Address These Furnace Warning Signs Before Winter

Signs Your Furnace is Broken

As you settle into the fall season, you may not be thinking about if your furnace is ready to take on cold winter weather. If you want your home to be warm and toasty when the temperatures drop, you should already be testing to make sure your furnace is working properly.

If you’ve already turned on your furnace this season to get those morning and nighttime chills out of your home, you should be aware of signs that your furnace may need to be repaired or replaced. Below are signs that it’s time to get your furnace checked by a professional.

#1 Strange Noises

While your furnace may not be as quiet as a mouse throughout its entire lifespan, you should make yourself aware of sounds that aren’t common for your furnace. As the temperature inside your home decreases, your HVAC system has to work a little harder to adjust, which can have an impact on your furnace.

Some scary sounds that your furnace can make to indicate something is wrong can include:

Knocking
Clunking
Banging
Huffing
Grinding

Knocking and clunking could mean you have a cracked belt. Huffing, banging, and puffing could mean that your ignition is delayed. If you hear sounds like grinding, there could be an electrical problem with your furnace.

#2 Change in Flame Color

The flame in your furnace should be a bright blue color. If your flame changes colors, like turns yellow for example, this is an indication that you have an issue that could be related to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas, and if your furnace isn’t vented correctly, it can create too much carbon monoxide that can greatly affect your family’s health.

Other pilot flame warning signs include a weak flame or no flame at all. A weak flame means your gas isn’t completely burning, and no flame could be a sign that your gas shutoff malfunctioned. For these issues, never relight your pilot flame yourself. Contact a professional HVAC technician to light the flame for your family’s safety.

#3 Electricity Bill Spikes

One of the major downsides of your furnace being broken is noticing a sudden spike in your electricity bill. If you notice that your bill is much higher than normal, the culprit could most likely be your furnace.

Your furnace has to work harder to provide heat, which wastes energy and the easiest way to know is by checking your energy bill every month. Contacting an expert to fix your furnace can get your bill back to its regular amount.

#4 Strange Odors

Sometimes, after not using your heater for a while, when it first comes on, you may notice a smell. However, smells can also be a sign that something is off with your heater.

If your furnace doesn’t “show” signs that something is wrong, your nose can quickly pick up smells that point to a problem for you. You may smell unusual odors from your heater like burning or dust. To fix this problem, you can replace your air filters and the smell should go away. If the smell doesn’t go away, contact a technician to find the source of the odor and make sure there are no gas leaks or other problems.

#5 Furnace Age

Maybe your furnace is a bit older and you haven’t thought about if and when it should be replaced. An old heater will sometimes require constant upkeep, especially if it’s been a while since the last time you had maintenance done on it. You will know that your furnace is old if it has been in your home for longer than 15 years. Heaters usually last about 20 years with regular maintenance, but it won’t last as long if there hasn’t been any proper upkeep over the years.

Our team at Centennial Plumbing, Heating & Electrical is dedicated to helping homeowners keep their HVAC system in the best condition. Your furnace will last longer with regular maintenance and repairs when needed, and we can do that for you!

Give us a call at (306) 500-7392 to schedule your maintenance appointment and get information about our HVAC services in Saskatoon.