The Emergency Furnace Repair Checklist

You may not think much about your home heating system until the first cool night when you turn it on. You expect it to run efficiently and make your home comfortably warm. But if it works sporadically or doesn’t work at all, suddenly that furnace becomes the center of attention. Thankfully, furnace repair is one of our specialties here at Dempsey. Here are some common ways that heating systems can fail and why you may need to put in an emergency call to a local heating and cooling specialist before you continue using the furnace.

Homeowner Pains When the Heating System Doesn’t Work

When your furnace is not performing well, you could experience a number of problems, such as:

• The system cycles on and off without staying on long enough to heat the house.
• The fan runs constantly and never, or rarely, turns off.
• The blower never kicks on to circulate warm air through the house.
• The system makes unusual noises such as squealing, banging or rattling sounds.
• The heating system runs but doesn’t heat the house adequately.
• The furnace doesn’t respond to the thermostat and shut off at the desired temperature.

While these are irritating problems, other issues can be a threat to the health of you and your family. When conditions cause a buildup of carbon monoxide, it can be life-threatening. If you have a gas furnace, check the flame when the system is on. A normal flame is blue in color and the exhaust gases created by the system are burnt up. If the flame is yellow, it isn’t hot enough to burn up the gases, which allows carbon monoxide to be formed and released into the house.

Signs that carbon monoxide is building up in the house include:

• More than normal moisture builds up on metal pipes, walls, windows and other cold surfaces.
• The flue pipes show signs of rust because of the excess moisture.
• Soot is streaked around the furnace.

A dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide in the home can cause you or a family member to have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Burning in the eyes and nose
• Symptoms like the flu

Turn off the heating system and get everyone out of the house. Open the doors and windows to allow the house to air out. Contact a service company right away before turning it back on.

The Benefits of a Furnace Inspection

To avoid any problems during the cold weather, have a service company inspect the heating system at the end of the summer or early in the fall. They will tune it up so it runs efficiently and repair any minor problems to prevent them from becoming major issues. Some of the benefits you get from having this done each year include:

• You can be comfortable that you and your family will be safe while running the furnace.
• Your system will run more efficiently, which saves you money as you heat your home.
• Your air quality improves because of a reduction of dust, mold and other contaminants hiding in the furnace and ductwork.
• You need not worry that your system will suddenly break down. While it does happen, having the heating system inspected will help ensure that it will run through the entire season without a problem.

What to Consider Before Calling in Furnace Repair 

Consider the following factors when choosing how to deal with the faulty heating system:

• If you’re planning to sell the house soon, a new system will be a major selling point.
• If the repair bill comes close to the cost of a new system, consider having a new system installed. You may be able to have a more energy efficient system for the price of repairing the old furnace.
• Rebates on the installation of a new heating system can make the price more appealing.
• Tax deductions may be available if a new energy efficient system is installed in your home.

When having a new furnace installed, there are a few factors to check into, such as:

• Will the new system work with existing ductwork or require installation of new air ducts?
• Make sure that gas and/or electricity is available to the furnace, depending on which type of heating system you choose.
• Have the service company make sure that the system you are considering has enough capacity to heat your whole home.

Note that, outside of changing the filter and vacuuming around the blower motor there are few things the homeowner can do to address their heating problems. Inspection and repair of the system should be left to qualified service people. Don’t delay in contacting a repair company if your system is not heating your home or is acting strangely. Get it inspected and repaired before worse problems happen. Enjoy the cool months in the warmth of your home with a reliable, efficient furnace system.

If you have questions about your furnace, contact us online or call our office today. We look forward to hearing from you!

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