Each winter, HVAC experts across the country respond to many emergency calls. They visit desperate (and freezing) homeowners at every hour of the day or night to repair broken furnaces. While emergency repairs are among the most important responsibilities we have, we often notice that many of the issues that occur could have been prevented with proper maintenance earlier in the year. It’s something that could have saved the homeowners a great deal of money and stress.
Fortunately, a few simple tasks can help prevent the need for emergency furnace repair this winter:
Replace Air Filters Regularly
Your HVAC system is equipped with filters designed to capture pollutants, such as dust, dirt, and pollen, from the indoor air. This is an essential element of maintaining indoor air quality and crucial to the health of a building’s inhabitants.
Clean filters are also vital to ensuring proper airflow in the home. Excessive dust and dirt can block them, causing the system to struggle to effectively circulate air. This can force homeowners to leave their furnaces on longer than necessary, creating strain on the machinery and eventually leading to damage that necessitates emergency furnace repair.
To prevent the issues resulting from poor indoor air quality or poor airflow, you should clean your air filters at least once every three months. Fully replace the filters at least once a year, especially if you live in an area with compromised air quality or have multiple pets in the home.
Keep an Eye on the Thermostat
As the interface between you and the machinery, your thermostat can be an early indicator of furnace trouble. For example, if the reading on the control panel doesn’t seem to match the actual indoor temperature, it could indicate either an issue with the heating process itself or with the built-in computer’s ability to interpret the information. Wiring problems can also affect thermostats, as faulty connections between the furnace and control system can prevent effective operation.
If your thermostat isn’t accurate or your furnace isn’t responding the way it should, contact your HVAC repair professional. It might be a small fix right now, and minor issues can eventually develop into more serious problems that ultimately cause the system to fail to operate when it is most needed.
Listen for Unusual Noises
When your furnace is operating properly, it should be relatively quiet, generating only a low, continuous hum as its blower fan circulates air throughout the home. If you hear unusual noises, even if the machinery seems to otherwise be operating effectively, it could be due to a mechanical problem. Banging or rattling noises are two of the more common signs that a problem has occurred. These may indicate anything from loose fasteners to broken belts or fan blades. Issues like these must be repaired by an HVAC professional to restore efficiency to the system.
Other noises a furnace may produce include popping, hissing, or clicking sounds. Each of these can point to a specific issue with the system and may be accompanied by other technical problems. For example, a clicking sound, followed by cool air from the furnace, could be a sign that the pilot light did not successfully ignite the fuel in the burner. This could be due to a corroded or dirty connection, and your HVAC contractor should address the problem before winter.
Your Nose Knows
Just as unusual sounds can provide early warning signs of a mechanical problem with your furnace, so too can any odors from the machinery. Although it’s normal for a furnace that hasn’t been used in a while to produce a slight burning smell as the accumulated layer of dust burns away, this should dissipate quickly. In some cases, however, the smell may not go away, or the system may produce a different odor. If this happens, it can point to a problem within the system.
Odors from an HVAC system have numerous causes, but one of the most common is friction between mechanical parts. Two elements grinding together can lead to heat and a distinct burning smell. This problem should be promptly resolved even if it doesn’t immediately interfere with the furnace’s operations. Unusual odors may also indicate dangerous conditions. For example, a sulfurous smell can mean a natural gas leak. If you notice such a smell, or if you are unsure of the cause of an odor from your furnace, you should shut the system off and contact an HVAC professional immediately.
Schedule a Professional Inspection
Preventing potential furnace emergencies should be more than simply reactive. Homeowners can be proactive about keeping their systems in good working order throughout the year to sidestep any major problems. This means paying attention to the issues listed above and diligently monitoring the system performance for any signs of trouble. However, furnace problems are not always obvious and may sometimes occur without any outward indications. That is, until the system fails precisely when it is most needed.
To prevent the need for emergency furnace repair, and to repair minor issues before they develop into major ones, homeowners should invest in annual maintenance. During their yearly visit, an HVAC professional will inspect every element of your furnace and its related components. Working their way down a checklist, they’ll look for any problems that can then be addressed early, before they create a bigger and more expensive headache. They can also perform simple maintenance, such as filter replacement, helping to ensure the system operates effectively throughout the year.
Ready to avoid winter furnace emergencies? Contact All Weather Heating & Cooling to schedule your furnace maintenance appointment.