When you purchase a furnace for your home, you expect it to keep you warm. That’s literally its only job, right?!
Well, a lot goes into its functionality to do that job. For instance, it’s important that you invest in routine furnace maintenance. Once a year, you should have professional HVAC technicians comprehensively inspect, clean, and adjust your furnace. This ensures that it works as efficiently and effectively as possible, for as long as possible. Not only that, routine maintenance helps fend off up to 85% of the repairs your furnace might ever need in its lifetime.
How?
Just like any other major home appliance or piece of equipment, and even just like your car, components suffer from wear and tear over the years. When we do the inspection part of your maintenance appointment, we check for signs of this wear and tear, and then we alert you to it. This allows you time to get furnace repairs on your schedule, without allowing those small “wear and tear” issues to grow into a much bigger problem that could lead to a complete system breakdown.
Of course, it’s still possible that repair needs can crop up in between maintenance sessions–especially if you have an aging (10-15 years old) furnace. So, it’s good to know the signs of a furnace in disrepair so you can give us a call for your struggling heating system. Read on to learn what some of these signs are!
Sign #1: Strange or Loud Noises Coming from the System
Sometimes, it can be difficult to detect heating system issues if they aren’t actually getting in the way of your comfort yet. What we mean is, you may hear a strange noise coming from your unit, but your unit is still providing warm air–so why bother?
Because strange or loud noises you never heard before are a definite sign that something is amiss and that your furnace needs to be checked over. A buzzing sound, for example, can indicate an electrical problem within the system. Even gas-powered furnaces have electrical components! A clicking sound could be the sign of a cracked heat exchanger, which can be a hazardous problem as it allows carbon monoxide gas into your living space.
Other sounds that should urge you to call a pro include clanging, banging, excessive rattling, or really any noise that’s outside of what you normally hear your furnace making.
Sign #2: Higher Than Average Utility Bills
Have you noticed your utility bills are a bit higher than they used to be? If you look at your energy bills and they’re drastically higher than they were this same time last year, or higher than what your neighbors are paying, then it’s a sign that something in your home is working inefficiently. It could very well be your HVAC system. After all, your air conditioner and furnace accounts for half of all your home’s energy use!
Since this efficiency issue could be coming from damaged ductwork or a miscalibrated thermostat, it’s important to address ASAP as it may be impacting both your heating and cooling systems.
These are just a couple of signs that your furnace is struggling and it’s time to call a pro. If your heater ever behaves in a way you don’t think it’s meant to, it’s never a bad idea to give us a call.
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