The peak season for cold weather is here, and coming home to a broken furnace is the last thing you need to be worrying about. At Pro Service Mechanical, we provide a variety of heating services to keep your home or business warm and cozy. There are factors that can cause your heating system to fail. In order to prevent a chilly home or business due to a furnace outage, keep an eye out for common signs that your furnace needs maintenance or replacement.
Some of the most common issues that can signal a need for furnace repair or replacement include:
- Blown motor
- Broken thermostat
- Uneven heating or cooling
- Clogged or dirty filters
- Cracked heat exchanger
- Over cycling
- Switch malfunctions
Being able to recognize these signs before your furnace stops working will help you worry less and keep maintenance costs down. Keep reading to learn more about some common reasons that cause issues with your furnace that require maintenance.
Your Furnace is Old
Old furnaces are not only less efficient, but they can also pose serious health hazards. Having an old furnace can lead to gas leaks, carbon monoxide poisoning, or even a gas fire.
If your furnace is 15 years old or older, it is even more important to have regular maintenance checks on it to keep the building safe. With frequent use, furnaces often need small repairs to keep them running like new. Similar to how we need a yearly check-up to keep us healthy, your furnace needs a yearly maintenance check to keep it working properly – especially if it’s older and more susceptible to problems.
At 18 to 20 years, it is recommended that your furnace is fully replaced Leaving it unchecked can put yourself and others at risk for health issues or even fire-related emergencies.
It Makes Abnormal Noises
It’s perfectly normal to hear the quiet hum or occasional rattle of a furnace working, especially in peak winter months or at the beginning of a long stint of non-use – but that should be the only time you hear something out of the ordinary.
Your furnace should never make a consistent loud rattling sound or be constantly clanging as if it were a washing machine. These strange sounds can be a tell-tale sign that your furnace needs critical repair or even replacement. Some common sounds you may hear that that signal your furnace needs attention include:
- Clicking
- Banging
- High-pitched squeal or whistling
- Humming or buzzing
- Rattling
If any of these sounds are coming from your furnace, it’s time to have it inspected, repaired, or replaced by a certified professional before it becomes a hazard to your office or home.
Your Energy Bill is Higher than Usual
Clogged air filters on your furnace can lead to performance issues, so it is very important to make sure your filters are clean and clear of debris. If you have pets in your home, it is even more important to change the HVAC filters. The filters are already accumulating a great deal of dirt and dust, and adding a layer of pet fur on top will restrict the airflow even more. This lack of airflow will cause your furnace to work much harder to heat your home than it previously did, resulting in a higher energy bill.
Most energy bills for homes and businesses tend to be higher in the coldest of the winter months, but if you begin to notice your energy bill is even higher than it usually is, it can be a sign that your HVAC filters are clogged.
Pilot Flame is Yellow instead of Blue
If your furnace has a pilot light, it is important that it is always blue. If it is yellow, or any other color, this can be an easy indicator that it’s time to have your furnace’s filter professionally cleaned. When the pilot flame in your furnace burns orange or yellow, this is because your furnace isn’t getting enough airflow to power your furnace. This can be caused by dirt build-up, a clogged furnace filter, or another serious malfunction that requires professional maintenance.
If the orange or yellow flame is flickering, it can mean your furnace isn’t producing the right amount of oxygen and gas combination required to create sufficient power to effectively heat your space. This needs to be taken care of right away by a professional repair service to keep your furnace functioning properly.
Your Furnace Has Stopped Working
If you find that after turning the temperature up on the thermostat in your home, your furnace shuts off before the room reaches the set temperature, it can be very inconvenient, especially in the winter.
A furnace might stop working for several reasons. It could be because it tripped the circuit breaker, there was an issue with the pilot light or ignition, airflow was restricted, or another issue triggered a safety switch that shut down the system to prevent a fire hazard.
If your furnace stops working completely, it’s time to call a professional who can come in and diagnose the issue, correct it, and give you the best recommendations to move forward. They might even suggest a full replacement.
Call Pro Service Mechanical of Saskatoon SK
Pro Service Mechanical has been a highly trusted and rated HVAC service provider in Saskatoon SK and surrounding areas since 2008. When you call us, we will always provide professional and reliable furnace repair services. Performing furnace maintenance can be dangerous without the proper tools and experience, so leave it to our experts at Pro Service Mechanical to get the job done safely.
Whether you have an electric furnace, gas furnace, or oil furnace, proper care is essential to keep it functioning properly and ensure it provides reliable heat. Our furnace maintenance service is extensive and affordable. You can count on our reliable team to keep your furnace up and running when you need it the most!
Don’t wait until your home feels like an arctic tundra! Call us today at (306) 230-2442 to schedule your service, or head over to our furnace repair page for more information.
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