There’s nothing better than enjoying a cozy and warm home during the frigid winter months. Your furnace works hard daily to provide you and your household with comfortable heat. However, when your furnace stops working correctly, you may be left with a cold home—and a ton of concerns.
Before you start furnace troubleshooting, it’s essential to know why heating systems break down and malfunction in the first place. Below, we’ll go over five of the most common furnace problems and their fixes.
Dirty Furnace Air Filter
One of the most common furnace problems is a dirty or clogged furnace filter. On average, you should replace dirty filters every one to three months. When you forget to change your filter, it can get clogged and lead to several furnace-related problems, including:
- Furnace short-cycling
- A damaged limit switch
- Reduced efficiency
- Poor indoor air quality
When furnace troubleshooting, a dirty air filter is one common problem that you can fix by yourself. You can purchase a new furnace filter at your local home improvement store.
To replace the filter, all you need to do is turn off your furnace, remove the old filter, insert the replacement, and then turn your furnace back on.
If you don’t feel comfortable performing an air filter replacement yourself, contact Mike Williams, your dependable Springfield, IL, heating company, for assistance.
Malfunctioning Thermostat
If your house feels more like a walk-in refrigerator, you may next want to check the thermostat. A malfunctioning thermostat is one of the most common furnace problems since your thermostat could be detecting an incorrect temperature.
First, check if the thermostat is set to “heat” mode and at a comfortable temperature. You’ll be surprised how often your settings are changed accidentally—or on purpose—by a member of your household.
If the thermostat screen is entirely blank, check for old batteries or a tripped circuit breaker.
Last but not least, is your thermostat placed in direct sunlight? This can trick your thermostat into thinking the house is warmer than it really is.
Strange Noises
Has your furnace been making strange, loud sounds recently? When furnace troubleshooting, you might notice a few different noises coming from your heating system.
Here are some sounds you may encounter and the common furnace problems associated with them:
- Rattling: Loose panels may need to be tightened
- Popping or Pinging: Expanding or contracting ductwork
- Screeching: A faulty blower motor
- Squealing: Problems, such as wear and tear, with the blower belt
- Clicking: Gas valve failure in a gas furnace
- Scraping: Worn out ball bearings
Yellow Pilot Light
If you don’t mind getting up close and personal while furnace troubleshooting, take a look at your pilot light.
The pilot light is a small flame used to ignite the natural gas in your main burners. It is blue in color when working correctly and a flickering yellow when it is weak. If you don’t see a light burning at all, then you know the pilot light has gone out.
Your pilot light can have various problems caused by a thermocouple malfunction or even a strong draft. If you spot a problem with your pilot light, get in touch with a professional technician in Champaign, IL, for assistance.
Cracked Heat Exchanger
Your furnace’s heat exchanger keeps the entire heating system running safely. However, a cracked heat exchanger is a furnace problem you may encounter. If the heat exchanger cracks, your furnace won’t be able to provide you with adequate heat.
Heat exchangers can crack due to a lack of heating system maintenance or a dirty air filter. This is a problem that only a furnace troubleshooting and repair expert should handle.
Contact Us Today!
If you encounter one of these common furnace problems in cold weather, you might feel overwhelmed or frustrated. You depend on your furnace to provide your home with heat, and the last thing you want is a sudden problem causing you to shiver.
Fortunately, Bloomington’s heating experts are only one call away. At Mike Williams, our heating and air conditioning technicians have the experience and training to provide you with quality furnace services. Contact us right away to schedule a furnace repair in Bloomington, Springfield, or Champaign, IL, and the surrounding area!