Your furnace isn’t going to wait for the right time to give out. It might make a weird noise, start blowing cool air, turn on and off repeatedly, or completely stop working right when the weather gets cold. Learning when to call for furnace repair will keep you warm, prevent costly disasters, and help you figure out what to do when your heater starts acting up.
Warning Signs That Need More Than a Filter
There are some reasons why your furnace won’t work, like an air filter that’s too full, battery power in your thermostat that is running out, or a tripped circuit breaker. Sometimes, though, there is a problem with the furnace itself that requires a professional to examine and test. Look for these clues:
- Your house feels too hot in one room and too cold in another.
- There is banging, screeching, rattling, or humming while the furnace is running.
- Your furnace keeps running all the time but doesn’t warm the house enough.
- Your furnace turns on and off very quickly.
- You smell something burning, musty, or like fuel in the air, and the smell doesn’t go away.
- You’re paying more money on your energy bill but not using more heat than usual.
If your furnace burns gas and the burner flame is yellow or flickering instead of a solid blue flame, get a professional out to see it right away. You don’t want to mess with gas combustion or ventilation issues yourself.
What Does a Repairperson Check?
When you hire a repairperson, they aren’t just going to turn the furnace off and on again. They’ll ask you about the problem, and watch it turn on, run, and turn off. This information helps them determine whether the problem lies with ignition, airflow, controls, fuel, or safety devices.
They’ll check the thermostat, wires, blower motor, capacitors, filters, burners, flame sensor, pressure switches, drain lines, and vents. For furnaces that burn fuel, they’ll also look at the combustion safety items (worth a skim of https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide) and inspect the heat exchanger.
Costs, Replacement, and Appointment Prep
Postponing Repairs Will Cost You Money
Even if your furnace is making a noise, it might still be able to heat your home for now. But a blower motor that is starting to wear out could cause other electrical parts to fail. A dirty flame sensor could shut down your furnace intermittently before it makes it completely unusable. Low airflow can cause components to overheat and fail early.
It is particularly important to take care of the problem when your furnace is shutting itself off frequently. You can reset your furnace, and it will heat your home again until it locks itself out once more. You’re not fixing the underlying problem, though. When your furnace starts repeatedly locking itself out, it’s harder to diagnose the issue because it might not have locked itself out yet when the repair person arrives.
Deciding Between Repair and Replacement
Not all furnace problems require a replacement. A replacement part makes sense if your furnace has worked well for years, the problem is minor, and your furnace is still efficient enough for your home.
Replacement may be the right option if you are needing to repair the furnace often, major components have failed, or the furnace is close to the end of its lifespan. A professional can help you evaluate how much it costs to fix your current problem compared with the cost of future problems, how much better your furnace could run, and whether your existing ducts and controls are adequate for your home; the practical side of Professional Furnace Repair Services in Placer and Nevada Counties starts there.
Don’t do this if it is an obvious problem with a dirty filter, and your furnace goes back to normal after you replace the filter. Do this if the problem returns after you change the filter, and don’t assume the filter is what caused the problem.
Preparing for Your Appointment
Take a few minutes to prepare so you can get the most out of your appointment. Think about when the problem happened, whether it happened on very cold days, and what noises or smells you noticed. If your furnace is displaying an error code, record the code before you reset your furnace.
Clear space around your furnace and move any objects out of the way so the repairperson can reach your furnace easily. Make sure the repairperson can get to your thermostat and the electrical panel, if necessary. Bring along your old filter so the repairperson can see why airflow might be restricted.
Acting When Your Heater Isn’t Reliable
Your heater is most important when your home is depending on it, so it’s best to handle problems before they cause your furnace to stop working entirely. An inspection by a qualified professional will tell you whether your problem is caused by a worn-out part, something that needs maintenance, or a bigger problem with the system.
Note what is happening with your furnace, make sure your vents are open and the filter is clean, and then get your furnace looked at if it continues to operate poorly.
