Your furnace plays a vital role in your home if you live in cold climates. You rely on it to keep you and your family warm when it’s cold outside — so you can’t afford to ignore potential problems and end up with a broken furnace when you need it the most.
Unfortunately, not all the signs of a broken furnace are immediately noticeable, so you’ll need to understand what to look for. Below are eight signs of furnace problems that you need to know.
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1. Constant On and Off Cycles
In the ideal situation, your furnace will turn on and off a limited number of times. It stays on until your home reaches the desired temperature and turns off when it reaches that point.
It shouldn’t require multiple on-and-off cycles to reach your desired temperature. If you see your furnace constantly rebooting itself, it’s a sign of a problem.
It could be as simple as a sensor that needs to be replaced or as severe as a fan motor dying.
2. Wrong Flame Color
If you have a natural gas furnace, you may be able to see the flame used to heat your home. Your furnace will have a peephole that lets you see what’s happening inside.
In most situations, the flame should look normal. It will have the appearance of a normal flame color and not have any abnormalities.
But if something is wrong, you may notice the flame is a different color. The typical problem is that you have a dirty burner, and the gas isn’t being completely burned off. If the flame is yellow, this is a sign that you have a problem.
3. Moisture Buildup
Taking care of your home’s climate is hard when there isn’t enough airflow. The airflow provided by the furnace helps clean the moisture from the air and prevent it from building up.
But that won’t happen if you have a broken furnace. As humidity builds in your home, you’ll see moisture buildup in different areas.
Stagnant and damp air is a sign of low airflow through your vents or your furnace isn’t running correctly. Check your vents first since they are the easier problem to solve, and move to furnace problems after that.
4. Pooling Water
You don’t usually think of water when you think of a furnace. Yes, you’ll get moisture buildup in the summer on an AC because of condensation. But that isn’t normally a thing you see with a furnace.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t water when using a furnace. Furnace units drain water out of a condensation line. If there’s a problem, that won’t happen and will result in a leak.
Investigate the parts of your furnace where your water byproduct drains. In some cases, you can fix the problem by cleaning the condensation area. In others, the problem is more serious and will require furnace repairs.
5. Bad Smells
In normal situations, there should be no smell coming from your furnace. You’ll hear it during normal use, but you shouldn’t notice it at any other time.
But if something is wrong, you may smell a strange odor from your furnace. The smell can be anything from a gas leak to burning debris.
Since you’re dealing with gas, this is a severe problem. Get help as soon as possible to make sure you don’t have a leak that puts the people in your home in danger. Check out these heating services to find a pro to help.
6. Cold Spots
Your furnace’s job is to heat your entire home properly. Your ventilation system should push heat through to each area to make sure each part of your home is at the right temperature.
But that doesn’t always happen if your furnace isn’t working correctly, that doesn’t always happen. You may see some parts of your home stay around the right temperature. However, others will be too cold and uncomfortable to stay in.
If this is the case, it’s a sign that your furnace isn’t adequately heating your home. Some parts of your ventilation may be bad, or your furnace doesn’t have the power to maintain your home’s temperature.
7. More Dust
Your furnace does much more than keep your home cool. It also has an air filter that helps clean the air to prevent debris from getting pushed throughout your home.
If you notice more dust in your home, your furnace may not be doing its job. In most cases, you can solve this problem with an air filter change. Remember to change your filter at least every three months. If changing the filter doesn’t solve the problem, you must investigate other issues.
8. Higher Bills
In some cases, your furnace may have issues that aren’t noticeable. You won’t notice anything strange in your home, and it will still stay warm enough. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems.
If your furnace struggles to heat your home correctly, it will use more energy trying to do this. You’ll notice your power bills increasing if this happens.
Monitor your power bills to see if they are higher than they should be. If so, call someone to look at your furnace or perform a tune-up.
Don’t Ignore Signs of a Broken Furnace
You can’t afford to have your furnace not work when you need it the most. If you have a broken furnace, you won’t have what you need to keep your home warm in winter. And if the problem happens when you least expect it, you may not be able to get a professional to your home to fix it quickly.
That’s why it’s vital to understand the signs of furnace problems. Make sure you’re aware of the issues above and when it’s time to get a new furnace.
Do you want to learn more about home issues and how to handle home repairs? Read more guides on the blog to learn more about caring for your home.