During the winter, very few people want to think that their furnace could be broken. And, no one thinks of calling someone to fix their heating system when their house is still warm. But, sometimes, there’s a problem present before the heat goes out completely. If you know the warning signs, you can get it taken care of before things get worse — and more expensive.
In this article, we’ll go through five signs your heater is possibly broken. The system can still run with these problems, but not for long. Let them go long enough, and you’ll be calling for emergency furnace repair. And, even if the last few York County winters have been relatively mild, you still don’t want to go without heat for a day or two.
Five signs of a Broken Heater
Here are five subtle indications you have a broken heater. Even if it’s still working, things could go bad quickly.
- Furnace Keeps Shutting Off or Won’t Stay Lit
- House Is Not Warm Enough
- Heater Occasionally Blows Cold Air
- Heating Bill Suddenly Goes Up
- Furnace Makes Banging or Gurgling Noises
Furnace Keeps Shutting Off or Won’t Stay Lit
You hear the furnace click on and the burners light, and then it often shuts itself off within a minute or two. It may try again a few times, then stop heating altogether. On many newer furnaces, a small light on the control board blinks a code when this happens. Often, that’s a flame-failure or lockout code.
Here’s what’s going on. When your furnace lights, a part called the flame sensor checks that the burners actually caught. If it doesn’t see a steady flame, the furnace shuts the gas off on purpose. After a few failed tries, it often locks itself out until someone resets it.
The cause can be something simple, like a dirty flame sensor or a clogged air filter. It can also be a worn part. On one job in York, the burners had rusted so badly that the flame couldn’t carry over to the flame sensor. So the furnace kept trying to light, then locking out.
What You Can Check
Start with the air filter. If it’s dirty, put in a new one. Make sure the thermostat is set to heat and the batteries are good. If the furnace still keeps shutting off, or the same code keeps blinking, don’t keep resetting it over and over. Write down the blink pattern if you can, and call your HVAC company to have a technician take a look.
House Is Not Warm Enough
This sign may seem obvious, but it’s often subtle: If your house is warm, but not warm enough, you may have a problem with the heater and will need to call for HVAC service.
The lack of heat usually indicates that something’s worn out or at least not working quite right. Maybe there is an issue with the blower, or there’s a belt about to break. When these problems occur, you’ll know when there’s heat coming through the vents — just not too much of it.
However, you may not need a professional just yet.
Troubleshooting
Your first question should be: Did you change your air filter before the cold weather hit? You should put a new one in every month, or at least once a season.
If you’ve let it go longer, then the one in there could be clogged. Once there’s enough dirt, fuzz, and other particles on the filter, it won’t let enough air pass through.
Next, check your vents: Can you see them all?
A blocked vent, particularly a return, can disrupt the airflow in your house. One symptom would be weak circulation. Make sure there are at least 18 inches of space around each vent. Otherwise, you’re blocking airflow.
Heater Occasionally Blows Cold Air
Cold air is the cousin of “My home’s not warm enough.” There’s enough air flowing through the house, but you notice that it’s sometimes colder than what you anticipated.
This is a sign that heat is backing up into the system. Somewhere along the line, the warmth isn’t able to circulate enough. When that happens, the inner workings of your system overheat. Yes, even the core of your heating system can get too hot.
In this situation, the system sends a blast of cold air to regulate things. However, when that happens too many times, the stress from the sudden temperature swings can weaken and crack the heat exchanger.
If you’re noticing cold air coming through the vents after troubleshooting, please call a professional.
Heating Bill Suddenly Goes Up
Of course, you will expect an increase in your utilities once you fire up the furnace for the winter. However, you want to be on the lookout for any sudden, sharp rise that may appear even if the weather has been relatively consistent.
The unexpected increase is a sign that the system is working harder than it needs to. If the change coincides with weaker heating or even the same amount of climate control, it’s a cause for concern.
Now, this can be a little tricky to spot with a monthly bill. That’s where newer HVAC technology comes in handy.
Tracking Energy Usage With A Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat will help you spot a problem without waiting for your monthly bill.
These new devices offer more real-time measures of your energy usage, and you can view it any time on a smart device. And, you’ll see any odd changes as they happen. If there’s a sudden, dramatic energy usage change, the app alerts you to take care of the problem.
Furnace Makes Banging Or Gurgling Noises
You know how you’ll take your car to the mechanic (hopefully) when the engine makes weird noises? Well, in the same way, it’s a good idea to call your HVAC service if your furnace makes banging or gurgling noises and get an emergency furnace repair.
Banging Noises
A banging noise from a heating system is usually a sign that something’s broken or has otherwise come loose.
You will possibly hear a belt slapping against an inner component or a squeal if it’s frayed but still working.
Any banging, scratching, squealing, or rattling from your unit means it’s worth betting it looked at because you want to report the problem and get HVAC service before it gets worse.
Gurgling Noises
This is more specific to boilers, but it’s worth mentioning.
A problem with these units is “kettling.” It’s when there’s a clog preventing water from passing through the system the way it should.
In this case, the liquid evaporates and puts pressure on the boiler. The deep, rumbling, gurgling sound comes from air bubbles escaping through the system.
Heater Tune-Ups In York County, PA
One easy way to head off a lot of problems with your furnace is by getting a tune-up in the fall. That’s when you have a professional clean and inspect the system before you start using it. This way, any small problems get fixed ahead of time, and the heater is optimized for winter. We talk more about these here.
Emergency Furnace Repair In York County, PA
If you’ve noticed any of these problems and need an emergency furnace repair, don’t ignore them! Give Air Comfort Technologies a call today for your HVAC service. With any luck, it’ll be nothing. Or, it’s at least something small that we can fix before it becomes a bigger — and more expensive — problem.