This probably goes without saying, but the middle of winter is likely the absolute worst time of the year to have your heating system develop issues. It’s also the time of year when heating issues are most likely to occur, due to the added strain they’re put under. If you can detect furnace problems early enough, you can have them repaired before they turn into a bigger emergency and potentially even a system breakdown.
You’ll want to be especially vigilant if you want to catch Salt Lake City, UT furnace repair needs early enough. One of the first signs most homeowners notice that something is amiss with their furnace is the presence of strange noises while the system is functioning. The one that is typically the most concerning, for homeowners and HVAC pros alike, is a booming sound.
Why Is My Furnace Booming?
A fairly common service call we receive is in regards to a furnace that’s making a loud booming sound every time it starts up. What’s likely going on is that you have an issue with delayed ignition. As the burner assembly in a gas furnace combusts fuel, carbon particles build up on the jets.
This may seem harmless, at first. But, over time the buildup will become severe enough that the jets will start to fire later than they should. When they finally do ignite, they have to burn through an excess of gas all at once. The booming you hear is literally a small explosion—so you can see why this is a dangerous problem to have!
Your next step should be calling in one of our pros immediately. We will thoroughly clean the burner assembly in order to resolve this problem. This is certainly something you don’t want to wait on—even if no hazard occurs, you still run the risk of your burners becoming so clogged that they don’t ignite at all and you’re stuck with no heater when you need it the most.
Other Furnace Noises to Pay Attention To
Booming is definitely a concerning furnace noise, but not the only unfamiliar sound you might ever hear it making. Two more sounds you should pay attention to and call for service right away for are grinding and short-cycling (when your system shuts off and turns back on in rapid succession).
Grinding: There is a component within your furnace called the air handler. This part is responsible for actually blowing air around the house while the system is running. Your air handler motor contains bearings, which help reduce friction on the part while it’s operating.
As the bearings wear down over time, friction on the air handler motor increases, until it starts emitting this grinding noise. If you hear grinding, it’s a good idea to call for repairs ASAP. If the bearings aren’t replace in a timely manner, the motor could burn out entirely. Motor replacement is much more expensive that replacing the bearings!
Short Cycling: This isn’t a problem you want to continue for any length of time. If you just got your heating system and it’s already begun to do this, then we’re sorry to say that your furnace is probably too big for your home. What’s happening is that it’s heating up your living space too fast, shutting down, and turning right back on as the rooms cool down.
This isn’t the only cause of short cycling, however. There are other potential furnace issues going on, and this definitely warrants a call to our pros. Short cycling, unfortunately, wears down your furnace a lot faster than it would have otherwise, and can lead to premature breakdown of the system.
Contact us today for reliable heating services and to learn why our customers keep saying, “I Love My Design Comfort!”
