It is not fun to have to replace your furnace in the middle of a cold winter. An emergency repair is often more expensive than a planned or regularly scheduled furnace repair in Saratoga, CA. To avoid these hassles, it is important to pay attention to your furnace. Familiarize yourself with how it sounds and operates when it is running properly. That way you will notice the signs if your furnace isn’t working properly. Here are the things to watch for:
System Isn’t Heating
This is a dead giveaway. But if your furnace is not properly heating your home, several factors could be the cause. If your furnace is constantly cycling off and on, this also indicates a problem. You will want to call for furnace repair as soon as possible so you don’t make matters worse.
Cold Spots in the Home
Uneven heating is another sign of a problem. You might notice some rooms are significantly colder than others. It could be from aging boilers, clogged filters, or malfunctioning blowers. Unfortunately, furnaces tend to lose heating capacity with time and you might just have an old furnace that needs to be replaced.
High Heating Bills
There are several factors that can contribute to a high utility bill. Your furnace might be one of them. Gas prices fluctuate from month to month, but if you have started seeing a significant difference in your bills, something else might be to blame. It could be a heating problem or a decrease in efficiency.
Odd Sounds and Odors
Strange noises and odors coming from the furnace are never a good thing. On the initial startup for the season, you might notice the smell of burning dust and the odd noise, but this is normal and expected. But after the first few runs, things should even out and normalize. If you continue to hear squeaking, banging, grinding, hissing, clicking, or popping you should call for professional HVAC repair.
Wrong Color or Shape of Flame
If the gas heating system is running properly the flame should be bright blue and steady. But if the pilot light is a yellowish, flickering flame it could mean the system is not burning completely. It could also mean the system is producing higher levels of carbon monoxide, which could be dangerous.
Bad Indoor Air Quality
Modern furnaces have excellent humidification and indoor air quality features. They are built in to make sure the air is safe and comfortable. In the winter you might notice the air feels stale or stuffy. You might also feel like your skin dries out or your throat is raw and dry. If these are recurring problems for you, they might stem from a furnace producing too much dry air in your home.
Multiple Heating Repairs
Have your furnace required multiple repairs in the last few years? The older the system, the more breakdowns, and repairs it will need. The average lifespan for a furnace is 12 to 15 years. Too much beyond that, it may be time to consider getting an upgrade.
For help finding a new furnace or making sure your old one is working properly, contact the HVAC experts at Pelle Heating and Air Conditioning. They provide professional furnace repair in Saratoga, CA.
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