rooms it is supposed to heat up. A faulty thermostat could also be to blame for the inconsistent heating because it is not communicating effectively with the furnace and might be sending the wrong signals in your Chattanooga, TN home. You should have your furnace repaired by a professional because there are many possible causes for this problem. If the furnace stops producing heat all together then you might have to replace a component within the furnace or you have to replace the whole unit. A furnace repair service provider will advise you what can be done after they have done the inspection.
5. PERSISTENT NOISES
A fully functioning furnace is not quiet however if you hear any abnormal or loud sounds coming from your furnace then it might be time for furnace repairs. If the noise happens once or twice then it shouldn’t be a big problem but if the furnace consistently makes those noises then you should seek a professional to help. You should pay close attention to the type of sound your furnace makes so that you can describe it to the technician as they do the inspection. If it is a squealing or whistling sound then there might be a problem with a fan or a belt. This sound could also indicate an air leak especially if the sound is at a higher pitch. If you hear a groaning noise then it could indicate that the bearings within the furnace are wearing out. if there is a banging sound then an internal component might be loose or broken. A loud clicking sound could indicate a damaged heat exchanger. There are so many sounds that your furnace can make to show that it is in need of repairs. A furnace repair service provider will be able to identify the cause behind the sound and offer solutions to fix it.
6. POOR AIR QUALITY
It is important that you have good quality air within your home. Your furnace directly influences the quality of air within your home and if you do not maintain your system properly then you could face some serious problems. Maintaining your furnace means that bacteria, dirt, and other foreign particles are removed so that they do not circulate throughout your home. If you notice dust particles floating around in your home then your furnace is dirty and requires maintenance. Along with the dust particles, you will also notice that you and your family members cough more often and have colds frequently. If a family member has allergies then you can see exasperated symptoms like itchiness, watery eyes, and headache. Sometimes this problem can be resolved quickly by replacing the filters but if this does not work then you need to contact a professional to clean the unit and the ductwork. Metro Plumbing, Heating, and Air in Chattanooga, TN offer furnace repairs as well as duct cleaning services so that you do not have search for another company,
7. TRIPPED CARBON-MONOXIDE DETECTOR
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas and it can be fatal in large quantities. A furnace is equipped with a carbon monoxide detector to make sure that you are not at risk of suffering carbon monoxide poisoning. If the sector goes off then you should turn it off immediately and call the furnace repair service provider to come to take a look. You should also open all the windows in your home so that the gas can escape. The contractor will be able to determine the origin of the gas and fix it for you. This is considered emergency repairs so do not hesitate to contact your furnace repair technician on a Sunday if the carbon monoxide detector goes off.
8. CYCLING ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY
Once you turn on your furnace it should remain on until the home has reached the desired temperature and then it will turn off until it is needed again. If your furnace turns on and then off again and after a few minutes it is on again then there is something wrong. The problem can be simple like a dirty heat sensor that needs to be cleaned or a more serious problem that will require a professional to take a look. if you have cleaned the heat sensor and the problem continues then contact your local furnace repair company. It is always best to hire a professional rather than researching the problem and trying to apply the solutions yourself. You will end up doing more harm than good.
9. RISING ENERGY COSTS
You should always keep an eye on your utility bills because this can indicate if everything is running smoothly or if there are problems with the systems in your home. If your gas or electric bill keeps rising each month and you have made no lifestyle changes then this can indicate that your furnace is not working as it should. There might be problems that use the furnace to work harder to produce the same amount of heated air. This causes your furnace to wear faster which means that you will have to repair or replace it more frequently which can be costly. If you have noticed increased energy costs month after month then it is a good time to contact your furnace repair service provider to conduct an inspection and determine what is causing the furnace to use more fuel than usual. This will save you quite a lot of money in the long run even if you have to spend some money now to resolve the issue.
10. YOUR FURNACE IS MORE THAN 20 YEARS OLD
Everything in the world has an expiry date and your furnace is no different. If your furnace becomes too old then it loses its efficiency and it can use more fuel than needed. The average lifespan for a furnace is between 15 – 20 years but some last longer and others fail before that. If your furnace is close to the 20-year mark then it is a good idea to have your furnace inspected. Often the furnace is hanging by a thread and needs to be replaced soon so that there is no delay when it comes to the heating of your home. Other times the furnace is fine and it just needs maintenance service. The more often you have your furnace service the longer it is likely to last. Do not attempt to maintain your furnace yourself as you could break something important and render your furnace useless. You could also injure yourself. It is recommended to hire a professional when it comes to the repair, installation, or maintenance of important systems and appliances within your home.
If you are experiencing any of these signs then you should act quickly and choose a competent service provider that can assist you. If you wait too long to have it fixed then your furnace can stop working and you would have to replace it. Replacing a furnace can be very costly. But here do you find a reliable and trustworthy furnace repairs specialist? Look no further than Metro Plumbing, Heating, & Air in Chattanooga, TN. They have experienced and qualified technicians that will assist you with all your heating and cooling needs. They conduct furnace repairs as well as air conditioning repair and installation, Call them today and benefit from their wonderful services.
