Winter is coming to an end, and warm weather is around the corner. You may be tempted to ignore signs that your furnace needs end-of-season repairs. After all, you probably won’t need to use your furnace again until the fall or winter.
There are several problems with this. A cold front may surprise you, even in springtime. If you wait until fall or winter to turn your furnace on again, it may not work as you expect. Don’t get stuck in cool weather with a non-working furnace. Get a post-season furnace checkup by the pros.
When you stay ahead of repair needs you avoid surprise expenses later on. Plus, you know your furnace will work correctly when you’re ready to turn it back on. Here are three common signs that your furnace has end-of-season repair needs.
Unusual Sounds
Your furnace makes some sounds when it’s running. You may hear air moving through the vents and slight rattles as your air ducts expand and contract with temperature changes. Over time, you learn what sounds are outside of the norm for your furnace.
If you hear loud or unexpected noises coming from your furnace, it’s a sign that something is wrong. Examples include:
- Banging
- Clanging
- Clicking
- Hissing
- Screeching
Clicking is a sign that the heater exchange inside your gas furnace is damaged. Other sounds indicate that a component in your furnace is loose. Even if your furnace seems to be working fine, it’s important to address unusual sounds – especially at the end of the winter season.
Strange Smells
There is only one time that professionals consider a furnace odor to be normal. This happens when you turn your furnace on for the first time in the fall or winter. Dust settles inside your furnace during warmer months, as your furnace isn’t in use. As the dirt burns off the heating components of your furnace, the smell dissipates.
If the smell lasts longer than a few days or you smell an unusual odor at any other time, something is wrong with your unit. In fact, a smell signals that something could be dangerously wrong with your unit and requires immediate attention. Turn your furnace off to be safe and then call us for an assessment.
However, if you detect an acrid or burning odor during this time of the year, then it’s definitely a sign of an urgent issue. Stay on the safe side, shut your heating system down and then give us a call.
Changes in Air Temperature
You turn on your furnace and you expect it to warm up your home. If the air is lukewarm and not heating your home to the usual temperature you expect, something may be wrong. Your furnace has one job, and you want it to work efficiently each time.
Lukewarm air is especially problematic for a gas-powered furnace because it may indicate a serious problem. Keep in mind that your house may feel warm in one area but not in another.
No matter what problems you face with your furnace at the end of the season, we can help. Our team can assess air ducts, thermostat, and other heating components.
Contact Covenant Heating and Cooling for professional furnace service in Brentwood, TN.