It’s been a long winter in Fountain, CO and many of us are looking forward to the arrival of spring. But once spring arrives, that doesn’t mean you can switch off your heating system. The winters are long in Colorado and that means your furnace has been working hard to keep your home warm for many, many months.
With so many long days and nights of chugging away, keeping your home cozy and comfy, your furnace could be exhibiting signs that its performance is suffering. If you suspect you need a furnace repair, don’t put it off until the next heating season. Doing so could only make things worse and lead to a costlier repair. Here are 4 furnace problems that can’t be ignored.
#1. Short Cycling
Have you been putting on an extra layer even though your thermostat is set at a reasonable temperature? Does it seem like your furnace is running more frequently than it should be? If so, these are signs that it’s short cycling.
Short cycling happens when your furnace is unable to complete a heating cycle. It turns on, runs for a few minutes, then turns off–only to repeat the process soon after. Short cycling is bad news for a lot of reasons. The first one is obvious–your house isn’t getting warm enough, hence those extra layers.
But worst of all, short cycling is incredibly harmful to your furnace. That’s because the start-up process uses the most amount of energy. All that turning on and off results in tremendous wear and tear. If you don’t have it checked out soon, you may be looking at an early furnace replacement instead.
#2. Unusual Noises
Sudden and unexpected noises are your furnace’s way of telling you that something is amiss. Think of it as a cry for help. Strange noises that you shouldn’t hear from a furnace include banging, grinding, screeching, clicking, booming, squealing, and humming. If your once-quiet furnace is making a ruckus, contact us for a quick repair that’ll restore peace and quiet.
#3. Weak or Lukewarm Airflow
Does it seem like your home is taking longer than usual to achieve the set temperature on the thermostat? Try holding your hand up to one of the vents when the furnace is running. Is the flow of air strong and decidedly hot? If it’s weak and/or lukewarm, then your furnace is struggling to generate enough warmth.
#4. Unusual Odors
You might be thinking that this only applies to gas-powered furnaces. But unfortunately, electric furnaces can also produce strange odors when they’re malfunctioning. If you ever notice acrid, burning smells, the smell of dirty socks, rotten eggs, sulfur, or formaldehyde, shut the system down and schedule an appointment for service right away. These all indicate that something is wrong with your furnace that needs immediate attention.
Don’t let the weather get you down, call Brown’s! Brown’s Heating & Cooling is your trusted resource for furnace repairs in Fountain, CO. Contact us today!