Photo By BanksPhotos at istock
The furnace in your home does not have to work during the summer but it can be considered essential in the winter where the temperature drops a lot. You want to have your furnace in perfect working condition before the winter hits so that you are not left without heat when you need it the most. There are quite a few things that can cause your furnace to stop working or not work as effectively. Once that happens you will need furnace repairs. But what things should you be on the lookout for to determine if you need furnace repairs? Metro Plumbing, Heating & Air in Chattanooga, TN want to share with you some common problems that require furnace repairs so that you can identify the problems more effectively.
1. The Thermostat Isn’t Set to Heat
This is a very small problem and one that can be resolved by the homeowner. If your furnace is not turning on or it is not making your house any warmer then you should check your thermostat first. This is just like your power button for our computer. Sometimes we just need to turn it on and off again and then it works fine. The batteries in your thermostat might have died and you will simply need to replace them. Otherwise, your thermostat could be set to the wrong temperature and that is why your home is not heating up properly. In some more serious cases, your thermostat could have stopped working due to age or faulty parts. If you believe this to be the case then you should contact a furnace repair service provider to come and take a look for you. They will be able to repair or replace your furnace if needed.
2. Furnace Isn’t Receiving Power
If you have checked your thermostat and it is in perfect working order then there might be other problems if your furnace is not receiving power. there might be other problems that are causing your furnace to trip. If you check your circuit breaker and the switch is off then you should flip the switch to on. If it says on then it was just a fake trip but if the furnace trips then there might be more problems. There might be a problem with the wiring in your furnace or there might be a problem with the circuit breaker. You should hire a furnace repair technician to take a look at your furnace. If there is a problem with the wiring then your furnace repair technician can repair it for you but if there is nothing wrong with the furnace then you should call your electrician. You should never mess with the wires in any of the systems you have installed in your home. If there is a short circuit and sparks escape then your home can become a fire risk. It is always best to leave it up to the professionals.
3. Furnace Is Making Strange Sounds
Your furnace should not be making an audible noise until you are in the same room as it. If your furnace is making a grinding or scraping noise then it could be a sign that there is a worn-out ball bearing in the blower. You should turn your furnace off as soon as you hear this sound to minimize the damages that can come from a worn ball bearing. You will have to contact a furnace repair technician to come and take a look and replace all the worn ball bearings for you. If your furnace is making a squealing or squeaking sound then the belt in the blower might have slipped or is worn. If this belt is not in the correct place then it can make your system very ineffective until components start giving out. You should hire a professional furnace repair technician to inspect your belt and tighten it if it has slipped. If it has succumbed to wear and tear then it might have to be replaced so that this problem doesn’t happen in the near future.
4. Pilot Light or Ignition Issues
Older furnaces have pilot lights and when these do not stay ignited, your furnace will be unable to heat the air within your home. There are many things that can cause your pilot light to stop working and you would need a professional to determine the cause. The pilot light can stop working due to a blocked pilot orifice, low flame setting or the safety switch might be defective. It can be difficult to determine which of these possible causes is negatively affecting your system. This is one of the main reasons why you should hire a furnace repair technician instead of trying to repair the pilot light yourself. If you have a new furnace then you have an electric ignitor. These igniters have sensors that detect the presence of a flame as well as the presence of gas. If they only detect the gas then they will turn the furnace off. Sometimes dust and dirt can accumulate on the sensor which prevents the sensor from detecting the flame. A furnace repair service provider will be able to clean the sensor as well as replace it if it turns out to be faulty.
5. Dirty Filters
Just like your air conditioner, your furnace also has air filters. These filters prevent dirt and dust from entering your system as well as letting them circulate in your home. You should replace or clean out your dirty air filters often to allow the maximum amount of air to travel through. If your air filters are blocked then it will restrict the airflow which will make your furnace work harder to produce enough hot air to heat your house. If the furnace works harder than it is supposed to, it will put extra strain on the components. This will wear them down and they will need to be replaced sooner than normal. This will also decrease the lifespan of your furnace. Your furnace might get too hot while working overtime and this can cause your unit to overheat and switch off. Since the furnace is producing less heat but it is using more electricity or gas to do so, your utility bill will be very high compared to previous months. You can replace these filters yourself but if you have your furnace maintained regularly by a furnace repair service provider then they will replace the filters for you. This will make your life a lot more convenient.
6. Dirty Burners
The burners are the components in your furnace that supply the gas and continue to let the gas burn. Sometimes residue from the natural gas will build – up on the burners. If the burners get too dirty then they can’t supply enough natural gas for continued combustion. Your furnace will not produce heat when there isn’t anything to burn. If your burners are emitting a blue flame when they are ignited then your burners are in good working order. If they are producing a yellow or orange flame then this is a sign that your burners are dirty and that debris is mixing in with the natural gas. While there are many videos on the internet that will show you how to clean your burners, it is highly recommended that you do not clean them yourself. You should hire furnace repair services to take a look at your burners and clean them for you. They will be able to remove all the residue without damaging the burners and they will reassemble them so that everything works as it is supposed to.
7. Cracked Heat Exchanger
If you suspect that you have a cracked heat exchanger then you should contact a furnace repair technician immediately. If the heat exchanger is cracked then it will greatly affect the furnace’s functionality and the most dangerous part is that it will let carbon monoxide fill your home. Carbon monoxide is deadly if you are exposed to too much of it. But how will you know if your heat exchanger is cracked? Metro Plumbing, Heating, and Air in Chattanooga, TN would like to give you five things to look out for that could indicate a cracked heat exchanger, as well as a reminder to hire professionals to conduct furnace repairs. The first sign is soot on the side of your furnace. There might be a strong unpleasant odor or water on the floor around the furnace. If any of your household members are experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. These symptoms include headaches, itchy eyes, nausea, and disorientation. If you think you have a cracked heat exchanger then you should switch it off and call a professional.
8. Faulty Limit Control Switch
Another thing that might be causing your furnace to stop working is a faulty limit control switch. This switch is responsible for turning off the system when the air that has to go into the ducts get too hot. When this switch stops working then your system never shuts off and extremely hot air gets blown into your ducts. This can cause extra wear and tear on your system as it damages your ducts. You should not attempt to repair or replace the limit control switch because if it is done incorrectly then you will continue to have the same problem or the limit control switch will turn off the system at any temperature. You should hire a furnace repair technician to take a look at the limit switch and repair it for you. They will make sure that your furnace is in perfect working order before they leave your home so you do not have to worry anymore.
9. Furnace Doesn’t Blow Air
If you see that your furnace is on and everything within the unit seems to be working as it should but there is no air coming from your ducts then there might be some problems with the blower. The fan belt might have snapped or slipped. Sometimes the wiring is faulty within the blower’s motor. It can be difficult to spot the origin of the problem hence why you should hire a furnace repair technician. He will take out all the guesswork and repair your system in no time.
10. Popping or Pinging Ducts
The final problem that requires a professional furnace repair service provider is when your ducts start making sounds. Your ducts might expand as they heat up and shrink back into the normal position when they cool down. You should let a professional inspect the quality of your ducts and they will find a solution for the noise. Other times there might be a metal panel that is loose within your ductwork. As the air passes this metal panel, it will make a noise. A technician will bend the panel back into shape or they may have to replace it since it has worn.
Now that you know which problems you should look out for, you can call your furnace repair technician to carry out the repair for you. It is imperative that you do not attempt to work on your furnace because you can make some problems a lot worse. You can also make a mistake that can injure you or damage your home. It is always recommended to hire a professional like Metro Plumbing, Heating, and Air in Chattanooga, TN to conduct the furnace repairs. These qualified technicians have years of experience so that they can conduct each repair as successfully as possible. They will also advise you on how you can avoid these problems in the future.
Contact Metro Plumbing, Heating & Air in Chattanooga, TN today and schedule your appointment.
