Have you noticed that your furnace isn’t functioning as well as it used to? Or are you hearing strange noises or seeing an increase in your energy bills? If so, it’s time to take a closer look and determine whether the issue can be fixed with regular furnace maintenance – or if you need more serious repair work. Thus, knowing the signs to look out for can help determine when your furnace needs repair. Therefore, this article will cover all the basics of distinguishing between common routine maintenance checks and when repairs may be needed.
Abnormal Furnace Smells
After turning on a furnace for the first time, you often get a faint smell of the fuel it uses. This is normal and should dissipate quickly. Nevertheless, if your furnace emits any foul odors, this could mean something is wrong, and a professional needs to inspect it.
For instance, you shouldn’t expect any smell from your gas furnace. However, natural gas furnaces sometimes give an odor that smells like rotten eggs. That is a sign of a gas leak and must be addressed immediately.
Sometimes you may also get the smell of something burning. This is usually the result of a dirty heat exchanger or an overheated blower motor. Either way, getting the furnace inspected and serviced as soon as possible is important.
Abnormal noises
You shouldn’t expect a furnace to be dead silent. However, if you hear a wobbling sound or thump every time the furnace kicks in, this could be caused by the blower motor’s bearings. And it could be an indication that it’s time to lubricate the bearings.
Other sounds we should look for include whistling, and squealing sounds from a malfunctioning fan belt. Sometimes you may also hear banging on groaning noises. These nurses are an indication of loose or dislocated internal components. Regardless of the noises you here, your cause of action should be to contact a qualified technician for help.
Water Near Your Furnace
Have you noticed pools of water around your furnace? This could be a sign that the heat exchanger is damaged. In addition, your furnace’s evaporator coil could be the culprit. It’s normal for the evaporator coil to produce some moisture. To counter this problem, the evaporator coil has a drain that releases this moisture from the system. However, If the evaporator coil’s seal is broken, it can cause water to leak from your furnace.
So you’ll need an HVAC expert to assess the integrity of the evaporator coil’s seal and check the coil.
Short Cycling Furnace
When your furnace short cycles, it turns on and off rapidly without completing a full heating cycle. This will result in your furnace’s heat output being much lower than usual. Various factors can cause a short cycling furnace. Here is an outline of some of the common ones.
Dirty flame sensor – The function of are flame sensor in your furnace is to detect the presence of a flame, thus allowing the opening of the gas valves. However, over time, flame sensors may accumulate soot, thus causing the furnace to short-cycle. The obvious remedy here is for your HVAC technician to clean the sensors.
Dirty burners – The function of your furnace’s burner is to ignite the fuel. However, if your burners get dirty due to soot clogging them, they will not be able to maintain a stable flame, resulting in the flame sensor shutting them down. Thus, cleaning the burners regularly is important to prevent this from happening, and an experienced HVAC technician should be able to handle this easily.
Changes in Airflow
The function of your furnace is to heat and circulate air. So if the airflow through the furnace changes, it could impede your furnace’s capacity to heat your home. One of the causes of changes in air flow is dirty filters.
The filter’s function is to clean the air before it is distributed throughout your home. However, dirt and debris accumulating on the filter can impede airflow. Thus, you need to ensure that your furnace filters are regularly replaced.
You should keep an eye out for various signs when assessing your furnace’s condition. And any abnormality you observe can indicate a problem with the furnace. In such situations, an experienced HVAC technician should be available to ensure your furnace runs smoothly by checking and servicing it regularly. Doing this will help avoid expensive repairs while ensuring your home stays warm.
