Heating / March 6, 2018

4 Signs You Need Furnace Repairs

With heating season winding down, you may figure you can put off minor furnace repairs and maintenance until next year. In some cases, this is true. However, some furnace problems are not safe to ignore. If you experience any of the following problems, you had better call your HVAC repair team sooner rather than later.

1. Your Carbon Monoxide Alarm Is Beeping
   Hopefully you have a carbon monoxide alarm on the floor where your furnace is located and also on every other floor of your home. Many homeowners assume that if this alarm sounds and they don’t have any symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, like headaches or nausea, the incident is a false alarm that they can just ignore. However, CO detectors are made to detect carbon monoxide before it causes serious illness.
   
   Ignoring this alarm, under any circumstance, is a big mistake. If your CO alarm rings and you feel okay, turn off the furnace, open your windows to let in fresh air, and call your HVAC company. If you do feel ill, head to the hospital before contacting your heating company. Also call emergency services to come investigate; they will make sure it is safe to re-enter your home.
2. You Detect an Odd Chemical Odor Coming from the Vents
   Some people say this odor reminds them of formaldehyde. Others assume another family member sprayed cleaning solution near the air ducts. In any case, if there’s an unexplained chemical odor coming from your vents, you may have a cracked heat exchanger.
   
   The heat exchanger is the part of your furnace that forms a barrier between the flame and the air that circulates through your home. When it cracks, dangerous gases, including carbon monoxide, may end up in your heated air. Some broken heat exchangers can be fixed. Other times, your HVAC technician may recommend replacing the furnace. In any event, it is never safe to ignore this issue until next heating season.
3. Your Furnace Is Squealing
   A little rattling now and then is a problem that needs to be dealt with but that is probably just due to a loose duct. The occasional bang when a furnace has not turned on in a while usually just means the burner is dirty. Neither of these noises indicate an emergency situation, but squealing noises coming from your furnace need to be dealt with as soon as possible.
   
   Squealing is usually caused by a loose or torn belt in the blower motor. If the belt comes loose, it may whip around and cause serious damage to other parts of your furnace. Have your HVAC company out to fix the belt now so you don’t have to replace the whole furnace in a few months.
4. Your Pilot Light Is Blue
   Many modern furnaces have an electronic ignition, so there is no standing pilot light. But if you have an older furnace with a standing pilot light, take a look at that light. It should be blue. If the light is yellow, this means the gas flowing to the pilot light is not being fully burned which could result in carbon monoxide accumulation in your home.
   
   Usually, a yellow pilot light just means your burner needs to be cleaned or the air intake valve is clogged with dirt. These are easy issues for your furnace repair team to fix but they do need to be fixed quickly to avoid putting your family at risk.

There are some furnace repairs you should never put off until next season. If you’re struggling with any of these problems,  contact Mauzy Heating, Air & Solar. We proudly service all throughout San Diego County.