Winter is in full swing, and the coldest temperatures around the country are yet to come. If you have a properly-working furnace, sub-zero temperatures are no sweat for you. But if it starts acting up, you’ll be in trouble during the coldest times of the year.
An improperly working furnace in the middle of winter not only creates severe discomfort within the home, but it also increases the risk of frozen pipes. When pipes freeze, the water expands and your pipes will burst as a result. That’s an expensive and dangerous repair to have on your hands!
It’s essential to take care of furnace problems as soon as you recognize them. Here are three common furnace problems and some tips for getting them fixed.
- Lack of Maintenance
Perhaps the most common cause of furnace problems is improper maintenance or a total lack of it. Many homeowners don’t realize that if they want their furnace to function properly, they must apply certain maintenance measures regularly.
This principle is very similar to taking care of a car. If you don’t use the right kind of gas and get oil changes regularly, your engine will give you trouble. Eventually, your dirty, low oil can cause your engine to fail completely, and you’ll have to get a new car.
This is common knowledge for vehicles, and it should be for furnaces as well. As the cool weather arrives, it’s important to have your furnace thoroughly inspected and potentially cleaned. A certified HVAC contractor like Clark’s Heating and Air in Northeast Georgia can make a house call and take care of all your maintenance needs.
First, they’ll check for a dirty or damaged filter as well as other signs of wear and tear. They’ll check the pilot and thermostat and make sure the blower is running continuously. They’ll check oil levels and refill it if necessary. If everything is in good shape, a contracting company will give their stamp of approval and move on. Otherwise, they’ll recommend repairs that might be able to be performed on the spot.
- Malfunctioning Thermostat
Very often, the cause of your furnace problems is not a problem with your furnace at all. Instead, it’s an issue with your thermostat, which exists to regulate the temperatures inside your home. When the thermostat is malfunctioning or is not set correctly, it will cause problems with your home’s temperature.
Simple troubleshooting steps can be taken to eliminate thermostat issues. First, try turning the thermostat on and off again. This often allows the device to reboot itself. You can also check for batteries or chips that may have burnt out over time.
Often, proper education can completely prevent thermostat issues. Read through your thermostat owner’s manual to make sure it’s set correctly. User error is common with programmable or learning thermostats, which often have specific settings that differ from a typical thermostat. Your home may suffer as a result of improper settings.
If you’ve ruled out simple fixes and user errors, an HVAC contractor will be happy to assist you in any thermostat repairs.
- Ignition Problems
Many furnaces fail to work properly because they don’t ignite like they’re supposed to. Rather than using standing pilot lights, many gas furnaces use an intermittent pilot or hot surface ignition to get the heat going. These are far more efficient and trustworthy than a pilot light, but it does cause some confusion if you’re having issues with the heat turning on.
Oftentimes, fixing an ignition problem is as simple as turning the circuit breaker off and on again. This can reboot your ignition and restore proper heat. Other times, you’ll need the help of a certified contractor to replace or repair your ignition so that you can enjoy a comfortable interior environment once again.