Common Furnace “Nightmares”

As a homeowner, you depend on your heating system to keep your family warm and cozy on chilly fall days and in the brutal winter temperatures (which will be here before you know it).

While you may be busy decorating your home with skeletons, spider webs, carved pumpkins, and other Halloween décor, now is the perfect time to develop an understanding of some of the problems that are known to cause a heating system to break down. After all, one of the scariest things that can happen to you on Halloween night is having to suffer in a cold home with a broken furnace. That really will bring the spirits down (the mood, not ghosts!).

Here are some common furnace “nightmares” that homeowners often have the misfortune of dealing with:

The thermostat is properly set, but your house still feels cold.

It’s frustrating when your home feels chillier than it should, even after you’ve checked the thermostat. The first thing to do when this happens is double check to be sure the device wasn’t accidentally switched to “OFF” or “COOL.” This happens more often than you’d think and checking before calling a repair professional could save you a lot of time and aggravation.

Additionally, be sure that your thermostat’s batteries aren’t dead. If it’s been a while since you’ve changed them, see if a fresh set takes care of the problem. Dead batteries would mean no signals are being sent to your furnace to tell it when to turn on or off. The blower is continuously running.

If your furnace isn’t cycling off, it isn’t because a witch cast a spell on your heating system. Instead, this may be an issue with the limit switch. This controls when your blower stops sending warm air through the system. If you notice this problem in your home, you’ll need to call in a heating repair professional for assistance.

The furnace won’t come on AT ALL!

Don’t panic. If this happens in your home, your first thought is likely going to be how expensive it’ll be to replace your heating system. Rest assured that this often isn’t the case - especially if your heater is less than 15-20 years old.

If your furnace won’t cycle on/off, first check your thermostat to be sure it’s properly set to “HEAT.” Also, as mentioned above, check the batteries to be sure they aren’t dead. Once you’ve taken care of these tasks, if your heater still isn’t coming on, the issue may be with its power source.

If you have a natural gas furnace, this could mean that the pilot light has gone out, and if you have an electric furnace, you may have a tripped breaker. If your pilot light needs to be re-lit, it’s best left to the professionals. If you need to reset a breaker, check your circuit panel to see if it’s been flipped. If these don’t take care of the problem, call in an expert to assist you.

The furnace does come on, but it’s making a lot of noise!

It’s important to understand that some noise is normal when a furnace is in operation. When air is moved through your heating system and ductwork, the heat can cause the metal to expand and contract. So you may hear some pops or bangs.

However, if the noise is much louder than normal, or if it’s a rattling or clanking sound, this could indicate a more serious problem. Noisy furnaces could be a result of wear and tear on its internal mechanisms, reductions in airflow to and from the system, or from a clogged burner component.

If the sounds coming from your furnace send shivers down your spine, call in a professional to diagnose and take care of the problem.

Rooms don’t all feel as warm and cozy as they should.

If it feels colder in certain rooms or on different levels of your home, first check the vents to be sure they aren’t blocked by furniture, rugs, or curtains. Homeowners often worry their furnace is broken because they have cold rooms, but it’s only because they have registers closed and/or blocked.

Also, change your filter regularly. If you don’t, especially during the peak heating season, it may influence how efficient your furnace is at keeping all areas of your home warm and comfortable. A dirty, dusty air filter won’t allow air to pass through like normal. If you aren’t sure how often to replace the filter, check your furnace’s owner’s manual for more information.

Furnace acting haunted?

Have a professional inspect and diagnose any furnace problems before your family really needs to depend on it in the dead of winter. At American Water Resources, we offer an affordable Heating System Repair protection program. When you are enrolled and your furnace breaks down, give us a call and we will find a local, insured contractor in our network to assist you within 24 hours.