Your furnace is undoubtedly your best friend during the cold Ohio winters. The last thing you’d want is for it to fail you on a frigid night. Fortunately, you can diagnose a faltering furnace that needs fixing before you lose your heat completely. Here are the warning signs of potential furnace problems:
Weird Noises
Unless your furnace is brand-new, you’ll hear some noise while it’s running. However, strange popping and squeaking noises could be a sign of something having gotten loose inside your furnace. You’ll need to have the unit checked by a professional.
Cold Air
Are some rooms comfortably warm while others are too cold? That’s a sign of your furnace lacking sufficient power to distribute heated air throughout your house. This is often caused by a malfunctioning blower fan. If your system is blowing no heated air whatsoever, there may be an issue with the pilot light or heat exchanger. An HVAC pro can inspect your system and tell you whether it needs repair or replacement.
A Dusty House
You may notice frequent dust accumulation around your home or a lot of dust coming from the heating vents. This could be an indicator of your furnace having a hard time filtering your home’s air. First off, replace your filters. If the problem persists, contact a professional.
Rising Heating Bills
Your furnace loses its efficiency as it ages. As a result, it may need to run longer to heat your home over time, consuming more energy in the process. Therefore, if your heating bills have increased dramatically, your furnace is likely to be reaching the end of its life and needs replacement.
A Yellow Pilot Light
If you check inside your heating unit’s front panel, you’ll see the color of the pilot light. If it’s yellow, this could indicate that poisonous carbon monoxide gas is leaking from your unit. Contact a professional immediately.
If you notice any of the signs above, call an HVAC professional to check your system and provide the right solution before they cause a major, emergency service issue. If you’re in the Dayton area, the highly trained technicians at Ace Hardware Home Services would be glad to help you with any A/C and furnace problems.
