3 Warning Signs of a Furnace Emergency
When the cold nights of winter arrive, there’s nothing better to come home to than a toasty warm house. Unfortunately, too many homeowners instead arrive to find a chilly home and a broken heater to blame. The good news is that the furnace will, most of the time, give homeowners warning signs that it is about to fail.
Three key signs of looming furnace failure are cold air, strange noises, and strange smells in the home. Keep reading to find out what each warning indicates and how to identify when a furnace emergency may not be too far away.
Cold Air Freezing the Home
When the heater is on, homeowners expect hot air to blow through their vents. When the air seems colder than it should or doesn’t feel hot at all, the furnace is facing a problem somewhere. There are a couple of things that can cause cold air to blow from the furnace.
- Pilot Light is Out: The furnace’s pilot light is an essential part of the combustion cycle that generates heat in the furnace. When the pilot light goes out, this cycle stops, and hot air is no longer generated. Homeowners should try to turn the pilot light back on, and if that fails, call an HVAC specialist to investigate.
- Thermostat Troubles: If a thermostat is broken or failing, it will not send the correct signals to the furnace for heat. More often, though, thermostat issues usually come from the fan setting being incorrectly set to always circulate air in the home. When the “always-on” setting is selected, air will continuously circulate through the vents, whether it has been heated by a heating cycle or not. Adjusting the fan setting can stop the excessive circulation of cold air.
- Dirty Filters: The furnace’s air filter can restrict the flow of hot air when clogged and dirty. More importantly, a clogged air filter while limiting the flow of hot air will also increase the temperature inside the heater, tricking the thermostat into thinking the home’s desired temperature has been achieved. As a result, the furnace will shut off prematurely and fail to warm the house. A new filter being installed can usually fix this problem.
Noises Ruining the Silent Night
Furnaces do usually make some noise when they kick on after being off for a while. But, there are some sounds that homeowners should listen to that signal a furnace problem is near.
- Banging: Banging noises coming from the furnace usually occur when the ducts expand from hot air blowing through them. However, when bangs that are louder than usual occur, there may be problems with the furnace’s combustion process. Combustion issues can lead to a complete furnace failure and should be addressed by a professional as soon as possible.
- Screeching: High-pitched screeching or squealing coming from the furnace is a warning that a part needs to be replaced. Frayed belts, loose parts, and malfunctioning motors can all cause a screeching sound when the furnace is running. Such worn-down-parts will increase the wear on the entire furnace as a whole and can result in the need for a complete replacement if repairs are put off too long.
- Scraping: Scraping coming from the furnace usually indicates a loose part, typically in the blower wheel. Constant scraping will lead to the destruction of said part and increase the wear on the heating system as a whole. Usually, the parts will need to be tightened and possibly replaced by a professional who can correctly take apart the furnace.
A Terrible Smell Is in the Air
Strange smells almost always warrant a call to an HVAC specialist when they come from the furnace. Usually, a furnace may smell dusty or musty the first few days it is turned on after being unused all summer, but after that, there shouldn’t be any strange smells coming through the vents.
Homeowners should keep an eye (or nose) out for these three smells:
- Gas or Rotton Eggs: If the smell of rotten eggs is coming through the vents, shut off the home’s gas line and call an HVAC specialist right away. The smell of gas is a sign that there is a gas leak somewhere in the house, which can cause deadly health problems and can be easily ignited into an explosion or fire in the home. Gas leaks are a serious issue and should never be taken on by the homeowner.
- Ozone or Electrical Burning: Ozone smells similar to chlorine, and if that or a burning smell is coming through the vents, an HVAC emergency technician needs to be called. Why? It usually indicates an overheating furnace pulling in too much electricity, and that can cause sparks, which can then cause a fire. If electrical burning is smelled, the power should be shut off to the heater right away until the HVAC technician can get to work.
Keeping an eye out for these signs can protect the home from a furnace failure. Be sure to reach out to a reputable HVAC company whenever any of these signs crop up and let the professionals handle keeping the furnace ready and running for winter.
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