Imagine an appliance that doesn’t get a tremendous amount of use, rarely causes problems, works year in and year out, and almost never seems to need service. For many Valley of the Sun homeowners, that describes their furnace. Keep in mind though, when any of these five warning signs occur, it’s time to call in your local certified technician to diagnose your furnace.
1. Running Furnace and No Heat
The main reason your furnace may be running yet there’s no heat in your house is a bad blower fan. When the blower fan malfunctions, the furnace doesn’t have enough power to blow warm air throughout the house. Cold spots may become more noticeable in certain rooms. Two other symptoms can be the heat exchanger or pilot light not functioning properly.
2. Pops, Squeaks, or Crackles
A sure sign of something wrong with your furnace is when strange noises start happening on a regular basis. If you begin hearing pops, squeaks, or crackles, it probably indicates a broken component, loose fan belt, or other component issues.
3. Strange Smells
You may notice the first time you turn on the furnace after months of sitting idle, that there’s a funny odor. That smell is dust being burned off the exposed surfaces of your furnace. If the smell continues to occur, it may be from loose electrical wiring or a motor burning out.
4. Dust in the Wind
There will always be a certain amount of dust in your home. But, when your furnace sits inactive for many months or a year or more, dust and dirt build up and settles into the moving parts and fittings of your furnace and inside your home. Occasionally rust will appear on the burners. During a winter inspection, our service technicians will clean your furnace and get rid of excess dust and dirt, so it does not make its way into your home.
5. Delays in Ignition
Whether you have an older gas furnace with a pilot light or a newer electronic ignition system, it’s essential that the igniting sequence of your furnace works every time. If you notice any delay in the ignition process of your furnace once it’s turned on, the furnace burners might need to be cleaned. Your local HVAC technicians will inspect and fix this crucial part of your furnace.
The Heat Is On
Now is the time to have your furnace checked before you experience any problems. Preventive maintenance detects and solves small problems before they turn into big headaches. Give Cool Blew a call at 623-872-2900 and schedule an appointment today.
