Furnace
After a long rainy day, you expect to walk into a cozy house filled with warmth and comfort. Unfortunately, there may come a day when you walk over the threshold and immediately realize that something is wrong. When the temperature in your home feels off during winter, the most likely culprit is the furnace. How to avoid this problem? Discover five most common furnace problems you’ll encounter.
COMMON FURNACE PROBLEMS
The Furnace Is Not Producing Heat
Furnace has one job: distribute warm air through your home, so that you and anyone else who lives there can be comfortable when it is cold outside. If a furnace is not producing heat, it is often a cause for alarm, but in many instances, it might not be that big of an issue. One of the reasons your furnace might be blowing air but not producing heat is if there is a fan setting on your thermostat.
The Furnace Keeps Turning on and Off
As a furnace heats your home, it typically cycles on and off. It tries to maintain the temperature set on the thermostat. Depending on the programmed temperature and the outdoor temperature, a furnace might cycle on, heat the room or home to the desired temperature, then cycle off again several times an hour.
If a furnace starts short cycling or turning on and off frequently, without ever reaching the set temperature, that is usually a sign that something is wrong. During a short cycle, the furnace will only run for some minutes before it turns off again. Often, the cause of a short cycle is a lack of airflow in the furnace, that causes it to overheat. Furnaces have safety switches built-in that will shut down the system if the temperature gets too hot.
Furnace Is Making A Grinding Or Scraping Sound
If your blower is producing a grinding or scraping noise, it means your ball bearings have worn out and you should turn off the unit immediately. For this fix, you’ll need some help from a qualified as Eco Team Experts.
Pilot Light or Ignition Issues
If you have an older furnace with a pilot light that won’t stay lit, you’ll need a professional to help you investigate several possible causes. You could have a misbehaving thermocouple or a clogged pilot orifice, your flame setting may be too low, or you might have a defective safety switch (which is obviously a big deal).
Dirty Filters
Don’t over-exaggerate the importance of regularly replacing your furnace filters. Clogged filters restrict airflow, which makes your furnace work harder, which can lead to the heat exchanger overheating. That will shut down your unit.
At best, you’ll have an inefficient furnace producing less heat for more money. At worst, you’ll shorten the lifespan of your furnace and have a chilly house. If your furnace isn’t producing enough heat, or if it’s constantly cycling off and on, there’s a good chance the poor thing is gasping for air. Replace those filters!
