3 Signs Your Furnace Is In Distress

During the summer season, you may be focusing solely on the function of your air conditioning system. Towards the end of summer as the calendar moves into the fall months, shifting this focus to your furnace is imperative if you want to heat your home effectively and efficiently throughout the cooler seasons. Unfortunately, your furnace may not be ready to handle this change in conditioning. With this guide, you will learn a few key signs that your furnace is in distress and needs to be repaired or replaced.

Noise

A popping and banging sound when you first turn on your furnace for the season is normal. This is basically the pilot lighting the gas and the heat moving through the system for the first time of the heating season. If you are hearing these noises continuously after turning your system on and running it for a period of time, there may be an underlying issue that needs to be addressed.

A loud banging or groaning noise may stem from a broken fan blade or a damaged belt. In both of these situations, replacing the fan and belt will be necessary to continue heating your home.

Grinding, screeching, and squealing noises are also signs of distress. These noises may be signaling an issue with the furnace blower or loose components that will eventually cause your furnace to fail, reducing your ability to heat your home through the cooler seasons.

Starting/Stopping

Once you start up your furnace, it should continue running, heating your home without stopping. If your furnace is starting and then stopping, it is short-cycling, which prevents you from heating your home in an efficient manner.

Surprisingly, short-cycling is how the furnace prevents itself from failing completely. Basically, it is shutting itself off because it is in distress. If it continued to run, the system may fail and require a complete replacement.

There are many reasons why your furnace may short cycle. A clogged air filter can cause the furnace to turn itself off. If an excess amount of gas is moving through the furnace, it may turn itself off to reduce the risk of combustion, keeping you, your family, and your home safe.

Outdated

No matter how durable you believe your furnace is, it is not designed to last forever. Even if you believe it is working well, your furnace will eventually need to be replaced.

Most experts believe furnaces have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years. Therefore, if your furnace is older than this lifespan or within this age range, you should consider investing in a new furnace for heating your home. 

For more information on maintaining your furnace, contact a company such as All Arctic Air.

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