When the winter season is approaching, the first thing you want to do is to check whether your furnace is in good condition. We do not want to deal with a broken furnace when the cold is biting hard. But even when the furnace is still working, there are some warning signs that show when the equipment is about to pack up.
Some of these signs are recognizable, others aren’t. So if you do not want to spend a single day without a heating system, we will help you to know when your furnace is faulty. Even if the system is not yet broken, this information will be useful someday.
5 Warning Signs to Lookout For
You should lookout for the following:
1. The Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detector Keeps Beeping
If the CO detector keeps beeping every now and then, you need to turn off your heating system immediately and open all the windows in your house. This is a huge sign that you shouldn’t miss because CO is odorless, colorless, and toxic.
If you do not have a detector in your house, you won’t be able to discover when there is a leak until you start suffering the poisonous effects. Inhaling CO for a long time can result in nausea and headaches, including death, if you remain inside the house. Find out more about the poisonous effects of CO.
Your heating unit produces this gas as a by-product after burning fuel and producing heat. If everything is working accurately, the gas will go away through the unit’s exhaust that is outside, rather than accumulating inside the building.
2. The Furnace is Making a Gurgling or Banging Noise
When your car makes a strange noise, you quickly call your mechanic to take a look at the engine. In that same way, when your furnace starts making a gurgling or banging noise, you need to contact your HVAC service provider.
If you hear banging noises in the unit, it means that something is loose or broken. You may even hear the slapping sound of a belt against another inner component. It could also be a squeal, particularly if something is frayed but it is still working.
Gurgling noises, on the other hand, are peculiar to boilers, but we still need to mention them. The problem here is known as “kettling.” In this case, a clog is obstructing the free flow of water in the system. As a result, the water will evaporate and pressurize the boiler. The gurgling noise is heard when the air bubbles are escaping. You can watch this video to learn more about the noise in your furnace.
3. Your Energy Bill is Shooting Up
When using a furnace during winter, it is normal to pay higher utility bills. But if you notice a sharp, sudden increment even when the weather was stable, you should be concerned. This sudden increase in your energy bill explains that your furnace is working beyond its normal capacity to heat up your home.
It may be quite difficult to track sudden changes in energy bills, so you need to get a smart thermostat. The device will help you spot problems and measure real-time energy usage.
4. The Heating Unit Does Not Keep Your Home Warm Enough
When your home is no longer as warm as it should be, your heater may be faulty. It is usually a sign that something is not working right or is worn out. Perhaps, a belt will soon break, or the blower has accumulated a lot of dust.
5. The Heater Keeps Blowing Cold Air
When your heater starts blowing cold air, your home can never stay warm. This is closely related to our previous point. However, in this case, the unit is generating heat, but it cannot circulate.
When you notice this, it means the inner components of your HVAC system are overheating. If you check closely, you will discover that the unit’s core is already too hot. By default, the HVAC system will send blasts of cool air to normalize things.
But if this happens quite often, the inner components will get weak and crack due to stress from temperature swings. Therefore, you need to contact a professional to fix your furnace immediately before it breaks down completely.
Conclusion
If you notice any of the problems we discussed above, do not ignore them. Ensure you get help from a professional HVAC repair company. They will fix the problem before it blows out of proportion.