If you haven’t turned on the heat yet, chances are it’s not that far off. If your furnace does anything other than quietly heat your house, we wanted to help you identify what the problem may be and when to call a professional. So here is our list of 8 things that could possibly be wrong with your furnace.
1.Your Furnace is Noisy
If you find that you have to speak louder or turn the TV up so you can hear over the sound of your furnace, you have a problem. It could be loose paneling or something more severe. The good news is when you call a professional, they have enough experience to usually know what’s wrong based on the sound.
2. Clogged Filters
It’s easy to forget to replace your filter, out of sight, out of mind. If you can’t remember the last time you changed your filter, we suggest changing it now. Follow the manufactures recommendations and put a reminder or alert in your phone for the next time to change. This will save your furnace from overworking and extend its lifetime.
3. Thermostat Malfunction
If your fan is consistently running, the temperature in your house doesn’t match the thermostat, or you have seen a spike in your energy bill, these may all be due to a faulty thermostat. The key here is to get it fixed quickly so there is no damage done to your furnace.
4. No Hot Air
A lack of airflow could be caused by a number of things. The filter could be clogged with debris (now’s the time to follow our previous tip and change it out) causing the furnace to shut off. Some models are equipped with an emergency shut off switch to prevent overheating. When this happens, it may seem like the air is not blowing. Another possible cause is there could be something wrong with the blower. This could be more serious and would require a professional to take a look.
5. Flickering Pilot Light
Pilot lights are seen less and less these days since they are typically found on older furnaces. But if you do have one, the flame should be a steady and blue in color. If your pilot light is flickering, or the color changes to a yellowish-orange, this is a problem. It means there is too much carbon monoxide in the furnace. This gas is colorless and odorless and can fill your home causing carbon monoxide poisoning. Please call a professional immediately and let them know the situation. They may have you open the windows or call 911 if you are experiencing any symptoms.
6. Cracked Heat Exchanger
Most people don’t even know they have a heat exchanger. If it cracks, you will know about it then. Remember those noises we talked about earlier? This metal shell or tubing separates the warm air and the filters air you breathe and it can crack due to over cycling and poor maintenance. The crack will cause it to rattle when the furnace kicks on. This will definitely require a call to the experts.
7. Limit Switch Malfunction
The limit switch on your system is what keeps it from running continually. Limit switch issues commonly are seen with thermostat malfunctions, clogged filters higher energy bills and other issues. When these problems are happening, the limit switch doesn’t recognize the need for shut-off. The good thing is that when the other issues are taken care of, the limit switch typically functions properly. There are the rare occasions when there can be an issue with the switch itself but that is a job for a professional.
8. Recurring Over-Cycling
You will know there is a problem here if your energy bills look like you are trying to heat the Alamo. If you have your thermostat set too high hoping it will warm up your home quicker, it won’t. It just costs you money and over works your furnace. Having it set too high can cause it to continually turn on even after it just finished a cycle. It is recommended that you find a temperature you can live with and leave your thermostat set here. This goes for the warmer months as well.
Quigley Heating and Air understands how important it is to keep you and your family safe and comfortable. We are happy to listen to your rattles and pops and solve the problem quickly so you can keep enjoying your family in the warmth of your home.
