How to Know If Your Furnace is Failing
Just because your furnace is giving off heat doesn’t mean everything is working as it should be. Seemingly minor changes in how it operates could indicate that something in the mechanism needs your attention. But what signs should you look for, and what do they mean?
The average furnace costs between $2,400 and $6,400, so keeping it in good shape is vital if you want to save money on repairs and replacement. However, it can be intimidating to diagnose problems with complex appliances like furnaces. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a technician to spot early signs of problems with your unit.
In our line of work, we’ve met plenty of homeowners who were unaware of their furnace’s problems despite apparent signs. That’s why we wrote this post: to help people like you spot these issues before they cause severe damage. Read on to learn how you can keep your furnace running smoothly.
Higher Heating Costs
If you’ve noticed your home energy costs have grown higher and higher recently, it may not be a simple matter of running the heat too high. As your furnace ages, it naturally becomes less efficient, causing it to burn more fuel to achieve the same heat as before. However, you may not even immediately notice when this occurs, because the extra fuel burned isn’t necessarily more readily apparent until your heating bill arrives, as your unit is likely not necessarily putting out more heat in your home.
If age has caught up with your HVAC system, a yearly team-up can help extend its life and bring it back to optimal efficiency in some cases. Depending on the age of your furnace and its state of wear, a technician may be able to solve the problem by replacing only specific parts. However, sometimes, the system may be too old to simply compensate for its shortcomings with a quick fix, and requires a replacement.
Yellow Flame
Gas-burning furnaces provide blatant visual cues that something is amiss in the system: flame color. When you start the furnace, observe the flame as it ignites. If it’s predominantly yellow, the gas isn’t burning correctly, and your furnace needs expert cleaning, repair, or both.
When gas isn’t efficiently burning, your furnace doesn’t heat properly. Unfortunately, it also allows carbon monoxide to build up throughout your home, posing a severe health risk to everyone inside. Installing a carbon monoxide detector can tip you off to this issue before it causes harm.
Thermostat Adjustments
When your heating unit is struggling to produce enough heat, you may find yourself constantly adjusting your thermostat to get comfortable. If you find yourself changing temperatures often, it could mean there are leaks in your home that need sealing. However, that isn’t always the case.
Sometimes, it’s a sign that your furnace can’t meet the demands of heating your home. Sealing leaks throughout your home may help it a little, but this problem usually results from furnace age. If you find yourself having to adjust the thermostat several times per day, despite setting a comfortable temperature, it’s time to call in an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace.
Irregular Noises
Furnaces create some noise, especially when you adjust your thermostat, and they need to “change gears.” These noises are normal and non-disruptive. Over time, you’ve likely tuned them out entirely because they quietly fade away as your furnace runs throughout the day.
Other noises, however, are a tell-tale sign that something in the mechanism isn’t secure and is at risk of breaking. Loud, irregularly timed banging sounds are one of the most common examples that people report. These are the sounds that are always disruptive and usually followed by stretches of silence.
Unlike other age-related problems, you can fix a noisy furnace once the loose part or parts can be identified. Regular tune-ups can sometimes identify loose components before they make noticeable noise and become an issue.
Rusty Flue Lines
Most furnaces can last up to twenty-five years before they absolutely must be replaced. You can expect to see visible signs of age develop on your components during this time, such as rust. Depending on where you see rust, it may or may not indicate a problem.
However, if your flue lines develop rust, they are more likely to suffer leaks. Since they carry carbon monoxide out of your furnace, this problem is more severe than inadequate heating for your home, and you should address them immediately. You can safely remove a slight amount of rust, but the flue lines will need replacing in most cases.
Trust Your Furnace to On Time Home Services
Learning to identify when your furnace has problems can save you a lot of unnecessary frustration, but it is only half the battle. Fixing furnace issues is a much more difficult task. So when the time comes for a tune-up, do you know who to turn to?
Whether you need a new system, need emergency repairs, or want to book repairs on your existing HVAC system from the Bakersfield HVAC repair professionals, turn to the experts at On Time Home Services.
Our trained HVAC technicians will troubleshoot issues with your air conditioning, install a replacement, or recommend an energy-efficient system for your new construction.
We have extensive training and expertise in all stages of installation, repair, and maintenance of most major HVAC manufacturers. We’ll inspect your current unit to help you determine if it can work more efficiently, or whether a replacement is truly necessary.
Get in touch with our team today to schedule a consultation!