Georgia may not be the coldest state, but when temperatures in Auburn get low, you need your furnace to be working correctly. If your heating hasn’t been as satisfactory this winter as in years past, your furnace might be in need of repair. Warning signs of a broken furnace range from indoor air quality problems to the color of your pilot light. Due to potential carbon monoxide issues, it’s dangerous to keep running a broken furnace. Therefore, if you notice any of these problems, call Indoor Solutions right away.
High Energy Bills May Indicate a Furnace Repair
Many things inside your furnace wear out, which will cause it to run less efficiently than it did when it was new. Failing to schedule regular furnace maintenance compounds the issue. Your furnace has to work harder and run longer than it did in previous years to provide you with the same indoor temperatures you’re used to, which causes increased energy bills. The more dire the repair need, the more your bills will go up.
Indoor Air Quality Issues
When your furnace isn’t functioning properly, you may experience indoor air quality problems such as allergy flare-ups and flu-like symptoms. Sometimes all you need to do is change the filter in your furnace. If your filter is more than a month or two old, it may be too full of dust and dirt to keep filtering the air as it should. When changing the filter doesn’t work, your ducts might be dirty, or carbon monoxide could be leaking into your home due to cracks in the furnace’s internal mechanisms.
Other indoor air quality problems are related to lack of humidity; older furnaces aren’t as adept at maintaining proper humidity levels. If you’ve suddenly noticed more static electricity in your house, or your family is suffering from dry eyes, dry skin, and scratchy throats, have someone come look at your furnace.
Strange Noises
Most furnaces make the occasional noise, especially when they’re kicking on or starting up for the first time each winter. The sounds that are not normal are excessive banging, clanking, groaning, or whining. These noises indicate any number of issues, from air leaks to loose belts. No furnace noises will go away if you ignore them. Call a professional to have a look as soon as you hear them, so the parts don’t get even more worn out and the damage doesn’t get worse.
A Chilly Interior
Do you keep turning the thermostat up and feeling no difference? Is your house drafty or full of cold spots? In older houses, the ductwork can cause some rooms to warm up better or more evenly than others. However, there’s a big difference between that and a furnace that simply isn’t producing enough hot air anymore, or the air isn’t distributed correctly.
If you’re consistently freezing no matter what you do with the thermostat, or if some rooms are boiling while others are freezing, your HVAC system needs help. The problem could be with the furnace itself, or with your ducts. Don’t keep cranking up the temperature; call a professional HVAC technician, and put on a sweater until he or she arrives.
A Yellow Pilot Light
Every so often, look at your furnace to check that everything looks okay. One of the most obvious signs that your furnace has a problem is the pilot light’s color. Blue is what you want to see; yellow means trouble. When the furnace is running correctly, the pilot light is blue due to the gases it burns. If those gases become unbalanced, the pilot light turns yellow. Many times, carbon monoxide is one of the culprits, and you don’t want to be inhaling carbon monoxide. Call someone immediately.
At Indoor Solutions, we can repair these furnace issues and many more. Whether your furnace is demonstrating one of these warning signs or you simply need routine maintenance, our state-certified technicians will spot the problems and offer timely repairs. We’re Bryant authorized dealers, too, so we’ve got the perfect furnace replacements for all our Georgia clients. Call us today at 706-225-8241.
Image provided by Shutterstock
