There are plenty of ways your furnace could be telling you it’s struggling. These telltale signs can range from sudden rumbling sounds to gradually increasing heating bills. These issues might seem like minor annoyances, but they lead to bigger problems in your furnace if left unresolved. Tend to these issues by calling a professional, before it’s too late. You don’t want to spend your winter under a pile of sheets because of a broken furnace.
It Keeps Resetting
Having a furnace that resets itself repeatedly will only lead to its quick demise, causing you to shell out more money for expensive repairs. My Buddy The Plumber Heating & Air, LLC says that in most cases, resetting is caused by a dirty air filter. A dirty filter blocks air from entering the furnace. This causes the furnace to overheat and shut down. Replace your air filter every month to prevent overheating.
Resetting can also be caused by a faulty or badly placed thermostat. If your thermostat is malfunctioning, it could read the temperature wrong and cause your furnace to reset. Another way your thermostat could fail is if it’s too close to a heat source like a heat register, causing it to turn off the furnace. This is because the thermostat got tricked into thinking that the area is too warm.
Unpleasant Noises
It’s normal for any heating system to create ambient noise. Noise is usually only a cause for concern when your heater makes loud and weird sounds, which point to a mechanical problem in your HVAC system.
A rumbling or screeching sound could signal a problem in the blower motor. Clanking could mean that the blower fan is hitting against its casing. Loud booms could be a warning that the burner is blocked. In any case, you should contact an HVAC professional to tend to the noise coming from your heating system.
Yellow Burner Flames
The flame coming out of your furnace’s burner should always be blue. If the flame is yellow, it could be burning a toxic amount of carbon monoxide into the air. Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that can cause headaches, tissue damage, or even death if ingested. If you find your furnace is burning yellow flames and you’re feeling lightheaded. Turn off your furnace and gas, get some fresh air outside, and call a heating technician to repair your furnace immediately.
High Heating Bills
A high heating bill could mean a number of things, like poor insulation in your home. The most common culprit, however, is your furnace. If your gas furnace is more than 25 years old, it’s living way past its expiry date and is no longer working at optimal efficiency. Efficiency refers to the amount of heat that is actually distributed in your home. For example, a furnace with 70% efficiency means that 70% of the heat is utilized, while the remaining 30% escapes the house.
Since they’re the heart of your heating system, old furnaces are a gateway to further problems in your HVAC system. It’s better to replace your dated furnace with a newer, more efficient one. Buy a furnace that has at least 90% efficiency. This way, you don’t have to turn up the heat as much to get consistent warmth throughout your house. It might cost you more upfront, but it’ll save you money in the form of lower energy bills.
A faulty furnace doesn’t only lead to an unbearably cold house, it could also cause more serious problems like carbon monoxide poisoning or gas leaks. This is why preventive maintenance from HVAC professionals is necessary. It’s better to save yourself from the harsh cold of winter and potential health problems than to save a couple of bucks.
